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Ukraine's Culture Minister Calls Out 'Emily in Paris' Over 'Unacceptable' & 'Offensive' Ukrainian Character

Ukraine's Culture Minister Calls Out 'Emily in Paris' Over 'Unacceptable' & 'Offensive' Ukrainian Character

Ukraine’s culture minister is not holding back in his criticism of Emily in Paris.

In a Telegram post, Oleksandr Tkachenko shared his thoughts on the show’s character Petra (Daria Panchenko), who meets protagonist Emily in a French class and steals a number of expensive items when they go shopping together.

Click inside to find out what he said…

“In the 1990s and 2000s Ukrainian guys were portrayed mainly as gangsters. Over time this has changed. However, not in this case,” he wrote, per The Mirror.

“In Emily in Paris, we have a caricature of a Ukrainian woman which is unacceptable. It is also offensive. Is this how Ukrainians will be seen abroad? Who steal, want to get everything for free, be afraid of deportation? This should not be so,” Oleksandr Tkachenko continued.

He went on to say that he had voiced his concerns about the character to Netflix, who “thanked [me] for the feedback.”

“But they heard about the concern of Ukrainian viewers with the image of a Ukrainian woman. We agreed that in 2022, we will be in close contact to prevent such cases,” he added. “Such an active public position will help ensure the attitude of Ukrainians is taken into account in future filming.”

Earlier this year, Lily Collins shared that “diversity and inclusion” was a “focus” of the series’ second season.

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Photos: Getty Images, Netflix
Posted to: Emily in Paris