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Grab your Chanel and take a seat — we're giving fashion's most iconic film the deep dive it deserves! Join us as we explore the true story behind the film, details you may have missed, Miranda Priestly's most epic moments, a defense of fashion's most feared editor, and the most iconic line deliveries that made this movie legendary. Which moment is your favorite? Let us know in the comments!
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00:02Welcome to Ms. Mojo. And today, we are celebrating fashion's most iconic film by putting the spotlight on everything The
00:10Devil Wears Prada.
00:12And we're starting with the true story that inspired it all.
00:18She's on her way. Tell everyone.
00:21Welcome to Ms. Mojo. Today, we're recounting the true story behind The Devil Wears Prada.
00:26All right, everyone. Gird your loins.
00:31While we're going to do a deep dive into how much truth is behind the story we saw on the
00:34screen in The Devil Wears Prada,
00:36one thing we know for sure is that it was adapted from a novel by writer Lauren Weisberger.
00:41It was Weisberger's first novel, and the story was a simple one.
00:44A young girl without any interest in fashion finds herself being hired to work at a major fashion magazine.
00:50Who are you?
00:51My name is Andy Sachs. I recently graduated from Northwestern University.
00:57What are you doing here?
00:58Her job is as an assistant to the magazine's editor-in-chief, who quickly begins to make her life a
01:03living hell.
01:04I said to myself, go ahead.
01:06Take a chance.
01:08Hire the smart, fat girl.
01:11The book was released in 2003, but even before it had made its way onto bookstore shelves,
01:16there were discussions of film rights.
01:18In fact, movie execs were bidding on the project before Weisberger was even done writing it.
01:23Miranda Priestly is a huge deal.
01:24I bet a million girls would kill for that job.
01:26They only saw an outline and the first 100 pages of the novel,
01:30but it was enough to convince them that there was something special there.
01:33Carla Hacken, who at the time was the executive vice president of Fox 2000,
01:38says she was the first to read the story at Fox.
01:40She was immediately sold, saying, quote,
01:42I thought Miranda Priestly was one of the greatest villains ever.
01:46I remember we aggressively went in and scooped it up.
01:49Oh, don't be ridiculous, Andrea.
01:51Everybody wants this.
01:54Everybody wants to be us.
01:56But what made the book even more enticing was one simple fact.
02:00There was evidence that the story wasn't a total work of fiction,
02:04because Lauren Weisberger had actually worked at Vogue herself.
02:07Not only that, but she had worked as an assistant to the famously icy editor-in-chief, Anna Winter.
02:12It was a job she held for just under a year.
02:15With this titillating backstory, who could resist?
02:18Please bore someone else with your questions.
02:21The parallels from the story to real life are hard to ignore.
02:24Winter is British, running an American magazine, and so was Miranda Priestly.
02:29The fictional magazine Runway is an obvious stand-in for Vogue.
02:41Lauren Weisberger left Vogue to work for another magazine, writing about travel.
02:46I want to work for somewhere like the New Yorker Vanity Fair.
02:49I am a writer, too.
02:51Is that right?
02:51Well, I should read your stuff.
02:53Why don't you send it over?
02:54In the evenings, she signed up for a writing course,
02:56and began documenting her experiences at Vogue,
02:58since it was such a remarkable time in her life.
03:01Her intention had never been to write a novel,
03:03but once the idea took off, the rest was history.
03:06She said, quote,
03:07When it was published, people kept saying,
03:09It's so brave of you to write this.
03:11It wasn't bravery.
03:12It was stupidity and complete naivety.
03:14I didn't think anyone would read it, let alone have an opinion on it.
03:18No one was as surprised by the success of the book,
03:20or the film as the book's author.
03:22And before today, you had never heard of me.
03:27No.
03:28And you have no style or sense of fashion.
03:31She said, quote,
03:44When the novel was eventually released,
03:46at the beginning of 2003,
03:48it became an instant hit,
03:50spending six months on the New York Times bestseller list.
03:53While at first, the screenwriters tried to do a direct and faithful adaptation of Weisberger's story,
03:58they eventually deviated more from the plot,
04:00especially the ending.
04:08The initial scripts were more satirical in nature,
04:11even taking inspiration from the 2001 comedy Zoolander,
04:14which lambastes the fashion industry in all its over-the-top glory.
04:18Did you ever think that maybe there's more to life than being really, really,
04:21really, ridiculously good-looking?
04:25For a long time, Weisberger was wary of sharing much about her time at Vogue,
04:29and was quiet about the parallels between real life and the story that made her famous.
