The first time I ever traveled internationally was to spend a summer in Paris studying French and film. I got to experience squeezing into the crowded, smelly metro every morning, suffering through hours upon hours of class in the heat of summer without any air conditioning, bumbling my way through interactions in French and doing everything I could to keep my head down and try not to offend or upset any of the locals. It was great!
Paris is known for many things, but being an extremely welcoming place for foreigners is not necessarily one of them. However, with its gorgeous architecture, delicious food and romantic scenery, tourists flock there more than (almost) any other city in the world. Recently, however, Paris has been quite the conversation topic on TikTok, after a video went viral mocking tourists in the City of Love for wearing berets.
Below, you’ll find a response to the initial video that TikToker Nuttybutter96 shared, detailing why she wants everyone to stop mocking tourists, as well as some of the responses from viewers who aren’t planning on visiting the French capital anytime soon. We would love to hear your thoughts on these videos in the comments down below, pandas, and then if you’re interested in checking out a Bored Panda article featuring tips for tourists in Paris, you can find that right here!
After a video went viral mocking anyone who wears a beret in Paris, other TikTokers decided to call out people who shame tourists
Image credits: nuttybutter96
Image credits: emoprincess1996
Image credits: lilykltran
Image credits: lilykltran
Image credits: nuttybutter96
You can see the TikToker's full video calling out those who mock tourists right here
After that video blew up, the creator posted a follow-up urging people to just let tourists enjoy their trips
Image credits: nuttybutter96
Image credits: nuttybutter96
She noted that a trip to Paris is extremely expensive for most people and might be a once-in-a-lifetime experience
She then added that it's wonderful to be able to travel to a new place and embrace the culture of those people, regardless of where that may be
Image credits: nuttybutter96
Image credits: nuttybutter96
Image credits: nuttybutter96
Finally, she included an apology that the woman who posted the original, controversial beret video shared, noting that she wants to learn from this mistake
Image credits: nuttybutter96
You can watch the TikToker's second video on the "beret heard round the world" right here
It is common, especially in a major city like Paris, for tourists to feel a little bit less than welcomed. It is definitely common in New York City as well, but at the end of the day, we can just let people enjoy things. As long as they aren’t making fun of the French or being rude and obnoxious, let these tourists have their fun! I’m from Texas, and I would never walk around wearing a cowboy hat. But if I saw some tourists wearing them, I would be happy that they’re enjoying their time in my city and embracing what they consider to be “Texas culture”. (Yeehaw, y'all!)
Over 19 million international travelers head to the City of Love each year to have the world’s best croissants and baguettes and watch the Eiffel Tower sparkle in the moonlight. Personally, Paris is far from my favorite city. However, I could never deny that it is gorgeous. The city itself is stunning, and the museums house some of the most magnificent artwork in the world. It’s certainly worth visiting.
And if someone there makes fun of you for not speaking French or being a tourist, don’t worry about them! It is important for visitors to understand how to be polite and respect their culture, by doing small things like recycling properly, speaking quietly on the metro and not mentioning French stereotypes to locals. But when you’re a tourist, you’re not going to fit in anywhere you go, so don’t worry about trying to appease the locals. Just respectfully enjoy your trip!
She later posted another video responding to rude comments
TikToker Lily Tran also joined in on the conversation, calling out the "negative types that make fun of people just having fun"
While Parisians are not known for being the friendliest people in the world, it was later revealed on TikTok that the girl who posted this video mocking tourists is not even French herself. She apparently had shared the controversial video as a joke, without realizing that it would end up blowing up and lead to many people calling her out. The creator, Elzapilane on TikTok, even took down the original video and posted a 3-minute long apology video yesterday where she explained where the video came from and that she had learned her lesson.
Elza noted that she loves Paris and has had a great time there when she has visited, so she wanted to quickly shut down anyone who used her video to shame French people or call them rude. She also addressed any comments saying that she is uncultured and has never traveled. “I have traveled a lot, so actually, that’s why I made the video,” Elza said on TikTok. “I actually wanted to know if people wear the berets or not, and it’s just funny that they were everywhere.”
She went on to apologize for the hashtags that offended many viewers and noted that she is not racist or looking to shame any other cultures. “I have learned my mistake… I have learned that [berets] are also a style, so I shouldn’t be judging, and I shouldn’t be filming other people without their consent.”
Regardless of how you feel about Paris or Parisians, it’s clear that in this situation, Elza just uploaded what she thought would be a silly video without realizing that it was in poor taste. After being called out, she has apologized and just wants to move on from the situation. Let's just all agree not to shame anyone anywhere!
We would love to hear your thoughts on these videos in the comments down below, pandas. What have your experiences in Paris been like? Have you ever purchased a beret there? And if you’re interested in checking out a Bored Panda article discussing tips for tourists when visiting Paris, you can find that right here!
Many viewers have shared their thoughts on the videos as well, with some noting that Paris won't be at the top of their travel list
