Netflix Under Fire: ‘Emily in Paris’ Mistakes Korean Skincare for Intimate Lubricant?
On the 15th, the newly released Season 4 of Netflix’s popular original series Emily in Paris has sparked viewer backlash with an absurd episode that disparages Korea.
The controversial scene takes place in Episode 5 of Season 4. Emily (played by Lily Collins) is tasked with promoting a Korean friend’s dewy makeup product, introduced to her by her Chinese friend Mindy Chen (played by Ashley Park).
The makeup product becomes a huge hit. The client even considers getting it into department stores, and Emily and her colleagues are overjoyed. However, their happiness is short-lived as Emily’s colleague Julien (played by Samuel Arnold) discovers that the product was introduced as a sexual lubricant on a U.S. audition program. The seller claims that using the product increased sexual stimulation and partner satisfaction. Everyone is shocked, and the scene zooms in on women applying the lubricant to their faces while laughing.
When Emily’s boss Sylvie Grateau (played by Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu) tries to reveal the truth, Emily quickly manages the situation by telling the client, “Since sales are high, it would be a good idea to raise the price.”
This absurd episode clearly intends to belittle K-cosmetics, which have gained international popularity through the glowing skin of K-pop stars. Viewers were outraged, saying, “Did they really have to force the episode like that?”, “It’s turned into a complete trashy drama” and “The setting is shocking.”
“Emily in Paris” is a chick-lit drama that follows the daily life of American marketer Emily, working at a PR firm in Paris, France. The series is produced by Darren Star, the creator of the globally successful HBO drama “Sex and the City” from the late ’90s to early 2000s. The first season of “Emily in Paris” aired in 2020, and it has since been renewed through to its fourth season.