04:33Her dialogue on the topic always seems cautious,
04:36though she will reveal small snippets of truth in interviews from time to time.
04:40She said to the Daily Mail,
04:42quote,
04:42It wasn't a one-to-one portrayal of Winter,
04:45but of course my time at Vogue informed the book,
04:47there's no denying that.
04:49In the same interview,
04:50she mentioned that Winter seemed particularly disdainful of her practical footwear,
04:54saying of her sturdy platform boots,
04:56quote,
04:57She would stare at them in disgust,
04:59and it was a stare that conveyed her displeasure pretty clearly.
05:02The movie tackles the unrealistic body standards that the fashion industry pushes head-on,
05:07like in scenes where Andy is mocked for being a size 6,
05:10and celebrated when she gets down to a coveted 4.
05:13And none of the girls here eat anything?
05:15Not since 2 became the new 4, and 0 became the new 2.
05:19I'm a 6.
05:21Which is the new 14?
05:23Weisberger has said of her own experience at Vogue,
05:26quote,
05:26I knew I was tall and thin,
05:28but I was short and fat there.
05:30When the film was released,
05:31reactions in the fashion industry varied quite a bit,
05:34with some commending the movie for accurately depicting aspects of the sartorial world,
05:38and others saying it didn't actually reflect any reality.
05:43Okay, can you please spell Gabbana?
05:45Writing for the Los Angeles Times,
05:47Booth Moore called it a, quote,
05:49fine fashion fantasy with little to do with reality,
05:52adding that any insider would know that this was just the imagining of an outsider.
05:56But Liz Jones, who had worked as the editor of the British version of Marie Claire,
06:01saw much that was familiar in the movie.
06:02She called it, quote,
06:04a chilling reminder of the most surreal 3 years of my life,
06:08and added that she even sympathized with the villainous Miranda,
06:11seeing bits of herself in her.
06:13Okay, she's tough, but if Miranda were a man,
06:16no one would notice anything about her except how great she is at her job.
06:19Weisberger claims that she never heard anything from Anna Wintour or Condé Nast,
06:24the company that publishes Vogue, after her book was published.
06:27I don't really care what anybody writes about me.
06:29Despite the fact that the novel was being talked about everywhere,
06:32it was not discussed or mentioned in any Condé Nast publication at the time.
06:36Obviously, you've played a lot of extraordinary women.
06:40What was the most challenging woman you ever played?
06:42Hmm.
06:44Oh, I should say...
06:46No, no, we're not going there, Meryl.
06:48In a move that raised eyebrows, however,
06:51Anna Wintour herself attended the New York premiere of the film in June of 2006.
06:55Not only that, but she wore Prada to the event.
06:58While one of her friends said that Wintour thought the movie would go straight to DVD,
07:02Wintour herself has always been polite when being asked about the movie.
07:05She said, quote,
07:06Anything that makes fashion entertaining and glamorous and interesting is wonderful for our industry.
07:11So I was 100% behind it.
07:14The reality is, the story got Wintour's name in the headlines,
07:17which certainly could not be bad for business.
07:20What's the least true rumor about you?
07:22They're all true.
07:23Interestingly, three years after the movie was released,
07:26Wintour was the star of her own film,
07:27one in which she had a little more creative control over her image.
07:31I don't see any real evening on that rack.
07:33You're not doing it?
07:34No, I am.
07:35But?
07:36In pieces?
07:37Yes.
07:38Do we have sketches?
07:39The September issue was released in 2009
07:42and gave fashion fiends a behind-the-scenes look at the inner workings of Vogue.
07:46It's a documentary that follows Wintour and the rest of the Vogue staff
07:49throughout the creation of their biggest issue of the year
07:51and portrays Wintour in a positive light.
07:54Which explodes the exploitation of...
07:58Sure you've watched it, but have you really watched it?
08:02Here are some details from The Devil Wears Prada that you may have missed.
08:09Oh, um...
08:11Oh my god, I just can't remember what his name is.
08:14I just saw his name this morning on this.
08:16Welcome to Ms. Mojo,
08:17and today we're counting down our picks for the top 10 details you missed in The Devil Wears Prada.
08:22Does anybody else have anything I can possibly use?
08:27Antibacterial wipes, perhaps?
08:30Number 10. Witch Patrick
08:32In one memorable scene from the movie, Miranda asks Andy to get de Marshaillier on the phone.
08:38Did de Marshaillier confirm?
08:40De-de-de Marshaillier.
