"But what you don’t know is that that sweater is not just blue, it’s not turquoise. It’s not lapis. It’s actually cerulean."
The Devil Wears Prada is an artistic masterpiece (NOT up for discussion — sorry, not sorry). I was literally obsessed with Miranda Priestly and Andy Sachs, but now that I've worked in the industry for a while, I have some serious issues with the story... Mostly with Andy Sachs.
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For those who haven't seen The Devil Wears Prada, the plot is pretty simple: Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway) is a recent journalism graduate who takes a position as an assistant to Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep), the editor-in-chief of the most notable fashion publication in the country, Runway magazine. Throughout the movie, we see Andy grow, lose friends, make friends, suffer heartbreak, and learn exactly what she wants in life.
1. Even though we know Miranda took a chance and hired Andy because she was smart, a grade-A bougie fashion pub like Runway would NEVER hire someone who didn't even know the magazine's EIC.
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Not only does Andy admit that she's never read Runway, but she also doesn't even know who Miranda Priestly is. All she had to do was say she was smart and that was enough to get her through the door. Meanwhile, countless people (and people of color, hello) are fighting for such a chance to prove themselves. Oh, and they'd actually research the publication and the big players before they came to the interview. Shoot, I'll just say "I'm smart" in job interviews from now on if it's really that easy.
2. Are there times we feel sorry for Andy? Of course! But are there times when she's being peak privileged white girl? OF COURSE! Like when she's taking Miranda's messages and asks the caller to spell "Gabbana." Ummm, sis. Look it up.
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Andy tells Miranda she will "work very hard," and out the jump she's acting lazy. If she really couldn't figure it out, the computer is right there and the internet is alive and well. Plus, everyone — even broke people! — has heard of Dolce & Gabbana; the same way Donatella Versace has heard of Forever 21 even though we know she'd never step foot in there. It's one of those household names that you could spell or at least get pretty darn close to spelling by sounding it out, or at the very least by photographic memory from seeing it everywhere. (Now, BVLGARI would have been a difficult one to spell.)
3. And when she threw away a perfectly good steak after Miranda changed her mind about lunch, I was screaming "PRIVILEEEEEEEEGE!!!"
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Andy, I get it: You get to dress nice, eat well, and live in a comfortable apartment on minimum wage in NYC. #Blessed. However, in what world is it okay to throw away a perfectly good steak, one that probably cost a week's worth of groceries, in the sink? Steaks don't belong in the sink, and I'm sorry that you find food so easily dispensable while countless others are literally strugggggling to ensure they have meals.
4. But let's talk about how she said "stuff" in reference to the work of the power players in the room. Like, girl, you are ENTRY-LEVEL. SIT. DOWN.
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Andy is BOLD, y'all. Everyone thought Miranda was the horrible one in this situation, but really, what part of Andy's brain told her this was a smart thing to say? She deserved to get dragged, TBH. How are you just starting out and literally undermining the value of the work by those above you? Andy may be book smart, but in this very moment I realized Andy didn't have common sense, which is certainly not common. THAT'S WHY NOBODY LIKED YOU, ANDY.
5. If Andy was so set on being a writer, I don't understand why she didn't make time to actually WRITE so that she could build her portfolio.
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Look, you have to do what you have to do. Countless people in the fashion industry don't get their dream job from the start, but they find time to feed their passions and groom their skills so that when the opportunity pops up, they can show out. Andy could have started a blog, tried freelancing, or just done something aside from complaining about the administrative work she was given. When she interviewed for the major newspaper opportunity post-Runway, she only had her college clips. Nah boo, you just aren't fighting for it enough. And having a demanding job is no excuse, especially when you're starting out. If you have time for happy hour with your friends (who we'll discuss later), you have time to write.
