ENTERTAINMENT

Emmanuel Macron has some strong views about ‘Emily in Paris’ heading to Rome

Oct 10, 2024, 7:29 AM

French President Emmanuel Macron said that the show was good for France's image. (Benoit Tessier/Re...

French President Emmanuel Macron said that the show was good for France's image. (Benoit Tessier/Reuters)

(Benoit Tessier/Reuters)

(CNN)When Netflix’s hit show “Emily in Paris” revealed at the end of season four that its lead character was heading to Rome, it caught many viewers by surprise. Now, French President Emmanuel Macron has waded into the conversation and said the country “will fight hard” to stop the show relocating to Italy’s capital.

“We will ask them to remain in Paris, ‘Emily in Paris’” in Rome doesn’t make sense,” he told Variety in an interview published Wednesday.

The show centers around 20-something American marketing executive Emily Cooper, played by Lily Collins, who moves from Chicago to Paris for a job and enjoys la belle vie in the French capital. It frequently ranks among Netflix’s most-watched shows and when the streaming giant renewed it for a fifth season, its creator Darren Star said Emily will now “have a presence in Rome.”

Macron has long been associated with the show. His wife, Brigitte, made a cameo in season four when Emily spotted her in a café and asked for a selfie. And in the show’s fictional universe, Brigitte shares one of Emily social media posts in season one that expressed shock that the French word for vagina – le vagin – is masculine.

“I was super proud, and she was very happy to do it,” Macron said about his wife’s cameo. “It’s just a few minutes, but I think it was a very good moment for her. I think it’s good for the image of France. ‘Emily in Paris’ is super positive in terms of attractiveness for the country. For my own business, it’s a very good initiative.”

Brigitte Macron (center) appeared in an episode where she posed for a selfie with Lily Collins as Emily (left) and Thalia Besson as Genevieve (right). (Netflix via CNN Newsource)

While the show has drawn criticism from some French viewers for leaning into Parisian clichés and avoiding issues like homelessness in the city, it has boosted tourism to the country’s capital, a study conducted by France’s national film center found in January.

Around one tenth of tourists decided to visit France after viewing a particular movie or series and in 38% of those instances, it was “Emily in Paris” that provided the inspiration for a French vacation, the study found.

But despite his wife’s associations with the show and its impact on tourism, Macron has no plans to make his own cameo appearance.

“I’m less attractive than Brigitte,” he told Variety.

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Emmanuel Macron has some strong views about ‘Emily in Paris’ heading to Rome