08:42De Marshaillier? Did he get him on the phone?
08:44She, of course, is completely unfamiliar with famed photographer Patrick de Marshaillier,
08:49and Emily has to step in.
08:51Do you have de Marshaillier?
08:53Ah.
08:53De Marshaillier.
08:54Oh, leave it.
08:56Later, though, we see Andy calling a Patrick,
08:59and at least one writer on the website Man Repeller has a theory on who it might be.
09:04I have Miranda Priestly calling for...
09:05Okay.
09:08I have Patrick.
09:09Amelia Diamond pointed to Patrick Jane, the character from The Mentalist,
09:13as a possible recipient of the call.
09:15He's played by Simon Baker,
09:17who just so happens to play Christian Thompson in The Devil Wears Prada.
09:20Hi.
09:21Christian Thompson.
09:24Christian Thompson?
09:25You're kidding.
09:27Convoluted?
09:28Hmm, perhaps.
09:29But maybe he used his skills of reading people to help Miranda out.
09:33Number 9.
09:34Bagelgate.
09:34Hi.
09:35I have an appointment with Emily Charlton.
09:40Andrea Sachs?
09:41Yes?
09:42At the beginning of the movie, when Andy first arrives at Runway,
09:45we see the entire staff panic when they realize Miranda's about to arrive.
09:50Move it!
09:53I don't understand why it's so difficult.
09:55To confirm an appointment.
09:57No, I'm so sorry, Miranda.
09:58Nigel tells everyone to gird their loins and questions who Andy is before asking aloud if anyone recently ate an
10:05onion bagel,
10:06scrunching up his nose at the apparently vile smell.
10:09Did someone eat an onion bagel?
10:12In an earlier scene, we saw Andy grab a bagel on the way to her interview.
10:16But some eagle-eyed fans have noticed that the one she was handed didn't look like onion, but rather whole
10:22wheat.
10:22Not to mention, after she grabs her bagel, it seems to inconsistently appear and disappear several times while she's on
10:29her way to the office.
10:31Number 8.
10:32Dress embellished with teardrop pearls.
10:34Any movie that's about high fashion will inevitably look dated relatively quickly, considering how rapidly styles come and go.
10:41In many ways, the Devil Wears Prada holds up, but there are a few instances where a rewatch will reveal
10:47some pretty ridiculous sartorial moments.
10:49Of course, I plan my whole year around this.
10:53Well, we're so grateful that you do.
10:57One takes place during the gala scene, where a sick Emily is struggling to remember a guest's name in order
11:03to inform Miranda.
11:04I just can't remember what his name is. I just saw his name this morning on this. It's... Oh, I
11:09know this.
11:09In the background is a woman with a black dress that's embellished with teardrop-style pearls dangling from her breast
11:15region.
11:16Was this ever in style?
11:18Number 7.
11:19Look Both Ways.
11:20Do you know what really just gets me about this whole thing is that, you know, you're the one who
11:28said that you don't really care about this stuff.
11:30And you don't really care about fashion. You just want to be a journalist.
11:34And what a part of bollocks.
11:36Is it any surprise that Emily was hit by a car, causing her serious injuries that prevented her from going
11:41to Paris?
11:42It seems that no one in this movie actually looks both ways before crossing the street.
11:46In the opening scene, we see a group of fashionable women getting ready for their days,
11:52inhaling cabs from seemingly the middle of the road.
11:55In the same scene, Andy runs right in front of a car on her way to the subway.
11:59Throughout the film, she does the same thing several times, and it's a wonder she doesn't end up in the
12:04hospital like Emily.
12:08Number 6.
12:09Partially Real Picture.
12:11In one scene, we see a photograph of a younger Andy with her parents.
12:14Anne Hathaway poses as the younger version of herself, and David Marshall Grant, who plays her on-screen father, is
12:20in the photo as well.
12:22What's this?
12:23I don't want you to get behind me, you ran.
12:27How did you...
12:30I'm gonna kill mom.
12:31But interestingly enough, rather than hiring an actress to pose as Andy's mom,
12:35actress Anne Hathaway's real mother appears in the photo.
12:39Kate McCauley Hathaway actually used to be an actress herself.
12:41So we wonder why they used her for this shot only.
12:45Either way, it definitely adds a layer of authenticity to it all.
12:49Number 5.
12:50The Britney Snake.
12:51It's a busy day.
12:53My personal life is hanging by a thread, that's all.
12:56Well, join the club.
12:57That's what happens when you start doing well at work, darling.
