“Emily in Paris” is so good that it’s so bad. It’s so bad that it’s so good. If you haven’t watched it yet, I’m extremely jealous. I wish I could watch it again for the first time and be frustrated all over again.
There is something about this show that is corny yet addicting yet kind of chic that it really got me thinking about the marketing perspective of the writers.
An Audio-Visual Lobotomy
I’ll never forget some of the viral tweets that came about when the show first took off. Comedian Abby Govindan tweeted, “As the creator of Emily in Paris can I just say…….why the f**** were we nominated for a Golden Globe LOL I made that show as a prank,” and the number of people in the comments that fully believed her was amazing.
It’s believable because the show feels so easy to watch and so hard to watch at the same time. Twitter user Hannah Tindle may have described the feeling best when she tweeted, “Watching Emily in Paris is like receiving a lobotomy via audio-visual material which is exactly what I want from a TV show.”
It’s safe to say I’m not the only one who feels this way about the romantic comedy drama. Now what I really want to know is, is it on purpose?
“Emily in Paris” is All the Rage… Literally
Rage bait is all the rage. According to Google, the definition for rage baiting is, “a manipulative internet tactic that aims to provoke an emotional response from users to increase online engagement, traffic, and revenue.”
There are two main ways in which I personally think writers for “Emily in Paris” could be utilizing this tactic.
The first is just the way the main character, Emily (Lily Collins), makes the wrong decision every time in every scenario. I understand how that is a common theme in the rom-coms and drama genres of TV shows. However, it’s really just excessive in this show. So excessive to the point that I need to question it.
The second way I feel the show could be using rage bait might be a bit more subjective to the viewer. It’s Emily’s outfits.
They are just so close to being cute, and something always seems to throw it off. One thing, every single time. Sometimes an accessory, sometimes the shoes, and sometimes it’s even the hairstyle.
Not every part of the show is like this. Most of it seems to be Emily herself that tends to slightly infuriate the viewers. Is she supposed to get this reaction for engagement? Is there such a thing as microdosing rage bate? If not, I think “Emily in Paris” started a new trend. What do you think?
