French President Macron Wants 'Emily in Paris' to Stay in the City of Love

Imagine this: the popular Netflix show "Emily in Paris" is announcing that its main character is heading to Rome. You'd think the Italians would be thrilled, right? Well, not so fast. French President Emmanuel Macron has something to say about that. He wants the show to stick to its namesake city and has even said that France will "fight hard" to make that happen. "We will ask them to remain in Paris," Macron told Variety in a recent interview. "The show is called 'Emily in Paris,' so it only makes sense for her to stay there." The show, created by Darren Star, features a young American marketing executive, Emily Cooper, played by Lily Collins. She moves from Chicago to Paris for a dream job and lives it up in the French capital. The show has been a massive hit for Netflix, landing among its most-watched series. Now, with plans to shift some of the action to Rome, it has sparked a reaction from the French President.

Macron has had a close connection to the show before. His wife, Brigitte, even made a cameo appearance in the fourth season, where Emily spotting her in a café led to a selfie moment. This isn't the first time the show has brought real-life French personalities into its narrative. In the first season, Brigitte shares one of Emily's social media posts that discusses the French word for vagina, which has a masculine gender. While "Emily in Paris" has its critics—some argue it relies too heavily on French clichés and doesn't delve into serious issues like homelessness—it has undeniably boosted tourism to Paris. A study by France’s national film center found that around one in ten tourists decided to visit France after watching a movie or show, and 38% of these tourists were inspired by "Emily in Paris". But despite the tourism boost and the show's positive impact on France's global image, Macron doesn't plan to make a cameo appearance himself. "I'm not as attractive as Brigitte," he joked.

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