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Its not just about the number of followers.
Its about content, trust, interest, and engagement.
Over the course of ten episodes, Emily wins over her coworkers with her inspired social-media campaigns.
The above paragraph may suggest that I hatedEmily in Paris.
I said, Okay … fine, when Emily straight-facedly insults Lou Malnatis pizza in the series first hour.
But there was one part of the show I found difficult to swallow.
Its that Emilys Instagram feels almost bot-like.
Its not something that French girls would watch, says Lamia.
Youre talking to someone who posted photos of macarons and the Eiffel Tower, and my Instagram exploded.
I was like someone newly in love with someone.
But Im living the life I live today based on what I posted then.
Today, if you post that, its boring.
But it was exactly what I was doing, so.
According to Lamia, Parisian women started becoming popular on Instagram about five years ago.
Everyone was talking about the Parisians and the Parisian look and style.
And most of the girls were not even Parisian but just living in Paris, she muses.
I would say this post is classic.
A lot of girls would do that when they arrive in a place thats beautiful.
I think its okay, even though its also a bit cliche.
People in Paris are really tired of this.
Ill use myself as an example.
I have a big North American following, but my biggest following is French.
So that means I have to be aware of that.
Post 2
Emily takes a Boomerang of herself sinking her teeth into a pain au chocolat.
She captions it Butter + chocolat = <3.
Uh, I dont know, says Lamia.
This is too much for me.
I would not do that.
If I posted that, let me tell you what would happen, says Monica.
Then there would be all the French people who would probably unfollow me, pushed over the edge.
Then there would be a few people being like, Asifyou ate that pain au chocolat.
Post 3
Emily takes a selfie outside a cafe alone.
So romantic I may be falling in love with myself, she writes.
After a melancholy interaction with a coworker, she edits the caption to read, Lonely in Paris.
All three women wonder aloud if this is Emilys version of a thirst trap.
Lamia finds it disappointingly cliche.
All the girls sit in cafes, they love to wear red lipstick, they smoke.
Even though, for me, a Parisian is not just that girl, she says.
Theres so much more to it.
Some girls played with [this image] too much.
Monica seems genuinely concerned.Aww.
That is so sad.
Does she get likes for it?
(She does.)
But Monica also finds the use of location effective.
The picturesqueness of the city just makes everyone look cool.
And I have not always forgone the cafe shot.
Sometimes its just a great way to show a pair of jeans or whatever.
But Ive always tried to do something a little different, and I think I suffer from it.
If I did something more basic, Id have more followers.
you’re able to quote me on that.
Post 4
Emily snaps a photo of a male statue and writes, Chiseled abs.
This one makes Monica laugh for several seconds.
When I tell her its Darren Star, she screams, What?!
Oh my God, maybe its gonna be a really big hit?
Shit, that really annoys me.
This is the sort of humor I do enjoy and give a shot to bring to my own account.
This is the post?
Again, uh … its not something that I think a Frenchwoman would post.
I can understand she would have a lot of likes because its kind of funny.
Maybe a French girl could do that?
But not in France.
No, no, no.
Post 5
At this point, Emilys account has rocketed up to nearly 1,500 followers.
She steps in dog shit, takes a photo of the culprit, and writes, #mindthemerde.
Oh, so shes learning somevocabulary, remarks Monica.
I mean, if I can lose followers for a lasagna
Oh no, says Lamia.
Its like when Carrie Bradshaw walks into shit and shes like, Merde!
A lot of the time when people use a French word, itsmerdeorbonjour.
This is very cliche.
I mean, it is for cheese lovers, says Monica.
Emilys account seems like its more of a general Paris lifestyle account.
Its not really a fashion account.
So she wouldnt have the same level of disappointed French fashionistas as I incur.
I think she should go with it.
So far, the only one I think would be an all-around failure is the poo one.
Shes right, says Lamia.
There is a lot of good cheese in Paris.
Connecting these posts together, they are very cliche, but I guess this is the idea.
Carin goes quiet for a moment.
Post 7
Its raining.
A recently dumped Emily takes a photo outside her apartment window (again).
Paris is weeping, she writes.
Nobody seems very impressed with this one.
I take the opportunity to ask Monica who the ne plus ultraParisian Instagrammer is, and she pauses.
I dont think I should name names, she says.
She has a serious brain.
Shes way younger than me.
She launched [her brand] Rouje when she was 24.
She is the true francaise who launched 1,000 copycats.
Ive been ranting about this for years!
Listen, the French pronoun for vagina is male, but the French pronoun for breast is also male.
And if you want to say the commonly used slang word for penis, thats female.
Im gonna be honest, Emily, I wish I had tweeted that years ago.
I would have retweeted it.
Compared to the things she posted before, its kind of extreme.
Baguette,merde, cheese, vagina?
Thats kind of funny.
Post 9
Outside a French workout class, Emily spies a series of Frenchwomen smoking.
#Smokin bodies, she writes.
That is very accurate, says Monica, but I will say one thing.
My Pilates teacher, who is French, would want me to jump in here.
I do have French friends who are very slim and elegant and attractive who smoke.
But they walk everywhere, and they eat in this really specific way.
They dont deny themselves anything.
They all eat bread; they just dont eat that much of it.
Now I have as many French friends who are into their workouts as ones that arent.
All of thats to say that Emily made a very interesting observation with this post, Monica adds.
Im starting to want to follow Emilys Instagram account.
Shes a lot wittier than Id originally pegged her as.
Its true, says Lamia.
Frenchwomen smoke a lot.
And this whole sport thing just started in Paris.
So a lot of women started to do sports, but theyre still smoking.
I can see how this would be funny.
Post 10
Emily now has more than 10,000 followers.
She posts a photo of a bouquet of pink roses and captions it #EverythingsComingUpRoses!
For me, its very limited, says Lamia.
But we all have our off days.
Post 11
Emily attends an exclusive influencer lunch hosted by Duree Cosmetics.
You could be more successful as an influencer, she says.
Youre high on Paris, and your followers are falling for that.
Emily, dedicated to her goal of becoming really good at working at a marketing firm, says no.
That would never happen, says Lamia, referring to all of it.
Its a little bit fake sometimes.
Theres definitely sometimes a hierarchy in terms of where youre seated, she says.
Oh, thats a real thing, counteracts Monica.
Theres levels of gifting.
And you notice when other people are getting stuff.
She thinks that, by design, influencers are often pitted against each other by the brands.
But thats a whole other TV show.
All three are unmoved by berry hungry.
I guess youre an influencer now, huffs Sylvie.
But only for our clients.
Emily concludes the first season with more than 25,000 followers.
I dont think that [plot point] is taken out of nothing.
There has been a harder time explaining why its good and necessary.
I can relate to that, she says.
But she doesnt think the Sylvies of the industry are going anywhere.
I dont think influencers will ever replace advertising in metros or magazines, Carin says.
But maybe Im naive.
Lamia is more concerned about the content of Emilys drunken stories.
Im not sure about the balloons.
Shes playing that game.
And it doesnt feel [contemporary].
Paris has changed so much.
Monica thinks Emily is funny but would really appeal only to an American audience.
Her friends back home would be loving Emilys Instagram, but I dont think shed cut it.
If youre starting a new Instagram account in 2020, you have to separate yourself.
I dont see her shooting into notoriety for this account.
But, Monica adds, Id give her the advice not to worry about it too much.
I think we should all live as if Instagram could spontaneously combust any day.
