Ukrainian Minister of Culture Blasts Netflix’s "Emily in Paris"

Ukraine's culture minister has slammed Netflix's original series “ Emily in Paris” and called it offensive, the Daily Mail reported.

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The minister of culture, Oleksandr Tkachenko, said that the series’ portrayal of Ukrainians was super inappropriate and offensive.

In the second season of ‘Emily in Paris’, a Ukrainian character, called Kyiv-native Petra, appeared in one of the scenes trying to steal some clothes from one of the malls in France.

Tkachenko slammed the stereotype that the show has represented about Ukrainian people and described it as ‘unacceptable’. According to the minister, between the 1990s and 2000s, Ukrainians were always represented as gangsters and despite the fact that this stereotype phenomenon was abolished; ‘Emily in Paris’ has turned the issue back to the lights.

The minister of culture said in a statement: 'Is this how Ukrainians will be seen abroad? Ones who steal, want to get everything for free, be afraid of deportation? This should not be so.' 

Furthermore, researcher Olga Matveieva added: 'Nationality-based stereotyping not only provokes disbalance but maintains aggressions. Let's make peace, not offensive jokes.' 

Various reactions about the minister’s statement emerged on social media with some saying that it wasn’t representing Ukrainian people and it's just a T.V. show as one said: “people don’t understand that what they see on TV is NOT reality. And he’s the “Cultural Minister”? Don’t show him Star Wars or he’s going to think there’s a threat coming from space.”

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While other people defended the culture minister saying that the shows must not depict stereotypes in reference to any nation.

About Emily in Paris: 

Emily in Paris is an American dramedy streaming series created by Darren Star for Netflix. In the two season show, actress Lily Collins plays Emily Cooper, who is a 29 year old American who moves from Chicago to Paris for a social media strategy job at Savoir.