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.
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