12:59When Andy finally hits her stride and becomes a competent employee of Runway,
13:03we see her head to a photo shoot in Central Park that has an urban jungle theme,
13:07with models wearing masks and animal-inspired outfits.
13:11Oh, I get it.
13:12I get it, I get it, I get it.
13:13The piece is called Urban Jungle, right?
13:15Yes, the modern woman unleashes the animal within to take on the big city.
13:20Good girl.
13:21There is a brief moment where we see a yellow and white snake
13:24that looks a whole lot like the Burmese python
13:27that Britney Spears famously performed with at the 2001 VMAs.
13:31There's nothing to suggest it's the same snake,
13:33but how many Burmese python snake performers can there possibly be in the industry?
13:38Number 4.
13:39Advanced Doors.
13:40If you caught this one, you deserve an award.
13:43Oh my god.
13:45What took you so long? I have to pee!
13:48And you've probably seen The Devil Wears Prada too many times.
13:51Run-throughs are a huge deal. I don't know why you don't know that.
13:53In one scene, we see two women walking through a set of doors at Runway,
13:57and despite the fact that the doors are clearly labeled Push,
14:00they manage to pull and they work anyway.
14:03What exactly is she wearing?
14:05Her grandmother's skirt.
14:07Are these fancy doors ones that work both ways?
14:10If so, why would they say Push instead of nothing at all?
14:13If the set designer simply got the labels wrong,
14:15how could they not notice such an obvious mistake?
14:18We have so many questions.
14:20Number 3.
14:21The Toe Ring.
14:22This is a movie about the cutthroat high fashion industry, as you know.
14:26Yes, that's true.
14:28That's really what this multi-billion dollar industry is all about anyway, isn't it?
14:31And in the film, we see many dazzling outfits in both Runway shows
14:35and on the employees of Runway magazine.
14:38After Andy undergoes a dramatic makeover partway through the story,
14:41she is just as stylish as the women we saw at the beginning of the movie,
14:45and fits in flawlessly in her workplace.
14:48How's...
14:51Are you wearing the...
14:53The Chanel boots?
14:54Yeah, I am.
14:57You look good.
14:59And yet, when she wakes up in Paris, she's wearing a toe ring.
15:03Can someone explain this to us?
15:05There is no way that toe rings were cool in 2006.
15:08Was this supposed to be a vestige of Andy's old, deeply unfashionable persona?
15:13We'll never know.
15:14I'm still the same person I was.
15:16I still want the same things.
15:19Okay?
15:20Mm-hmm.
15:20Promise.
15:21Same Andy.
15:23Better clothes.
15:25I like the old clothes.
15:27Number 2.
15:28Cold or no cold?
15:30How's the cold doing?
15:31Like death warmed up.
15:32On the day of Miranda's charity benefit,
15:35Emily is sick and is dismayed that she won't be well for the event,
15:38though she won't miss it for the world.
15:41Before the benefit tonight,
15:42I need to make sure that you're both fully prepped on the guest list.
15:47But I thought that only the first assistant went to the benefit.
15:51Only when the first assistant hasn't decided to become an incubus of viral plague.
15:57Andy is asked to go along as well,
15:59and Emily trains her for her duties by having her memorize the names of many of the important attendees.
16:05Then at the event itself,
16:07Andy outperforms Emily,
16:08who seems to not be thinking straight because of her illness.
16:13Just sit.
16:14Throughout all this, though,
16:16Emily's cold symptoms are totally inconsistent.
16:18For instance, she has a red nose in one scene, but not another.
16:22This doesn't really add up because it's all supposed to take place over a short period of time.
16:27Does anybody else have anything I can possibly use?
16:32Antibacterial wipes, perhaps?
16:34Number one.
16:35How are Andy and her friends so successful?
16:37I make port wine reductions all day.
16:40I'm not exactly in the Peace Corps.
16:42You know, I wouldn't care if you were out there pole dancing all night.
16:45Okay, maybe things were just better in 2006,
16:48but how in the world are we supposed to believe the lives that Andy,
16:51her boyfriend Nate, and all of their friends are living?
16:54Andy's supposed to be a recent college grad,
16:57and she's getting a paid job at a magazine in her early 20s.
17:01You got a job at a fashion magazine?
17:03Mm-hmm.
17:03What, what is it, a phone interview?
17:05Oh, wow.
17:05Ow!
17:07I can't jerk.
17:08Nate is perhaps a little bit older,
17:10but there is no way they can afford an apartment like that in Manhattan on entry-level salaries.
17:16So we spent a whole semester on potatoes alone.
