Emily In Paris… Don’t Believe the Hype
My husband and I binged watched Emily in Paris on New Year’s Day after we arrived back to Paris from our holidays in Pittsburgh. I didn’t want to watch it when we were in Pittsburgh. I’m not exactly sure why but I am happy that we waited.
The first season was like a breath of fresh air. Probably because it happened during lock down and we needed that cheery look at Paris while locking down in Pittsburgh. We found it to be entertaining and refreshing. We loved the frivolity and playfulness of the show. We loved its diversity. The characters were so much fun. The fantasy was welcomed.
The second season was fun too but not quite as satisfying. This last season, however, seems like a 10 part commercial that is almost painful to watch. All three seasons are not real portrayals of life here in Paris anyway. It’s totally unrealistic and whimsical but this last season was completely over the top. So here is a public service announcement to anyone that has watched the TV show and is expecting to have the same experience that they saw portrayed on tv. Do not come to Paris thinking it’s going to be anything close to what you see. You will be extremely disappointed.
First of all the sun doesn’t shine like that in Paris! Paris averages 51 days of full sunshine and another 152 days of very weak sun, the remainder is rain and fog. It gets downright gloomy. Don’t get me wrong, I love Paris. It’s my adopted city. It is beautiful and magical and intriguing even in the rain. Some say it’s even more lovely when it rains. I wouldn’t go that far.
Life here is not a constant party even if you are young and well connected. No one could afford that kind of lifestyle. No one has the bandwidth to party until 3am then get up to go to work everyday. I don’t mean economically because there are many wealthy people that live here. I mean socially and physically. It’s impossible. To get to work most people take the metro, some ride bikes, scooters or busses or they just walk. Very few working people are being dropped off by limo even if they could afford it. Traffic is terrible. You’d probably be late for everything. We occasionally taxi or Uber places but that’s few and far between. Depends on what we’re schlepping with us to make that call.
Speaking of walking, Paris is a walking city. It’s best seen on foot in my opinion. My husband and I choose to walk most places. Our apartment is in a prime location and is featured quite often in the show. Therefore, life is not lived in stiletto heels or even platforms shoes. Trust me, I’m all about fabulous footwear. If you were to ask Pierre he would probably say that I own far too many shoes. My selection varies from Louboutin heels (that I’ve worn twice) to Gucci mules and everything in between, but it is far too hot to wear suede thigh high boots in the summertime á la Emily. Most places do not have air conditioning or elevators. My most worn shoes are very good walking kicks and my favorite flats. I have Roxys in several different colors. I want comfort and control plus I’m not risking getting dog poop on my nice shoes. Yes, it’s a thing here. But I digress, back to the party scene diatribe. I know I’m speaking from a very different demographic than Emily. I’m not 20 something nor am I that vapid. Social media for me is a necessary evil. It’s a chore to post anything for the most part. But I do know a few wealthy people here as I’ve mentioned. I’ve hung out with the rich, famous and royal in my day so I can recognize a good time. I still love a good party and love dressing the part on occasion. However, spending 2 hours on hair and make up before stepping out on the daily is just not going to happen. It’s not in my wheelhouse. Honestly I doubt that anyone would much care if I’m dolled up and dressed to the nines. My guess is that I’d get a quick up and down or just passed over with that bored, exhausted expression that I’ve come to love. As long as I’m clean and groomed I’m acceptable.
Parisians are not fond of bright colors either. The outfits that you see on the show are outrageous. Outside of the runway or maybe a gala ballroom you aren’t going to see much more than black. Maybe an ocassional gray. As we live in the Marais we do get quite the fashion show and some fabulous spectacle every now and then, but nothing like the everyday fashions that they wear in the show. City folk like basic muted colors in general. Even in the US, unless you’re in Florida, LA or maybe on an island. Absolutely nothing like what they portray. And speaking of clothing, unless you have an entire other apartment for clothes and shoes, there just isn’t enough space to store all of that. I have a friend that actually does have another apartment for their clothes and shoes here but the average working gens cannot afford to do that. So my question is, where is Emily putting all these outfits? We have storage under our bed and sofa. We constructed an entire balcony in our loft to accommodate more closet space and we still do not have enough space for both of our things. I leave the vast majority of my clothes and shoes in Pittsburgh in a walk-in closet there. I have no idea what I would do if we sell that house. The thought gives me hives. My girlfriend who lives in the South of France is an American married to a Frenchman as well. We’ve spent countless hours in conversations, lamenting on what to do with our “stuff”. There just isn’t space in France. I want to build storage units like we have in the US. I know we could make a mint. Any investors out there? Hit me up I have ideas!
On another (perhaps bitter) note about the show, let’s talk Champagne. Not the beverage, the place. Pierre and I were married in Champagne. My husband’s family on his father’s side are from there. They actually own a vineyard and produce and sell champagne. It’s delicious by the way and we drink our fair share. So I have a little bit of knowledge of what I’m going to say. Their portrayal is quite fantastical. I adore the fantasy of it all but it’s just not realistic of what life is like for the champagne families that live there. The people that I have met are so down to earth. They are not pretentious, snobbish or elitist. The lifestyle of his family is hard working people that love what they do. It’s quiet and unpretentious. I love going there to see his family. There’s always lots of food, conversation, sometimes a bit of local gossip and lots and lots of champagne. They don’t live in a château. Although there are families that do. There are some very grand houses there for certain. I often jest ( kind of) that we should buy an old château and refurbish it for us to live in. I fantasize about having a nice pool and inviting friends to stay with us in our big house. Sipping champagne and eating fabulous meals prepared by me and our guests. I’m sure it sounds more fun than it would be in reality. Who would foot the bill first of all? Who has that kind of time? My friends work. They are not people of leisure. We would need staff. Right now I am the “staff”. We remodeled our 250 year old apartment and that was a chore. So an entire chateau may just be a dream or better yet, a nightmare, that will never come to fruition. Oh well. I guess my point is that even if you meet a family from champagne do not expect to arrive by Lamborghini or helicopter. A Fiat or train is more likely. And again, leave the stilettos in the suitcase. Vineyards are not made for them either.
Another thing and I’ll wrap it up, is the arrondissements. It irritated me to no end that they would say they were in the 3rd or 10th arrondissement and it was clear that they were not. Again I was thrilled that our neighborhood was featured so much in the show. Many of the scenes were on our very street. A few restaurants were shown that we frequent. The panoramics often showed our area too. We got a big kick out of that. I do feel that with all of that advertising and product placement that someone could have done their due diligence and got the arrondissements right though. Don’t say the 3rd then clearly show the 4th. Ugh!
To sum it up, Emily in Paris is a fun ride. It’s cute and colorful and jauntily entertaining. But to my American friends please come here with realistic expectations or just stay home and watch the tv show if you don't want your proverbial bubble burst. There are crowds and lines to get in everywhere and for everything. You need reservations at restaurants and it’s going to cost you a small fortune to have a fraction of the experiences that Emily has here. But, if you’re looking for classic architecture, art, literature, even fashion and most definitely great food, then Paris is a city for you to visit. If you’re expecting an Emily experience on a Mcbudget then just don't bother.
