The Devil Wears Prada

The Devil Wears Prada

We all know this fantastic movie from 2006 and have cheered for Andy (Anne Hathaway) when she decided to free herself from the chains of her boss Miranda (Meryl Streep). What many people don’t know about this movie is that technically this is just a symbol and a calling for women everywhere that fashion is a tool instead of a life. It’s showing us that we should be ourselves no matter what and that’s how you’ll be successful.

Remember on my last post “Beauty Standards VS Fashion Standards”, well this is the same thing. The Beauty Standard (made by society as something to be followed) is to love yourself and be proud of whom you are while the fashion standard (meant to be copies and seen as art) that clothing is everything. Here are some parts of the movie that explains what I’m saying.

The scene where Andy is being interviewed by Miranda is filled with hidden messages. The one I’m going to speak about is that Miranda, even if Andy didn’t know anything about fashion or didn't know who her future boss was or didn’t read the magazine she wanted to work for, hires Andy. She did it because she realized by looking at the journalist that she had potential, was down-to-earth and had confidence. Andy is an example of what the Beauty Standards of today and today’s media are telling us; “be proud of you”. If we look at it, recently many artists in the music industry (who are seen as beauty icons to society) have told us this. Taylor Swift, for example, she was bullied when she was younger and called ugly and untalented. She even told the “M” magazine that, even if she once was hurt, this didn’t stop her because she knew that this wasn’t true. She adds that “confidence is the key to success”. Also, this is why many magazines are totally changing their content. In Sports Illustrated, a magazine known for having unrealistic body and face standards, today they are using plus models to show that “every type of person is beautiful and confidence is sexy”.    








Another example is Marc Anthony in the magazine Men's Health. Which was a surprise for many people as this magazine is famous for showing muscular men, and Marc does not have that type of body and still looks good.

  Miss Taylor Swift defending her beauty.

                

Another detail of the movie that shows us that the beauty standards of today are starting to be positive is Andy’s relationship with her friends. When she accepted her image and was proud of whom she was, she had a beautiful relationship with her friends and, even, had a boyfriend. As soon as she gets aware that the “girls are prettier and thinner” or when she turns into the slave of her boss, everything changes. Her friends represent the society and her boss and workmates are the fashion standard. This proves that (and I repeat) for society’s beauty (Beauty Standard) you have to love yourself and be proud of who you are. For this example I will use Demi Lovato, the former Disney Star. When she started in the industry, she suffered from an eating disorder, and was really self-cautious about her job and her image. This brought her problems with her family, especially her dad, and friends. Even if she threw a party with 1,800 people, she said in her documentary Stay Strong that she didn't have any friends. Once she went to rehab for Bulimia and recovered, she also said in the documentary that her relationships with family and friends grew. Now, she’s with her longtime boyfriend Wilmer Valderrama, is really close to her family and has been sighted with many friends. I used her as example since she’s a Beauty Icon of today and is an actress, singer and curvy model.

Another example is Ricky Martin. Even if he was seen as "hot" by the mass, people still said he looked wierd and unhappy. After he accepted himself and "came out of the closet", he seems mch hapier and looks a lot better. Isn't curious how you can see the difference between insecurity and confidence.

Last thing I want to speak of the movie is the part where Andy leaves the interview for the journalist job in the newspaper and Andy waves at Miranda, which the lady in the car smiles and tells the driver “Go!” She agrees with the girl’s choice, which is a change for Miranda. At first, people tell her that she never agrees or helps anyone, but she helped Andy with her interview. Which means that the girl by being herself, working hard, and choosing her normal life and being a typical newspaper journalist, gained the lady’s respect because she kept true to herself and accepted herself once more. She knew she wasn't meant to be fashionable and that the glamour is all a fantasy. It all comes to this in the Beauty Standard. In a postmodernist world, where everything is a fantasy; society is realizing that there is no such thing as copies. Everyone is different, and we should embrace that. This is why every type of body is being accepted by the media. The Beauty Standard is to accept yourself. Just check Facebook, Tumblr, Magazines, even in the Television and movies they are telling us this message. That’s why it’s a Beauty Standard; it’s what everyone thinks it’s beautiful or, better said, the message of beauty that people are accepting as their own.

An example of this is the size 22 model that was fought over between modeling companies. Her name is Tess Munster. She’s a “rockability” style model, which is married and has children. She said that before, no one wanted to be her agency. But that didn't stop her so she started a blog that gain popularity overnight. A big portion of the comments were good and people loved her. Then, the agencies called her. Wow, right? Many of them wanted her to be part of their company so they can show what the people wanted, models who are proud of who they are and not self-cautious or insecure about their body.

It doesn't stop there I can write about a lot more stuff that’s happening that show the real beauty standard of today and an unknown change of society that is fantastic and positive. See you on my next post.