17:19Take the fry and squeeze it, see how fun that is?
17:22Not to mention, one of their friends was in charge of a high-class gallery.
17:26Hey!
17:27This show is amazing.
17:30I am so proud of you.
17:33Okay, start with the photos in the back and work your way forward.
17:35That is the way I designed it.
17:37It is brilliant.
17:37Sorry, but even in the mid-aughts,
17:39there's just no way any of this was realistic.
17:43No one, and I mean no one, owns the room like Miranda Priestly.
17:49And here now are her most iconic moments.
17:54Who's the real protagonist of this movie?
17:57Welcome to Ms. Mojo.
17:58And today we're counting down our picks for the top 10 most epic Miranda Priestly moments.
18:03For this list, we're looking at the most memorable moments from this character's story arc in The Devil Wears Prada.
18:10Sorry, Miranda.
18:13Number 10.
18:14That's all.
18:15Miranda Priestly is a lot of things,
18:17but one of her most prominent qualities is her cold dismissiveness.
18:20That's all.
18:23Right.
18:24Throughout the comedy-drama,
18:25she develops a sort of catchphrase that lets her get rid of people when she's done with them.
18:28She utters a curt, that's all.
18:30And anyone she's speaking to knows that it's time to hightail it out of there,
18:34and that she is absolutely done with them.
18:36And Emily?
18:36Sorry?
18:38Yes.
18:50That's all.
18:51She leaves no room for questions or comments,
18:53because obviously, her time matters more than anyone else's,
18:56and she certainly isn't going to waste it on you.
18:59I really did everything I could think of.
19:01That's all.
19:02Number 9.
19:03Saying she regrets hiring Andy
19:05Andy learns early on that you want to meet Miranda's expectations,
19:09no matter how high and unreasonable they may be.
19:11Do you know why I hired you?
19:13I always hire the same girl.
19:17Stylish, slender, of course.
19:29In this scene, Miranda delivers an epic tear-down of her assistant after she disappoints her.
19:34She expresses regret over hiring Andy,
19:36who she thought would be different than the typical girl she had work for her.
19:39So, you, that impressive resume and the big speech about your so-called work ethic.
19:47I, um, I thought you would be different.
19:50She refers to Andy ridiculously as the smart fat girl,
19:53and says that she's more disappointed in her than any of her former employees.
20:11It's harsh and totally unjustified,
20:13but we know that Miranda will resort to viciousness if she doesn't get what she wants.
20:17Anyway, you ended up disappointing me more than, um,
20:22more than any of the other silly girls.
20:24Number 8.
20:25Revealing that Emily's not going to Paris
20:27Once Andy becomes a trusted member of Miranda's staff,
20:30she's allowed to enter her home in the evening.
20:32One night when she gets there to deliver the book,
20:35Miranda casually informs her that she'll be taking her along to Paris Fashion Week instead of Emily,
20:39who has more seniority and is desperate to go.
20:41Paris is the most important week of my entire year.
20:45I need the best possible team with me.
20:49That no longer includes Emily.
20:52When Andy expresses that she couldn't possibly do that to Emily,
20:55Miranda low-key threatens her job and says that if she misses the opportunity,
20:59it'll be clear that she isn't serious about her work at the magazine.
21:02If you don't go, I'll assume you're not serious about your future.
21:05At Runway or any other publication.
21:08Number 7.
21:09Asking for the Harry Potter Manuscript
21:11Miranda Priestly always gets what she wants,
21:14even if her desire seems literally impossible to fulfill.
21:18Miranda, about last night, I...
21:19I need the new Harry Potter book for the twins.
21:22Okay.
21:23Okay, I'll go down to Barnes & Noble right now.
21:25Did you fall down and smack your little head on the pavement?
21:28She asks Andy to procure the latest unpublished Harry Potter manuscript for her twin daughters,
21:33so they can read it on a train ride.
21:35And Andy balks.
21:37Oh, and Miranda also tells her that if she can't pull it off, she'll be fired.
21:40Do you want the unpublished manuscript?
21:43Well, we know everyone in publishing.
21:44It shouldn't be a problem, should it?
21:46And you can do anything, right?
21:48Andy knows exactly how impossible it is to get advanced copies of this particular series,
21:52but she calls in some favors and somehow miraculously manages to make it happen,
21:56getting a copy for each of the girls and gaining Miranda's trust.
22:00Number 6.
22:01Her interview with Andy
22:02When Andy first meets Miranda, she has no idea what she's getting herself into.
22:08Who are you?
