You really have to hand it to Americans, particularly writers and directors who just delight in stereotypes and cliches when it comes to Europe.
There's a level of obliviousness to it that's remarkable in the modern world where there's such a thing as Wikipedia that enables you to learn more about the lives of people outside the US. In fact, you can even go to these places to make sure you're not trafficking in laughably bad stereotypes.
Case in point is Netflix's latest hate-watch offering, 'Emily In Paris', which sees Phil Collins' daughter rock up to Paris, beret in situ, and schools French people on Instagram and the ways of social media.
As you would absolutely expect, French critics have poo-pooed the whole thing. Sens Critique called merde on how Paris is treated, noting that the streets are immaculate - in reality, not even close - and that "the suspense is basically based on what outfit Lily Collins is going to wear in the next episode, with variations on her hairstyle (and) her makeup."
RTL, meanwhile, pointed out how the Paris of 'Emily In Paris' is filled with "bouqets of roses, handsome French people kissing, a dream apartment on a small wooded square", and that "we have not seen so many clichés in the French capital since the Parisian episodes of 'Gossip Girl' or at the end of 'The Devil Wears Prada'."
None of this, of course, should be surprising - least of all to us Irish. How many times have you seen diddly-eye music play when a character lands in Dublin? Christ, does anyone remember the Irish vampires from 'Twilight: Breaking Dawn' and their Aran jumpers?
We should be empathising with the French in this, were it not for Thierry Henry and the handball incident.
