While Netflix has made strides to produce more diverse and somewhat representative content (such as “Dear White People” and “Queer Eye”), Netflix’s newest series “Emily in Paris” demonstrates the platform’s inability to properly address social issues when a show’s focus isn’t solely representation—in this case, feminism in professional and personal environments.
The show is marketed as the fun story of Emily Cooper, a social media strategist from Chicago, who moves to Paris to bring “an American perspective” to the marketing firm her company has acquired.
While the show promises to be unproblematic and fun, it quickly shifts to a series that is trying (and failing) to be socially and politically aware of the barriers women face in the workplace.
Throughout the series, there are moments where the series succeeds—Emily points out the objectification of a naked woman in a commercial as sexist, and pushes away a man who tries to seduce her by claiming he loves “American pussy.”
However, these few moments are not enough, and are often followed by instances of harassment towards Emily (and her bashful dismissal) or her complete disregard for the women around her.
In a romantic comedy about a woman in the workplace, Netflix manages to promote the idea that women should stay quiet about the harassment they face. Chalking it up to “culture,” however toxic, is distasteful. Impressionable viewers may be left with the understanding that it is acceptable and expected for victims and witnesses of harassment to stay quiet, thus encouraging abuse—a misogynistic theme for a show supposedly based around feminism.
Outside of the workplace, Emily has several romantic and sexual relationships. While there is nothing wrong with having multiple partners or flings, many of these relationships come at the expense of the protagonist’s female friendships. She leaves her friend Mindy with a group of people she is uncomfortable with to take a trip with a boy, betrays her friend Camille’s trust when she lies about kissing her boyfriend, and allows the her interactions with her boss to be tainted by the idea that her boss’s partner is interested in her.
Rather than women supporting women in their relationships and endeavours, “Emily in Paris” promotes the idea that it is ‘every woman for herself,’ thus resulting in a stereotypical portrayal of female interaction that certainly counters feminist ideology.
It should also be acknowledged that the show’s few ‘feminist moments’ are portrayed solely from the perspective of Emily—a well-off, conventionally attractive heterosexual white woman who possesses too much privilege to properly portray the intersectional nature of feminism. The fact that the series features only a handful of BIPOC actors—most of which play supporting roles—exacerbates this weakness.
“Emily in Paris” is a clear reflection of Netflix’s need to step up its game when it comes to writing shows that include more than passive attempts at addressing real social issues. We must normalize the development of female characters whose priorities revolve around more than just their relationships with men, and whose experiences as women are affected by their race, sexual orientation, and other characteristics of intersectionality.
Featured graphic from file.