22:10Uh, my name is Andy Sachs.
22:12I recently graduated from Northwestern University.
22:16And what are you doing here?
22:17Miranda learns that Andy is not a runway reader,
22:19and has essentially never even heard of her before,
22:22making her realize that this is not her typical interview
22:24where the subject is groveling and desperate to work for her.
22:27So you don't read Runway?
22:30Uh, no.
22:31And before today, you had never heard of me?
22:36No.
22:37Miranda very quickly shows that she's not impressed by Andy's journalistic credentials,
22:41and dismisses her at the mention of a piece about a janitor union.
22:44I was editor-in-chief of the Daily Northwestern.
22:47I also, um, won a national competition for college journalists
22:51with my series on the janitor's union, which exposed the exploitation of...
22:55But Andy isn't ready to back down,
22:57and ultimately convinces Miranda that she's actually the right one for the job.
23:01You're right.
23:02I don't fit in here.
23:03I am not skinny or glamorous,
23:06and I don't know that much about fashion,
23:09but I'm smart.
23:11I learn fast, and I will work very hard.
23:12I've got the exclusive on the Cavalli for Gwyneth.
23:15Number five.
23:16She tried to best a hurricane.
23:19Partway through the film,
23:20Miranda's stuck in Miami during a hurricane,
23:22and wants to get back to New York.
23:24My flight has been cancelled.
23:27It's some absurd weather problem.
23:29I need to get home tonight.
23:31The twins have a recital tomorrow morning at school.
23:33No flights are leaving the area because the weather's so bad,
23:36but Miranda insists that Andy try to find a way to figure it out.
23:39She makes countless calls,
23:40and hears over and over again that there's nothing that can be done.
23:43Nothing is flying out?
23:44What do you mean nothing is flying out?
23:46It's from Miranda Priestly,
23:47and I know that she's a client of yours.
23:48She's flown with you before.
23:49Miranda says that it's just drizzling,
23:51and assures her that she can find someone with a private jet
23:53to get her out of there.
23:54When Andy fails to do so,
23:56it leads into the scene where Miranda tells her
23:58how disappointed she is in her incompetence.
24:00Miranda, hi.
24:01Look, I'm trying to get you up flight,
24:03but no one is flying out because of the weather.
24:05Please.
24:06It's just, I don't know, drizzling.
24:09Someone must be getting out.
24:10Call Donatella.
24:11Get her jet.
24:12Number four, gird your loins.
24:15All right, everyone, gird your loins.
24:17On the day of Andy's interview with Miranda,
24:19all of the runway employees scramble as soon as they find out
24:22that Miranda will be arriving in the office earlier than anticipated.
24:25She manages to strike such fear into those who work for her
24:28that they rush around before she walks through the doors,
24:31tidying, changing shoes, and applying more makeup.
24:34Though we haven't even properly met the character yet,
24:37this scene shows us everything we need to know about her
24:39and how she's perceived by the people around her.
24:42I don't understand why it's so difficult to confirm an appointment.
24:46I know, I'm so sorry, Miranda.
24:47I actually did confirm last night.
24:48The details of your incompetence do not interest me.
24:51Number three, florals for spring.
24:53And this layout of the winter wonderland spread.
24:57Not wonderful yet.
24:59At one point in the film,
25:00we get a look inside a typical runway editorial meeting
25:03where Miranda presides over her employees,
25:05accepting and more often rejecting their ideas
25:08for different shoots and spreads
25:09for the upcoming issues of the magazine.
25:11What about accessories for April?
25:13One thought I had was enamel,
25:16bangles, pendants, earrings.
25:17No, we did that two years ago.
25:19What else?
25:19When one unfortunate editor suggests
25:21that they shoot floral looks for one of the spring issues,
25:24Miranda is ready with a scathing response.
25:27Florals for spring.
25:30Groundbreaking.
25:30It's such a simple obliteration of the idea
25:33but it manages to make the staff member look
25:35as though she's never had an original thought
25:37in her entire life.
25:38Number two, everybody wants to be us.
25:41Right near the end of the story,
25:43Miranda and Andy are in Paris together for fashion week,
25:46taking a car to an event.
25:47I see a great deal of myself in you.
25:52You can see beyond what people want
25:55and what they need
25:57and you can choose for yourself.
25:59Miranda tells Andy how much of herself she sees in her,
26:02which overtly makes Andy question
26:04what she's done to find herself in this place.
26:06I couldn't do what you did to Nigel, Miranda.
26:08I couldn't do something like that.