6. TBH, Andy's whole demeanor makes me believe she has to play the victim.
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Whewwww, chile. I could unpack SO much right here, but let's just start with the fact that Andy complains about her job — incessantly. Yes, working for an Anna Wintour-like figure is probably hard and exhausting, but you've literally just graduated college without any real work experience. And you DECIDED to work here. Your first few years are meant to grind it out and be hungry to learn and do more. But instead, Andy is out here crying because nobody's giving her "gold stars" for doing her "homework," in the words of Nigel. #NotHereForIt
7. This movie tried so hard to convince me that Nigel dressed Andy one time from the fashion closet, and she just suddenly knew how to dress impeccably all by herself.
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Andy showed up to work at a fashion magazine in a cable-knit sweater, argyle skirt, opaque black tights, and clogs. We're supposed to believe that one styling session with Nigel was all she needed to finally "get" fashion and start serving looks? Not buying it. And let's say she is a quick learner. Where was she getting these threads from? She was struggling in the fashion closet to find a size 6 so I need to know where she got the new wardrobe (cue the walking montage where she strutted in head-to-toe designer looks). Andy isn't fooling me. I smell a lie.
8. Not only is Andy problematic, but so are her friends, who literally feel entitled to all her time, as if she shouldn't be out here grindin'.
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Real friends are going to tell you to get your ish together, to stay later, and to make those work connections. Andy's friends loved the perks of her job, but hated the sacrifices she had to make for those perks. Fresh out of college is the time to put the work in, and her friends are complaining about how she's changed. I didn't hear anybody complaining when she came bearing gifts, tho.
9. I don't care how much of a love story we want — Nate had a SERIOUS ego problem and couldn't handle Andy shifting her attention from him to her career. And that seems like a personal problem he needs to deal with...alone.
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The problem certainly wasn't Andy's job, it was Nate. He couldn't handle the fact that Andy was bossin' up and doing what she needed to do to elevate her career. Instead of that fueling him to go harder, he let his ego really trip him out and I'm not here for it. Girl, get you a man who lets you handle your business and doesn't try to hold you back. Get you a Stedman, and you'll be fine.
10. Am I the only one tired of seeing movies portray ~struggling~ adults living in one-bedroom NYC apartments?
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The average rent for a one bedroom in NYC back in 2006 — when TDWP was released — was $1,850–$2,850 a month. 🗣: WHO IN HOSPITALITY AND FASHION HAS THE FUNDS LIKE THAT RIGHT OUT OF SCHOOL? And when they broke up, did he move out? How was she paying rent then? We could at least see people living in New Jersey or one of the more affordable boroughs, like Queens or the Bronx.
11. Andy throwing out expensive stuff when she's mad is a problem, and I don't like it. A phone? In the fountain? Why not sell it, or simply give it back since you were literally just with Miranda?
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Andy could have sold the phone, or switched service providers and had a new cell. Or heck, just returned it. I get that this was supposed to be a monumental "victory," but all I saw was wasted money, missed opportunity, and Drama Queen Andy.
12. Speaking of expensive, why the hell did Nate put "$8 worth of Jarlsberg" in a grilled cheese? That's almost a pound of cheese, and I'm sure everyone's stomachs were hurting by the end of the night.
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A pound of Jarlsberg retails for around $10, so $8 worth means that Nate had close to an entire pound in one grilled cheese. That not only seems implausible, but also stomach-churning.
13. Miranda Priestly is actually the real victim in all of this. I SAID WHAT I SAID.
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The woman literally built Runway into a global brand, filled with cream-of-the-crop editors, photographers, stylists, and more. She literally had to claw her way to the top in a male-dominated industry, all while juggling motherhood, marriage, and who knows whatever else. Yes, some may say she's a diva, but we already know that a woman being assertive has a sexist and unfair stigma. Her husbands keep leaving because they can't handle a #BOSS, even though when roles are reversed, millions of women are expected to stand by male partners who work demanding and high-profile jobs. Is it such a crime that she'd want an assistant to make clothing requests on time? Would all her requests be that demanding if she were a man? Miranda is just a brilliant, hard-working perfectionist whose qualities would've been applauded if she were a white male.
