Officials condemn ‘offensive caricature’ of ‘Emily in Paris’

In response to the “offensive caricature” being presented about his own countrymen in Emily in Paris, Ukraine’s Minister of Culture, Oleksandr Tkachenko, has broken his silence on the subject.

The following is an excerpt from Tkachenko’s interview with The Mirror, in which he made this claim: “During the 1990s and 2000s, Ukrainian men were mostly depicted as gangsters in popular culture. Throughout history, this has altered. However, this is not the case in this instance.”

He went on to say, “It’s a good thing I’m not a lawyer.” “Emily in Paris depicts a caricature of a Ukrainian lady, which is completely inappropriate in today’s society. It’s also obnoxious to say. Is this how Ukrainians will be perceived in other countries? Who steals, who wants to obtain everything for free, who is frightened of deportation: who are these people? This shouldn’t be the case.”

Similarly, researcher Olga Matveieva expressed her concerns about the portrayal, admitting that the Emily in Paris character Petra “marginalises the image of an average Ukrainian lady.””

“Stereotyping on the basis of nationality not only causes disbalance, but it also helps to maintain antagonism. Let’s create peace instead of making hurtful jokes.”