26:11Hmm.
26:13You already did.
26:15When Andy expresses doubt about this character assessment,
26:18Miranda assures her that it's what everyone wants.
26:21I mean, what if I don't want to live the way you live?
26:24Oh, don't be ridiculous, Andrea.
26:26Everybody wants this.
26:30Everybody wants to be us.
26:35She puts a fake smile on her face
26:37as she gets out of the car,
26:38where dozens of cameras and members
26:40of the paparazzi are waiting for her.
26:41It's this moment that prompts Andy to make a change.
26:44So she walks away from Miranda
26:46and the world of fashion.
26:48Number one, her blue sweater speech.
26:50This is probably the most famous scene
26:52in The Devil Wears Prada,
26:54and for good reason.
26:55It's just baffling to me.
26:56Why is it so impossible
26:58to put together a decent run through?
26:59You people have had hours and hours to prepare.
27:02It's just so confusing to me.
27:04Miranda goes over, looks for a shoot,
27:06and picks apart every detail
27:08of the garments they're considering.
27:09Another employee holds up two belts,
27:11saying how different they are,
27:12which causes Andy to scoff.
27:14It's a tough call.
27:17They're so different.
27:25Miranda takes this opportunity
27:27to deliver a lecture
27:28on how the fashion industry works,
27:30tearing Andy apart for thinking
27:31that she lives outside the world of trends
27:33and simultaneously insulting her sense of style.
27:36You go to your closet
27:39and you select, I don't know,
27:41that lumpy blue sweater, for instance,
27:43because you're trying to tell the world
27:44that you take yourself too seriously
27:47to care about what you put on your back,
27:48but what you don't know
27:50is that that sweater is not just blue,
27:52it's not turquoise, it's not lapis,
27:55it's actually cerulean.
27:56Not only was this speech perfectly cutting,
27:59it also actually taught many viewers
28:01about the lifespan of a trend.
28:02And it's sort of comical
28:04how you think that you've made a choice
28:06that exempts you from the fashion industry
28:07when in fact,
28:09you're wearing a sweater
28:10that was selected for you
28:11by the people in this room
28:14from a pile of stuff.
28:17Villain or visionary?
28:20Be prepared to rethink
28:22everything you thought you knew
28:23about fashion's most feared editor.
28:27By all means, move at a glacial pace.
28:30You know how that thrills me.
28:32Welcome to Ms. Mojo.
28:33And today we're unveiling a brand new series
28:36where we defend some of film and TV's
28:38most misunderstood characters and franchises.
28:41On trial today is
28:43The Devil Wears Prada's Miranda Priestley.
28:45Played by Meryl Streep,
28:47this chief fashion editor
28:48is set up as an antagonist
28:50who inspires fear in everyone around her.
28:53You should have seen the look she gave me.
28:54I swear, I thought the flesh
28:56was gonna melt off her face.
28:57Yet behind her devilish facade
28:59is a deeply intriguing woman
29:01whose coldly calculated disposition
29:03actually makes a lot of sense.
29:05So here's why we all owe Miranda
29:08one big apology.
29:10Another disappointment.
29:13The Devil's in the Details
29:15There's no denying that Miranda is cruel.
29:18But by truly investigating
29:19the inner workings of her tightly run ship,
29:22we're provided plenty of clues
29:23about where this wrath stems from.
29:25When Anne Hathaway's Andy
29:27is applying for a position at Runway Magazine,
29:30everyone around her reinforces
29:32just how sought after an assistant role to Miranda is.
29:35A million girls would kill for this job.
29:37I bet a million girls would kill for that job.
29:39A million girls would kill for that job.
29:41Ironically, it's a job that nearly kills
29:44anyone who takes it on.
29:45The strict office rules are made glaringly apparent.
29:49But never ask Miranda anything.
29:51Her opinion is the only one that matters.
29:54And we're told about the miserable fates
29:56of those who've stepped out of line.
29:57There's a manic fervor in the air
29:59as employees rush around
30:01to set the stage for Miranda's arrival.
30:03She's on her way.
30:04Tell everyone.
30:06When she saunters in,
30:07looking stunningly constructed,
30:09nobody around her is ever able to settle.
30:11This constant state of high alert
30:13and desperate desire to aid the editor-in-chief
30:16immediately makes it clear
30:17that she's the royal queen bee.
30:19And she's the one running the place entirely.
30:22We get a glimpse of the culture at the office
30:24very soon after entering.
