I think I met the devil at a sherry hour
3Jul2006 Filed under: Columbia Publishing Course, Pop VulturaThis weekend I dragged my poor friend Dawn to see The Devil Wears Prada, which was sort of cruel of me. Dawn is a nurse who sees maybe two movies a year and is totally uninterested in media, pop culture, publishing gossip, etc. But I had to go see this film, and Dawn was my semi-willing accomplice, so off we went.
Here is why I had to see this movie:
1. Meryl Streep doing comedy is awesome and amazing.
2. I like to think about clothing and costuming and fashion. Granted, I like to think about West Coast freak/street fashion, and most New York couture makes me want to choke someone with a $350 scarf, but I still appreciate a pretty outfit. Watching this movie made me realize that part of what I appreciate about fashion is value and customization. If I had $1800 to spend on a dress, I certainly wouldn’t spend it on a Gucci gown that all the other rich girls in town were buying. I would have that shit custom designed and tailored for me.
3. This flick perfectly illustrates why I didn’t stay in New York. The hierarchical editorial structure where it’s pretty much expected that you’re going to be a coffee-fetcher for two years? The rent you can’t afford? The glamorous jobs that a million people would kill for that actually involve insulting grunt work while you wait to climb the totem pole? That’s not a movie, people. That’s the reality of New York publishing. I am so so glad I have friends who have greater fortitude than I do for such things … it’s an amazing world to be a part of, but one I lacked the strength to deal with full time. The Devil Wears Prada and its wink-wink depiction of the Condé Nast cafeteria totally affirmed that I made the right decision. I am meant to be on the outside of the machine feeding it words and my soul to sell — not the lubrication that keeps the wheels turning. Thank you formulaic chick flick for reminding me of this.
That said, the movie itself isn’t all that great. It’s a standard cautionary tale (naive girl goes in, gets a makeover, is successful/corrupted, alienates friends, realizes she’s become an asshole, makes changes), but if you’re a media-whore Meryl Streep fashionista (in other words, just like me!) you might enjoy it.
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2 Responses to “I think I met the devil at a sherry hour”
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Hey there. I'm Ariel Meadow Stallings, a native Seattleite who's written my way up and down the Left Coast. Electrolicious is where I post daily randomata, but I also write for a living. My first book, Offbeat Bride, was published last year.
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Sara
July 5th, 2006 at 8:18 am
I felt the same way as I plowed through the book. I will probably see the movie (at a matinee!) just because I have heard great things about Meryl’s performance…but I bet it doesn’t veer too much from the book plot at all.
Shannon
July 28th, 2006 at 12:33 pm
I liked the book better, but one thing that annoys me is what the screenwriter chooses to change that don’t really seem to matter. In the book her parent lived in Connecticut, but in the movie it was Ohio. In the book her boyfriend was a school teacher, in the movie he was a waiter. In the book she was more of an upper-middle class jewish prep, but they changed her into a middle class “regular” girl. It didn’t make it better or worse in my opinion, so why the change? Also they got rid of a whole character, her slutty roommate.
That said, I still liked the movie and I think Meryl Streep was great.