Emmanuel Macron has some strong opinions about “Emily in Paris” heading to Rome

CNN
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When the hit Netflix show “Emily in Paris” revealed at the end of Season 4 that its main character was heading to Rome, it surprised many viewers. Now, French President Emmanuel Macron has entered the conversation and said the country will “fight like hell” to stop the show from being moved to the Italian capital.

“We will ask them to stay in Paris,” he said. “Emilie in Paris is meaningless in Rome.” diverse In an interview published Wednesday.

The series revolves around Emily Cooper, a 20-something American marketing executive, played by Lily Collins, who moves from Chicago to Paris to get a job and have fun. Beautiful life In the French capital. It often ranks among the most-watched shows on Netflix, and when the streaming giant renewed it for a fifth season, its creator Darren Star said Emily would now “have a presence in Rome.”

Macron has long been associated with the show. His wife, Brigitte, appeared in Season 4 when Emily spotted her at a café and asked for a selfie. And in the show’s fictional world, Brigitte shares one of Emily’s social media posts from season one in which she expresses her shock that the French word for vagina — le vagin — is masculine.

“I was very proud, and she was very happy to do it,” Macron said of his wife’s appearance. “It’s only 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 very positive in terms of its appeal to the country. For my own work, it’s a very good initiative.”

While the show drew criticism from some French viewers for its penchant for Parisian clichés and avoidance of issues like homelessness in the city, it boosted tourism in the country’s capital, a study by France’s National Film Center found in January.

The study found that around a tenth of tourists decided to visit France after watching a particular film or series, and in 38% of those cases, it was Emily in Paris that inspired a French holiday.

But despite his wife’s connection to the show and its impact on tourism, Macron has no plans to make an appearance of his own.

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