30:26When Emily picks apart Andy's appearance,
30:29it's an attempt to, firstly,
30:31prop herself up in Miranda's eyes,
30:33but also to, secondly,
30:35erode her identity
30:36and commit her to her role
30:37as a cog in the high-fashion Miranda machine.
30:40This is foul.
30:42Don't let her see you.
30:42Go!
30:45There's an unwillingness
30:46to divulge any personal information as well,
30:49reinforcing a total lack of self
30:51beyond Miranda's hive.
30:52You doing anything fun this weekend?
30:55Yes.
30:57In addition,
30:58the toxic work-life balance
31:00is established as an expected symptom
31:02of succeeding at runway.
31:04My personal life is hanging by a thread,
31:06that's all.
31:07Well, join the club.
31:08That's what happens
31:08when you start doing well at work, darling.
31:10Upon meeting her,
31:11we are quickly treated
31:12to some of Miranda's
31:13devilishly quippy insults.
31:15The tales of your incompetence
31:17do not interest me.
31:18Please bore someone else
31:19with your questions.
31:21This is her superpower
31:22throughout the film.
31:23Her words,
31:24while spoken flippantly,
31:25are able to cut deep.
31:27It's this disinterested affect
31:29as she guts someone
31:30before moving on
31:31like it never happened
31:32that makes her so lethal.
31:34If you can scare
31:35with just a look in your eyes,
31:36you've won.
31:37And Emily?
31:39Yes?
31:46That's all.
31:47Her assistants struggle
31:48to keep up with the endless lists
31:49of impossible orders
31:51that flow from her omniscient tongue.
31:53And when Andy is concerningly late,
31:56Miranda still values
31:57the drip coffees
31:58the PA has in tow
31:59over her well-being.
32:01Is there some reason
32:02that my coffee isn't here?
32:04Has she died or something?
32:05All this sets Miranda apart
32:07by highlighting
32:08just how little impact
32:09anyone in her orbit
32:10can truly have.
32:12They exist to service her
32:13and keep her on her A-game
32:15because they're totally incapable
32:17of stepping into
32:17her satin pumps themselves.
32:19Truth is,
32:20there is no one
32:21that can do what I do.
32:23But it also sets Miranda up
32:25as a soulless villain
32:26who radiates cruelty.
32:28Even her baddie underling,
32:30Emily,
32:30has adopted this cruelty,
32:32using it casually
32:33in conversation with Miranda
32:34as if it's expected
32:35for her minions
32:36to be equally vicious.
32:38Human Resources sent her up
32:39about the new assistant job
32:40and I was sort of
32:41pre-interviewing her for you,
32:43but she's hopeless.
32:45Emily bosses Andy around
32:46out of fear
32:47that she will be
32:48on the receiving end
32:48of Miranda's ire
32:49if Andy falls out of line.
32:51This is learned behavior.
32:53I hope you know
32:54that this is a very difficult job
32:56for which you are totally wrong
32:57and if you mess up,
32:59my head is on a chopping block.
33:00In this video,
33:01we want to investigate
33:02beyond how this cycle
33:03of abuse operates
33:04and instead understand
33:06how and why
33:07it came to be.
33:08The Devil's Origin
33:09Understanding the vicious
33:11and frankly sexist world
33:13that creates Runway's
33:14nasty career women
33:16may not totally justify
33:17the way Miranda behaves.
33:18but it does explain it.
33:20In Miranda's defense,
33:22the chances of her being
33:23a good girl
33:24in the fashion world
33:25were next to none.
33:26We don't get to see
33:27much of Miranda's backstory,
33:29but we can see
33:29the way this environment
33:30molds women
33:31into a militant army
33:33of evil clones
33:34by following Andy's journey.
33:36After being judged
33:37for choosing
33:38corn chowder at lunch,
33:39Andy refuses a grilled cheese
33:41later that evening.
33:42I'm not even hungry anymore.
33:43What?
33:45That is why those girls
33:46are so skinny.
33:46Afterwards,
33:48when she receives
33:48a makeover consisting
33:49of Dolce,
33:50Chanel,
33:51and Manolo Blahnik's,
33:52her confidence skyrockets
33:54and her demeanor
33:55shifts completely.
33:56Now that she's accepted
33:57by her peers,
33:58she completely abandons
34:00her former principles,
34:01now realizing
34:02the tremendous significance
34:03of what she's become
34:04part of.
34:05Like Emily,
34:06Andy has also taken up
34:07Miranda's blunt
34:08and witty way of speaking.
34:10Did she say why?
34:11Yes.
34:12She explained every detail
34:14of her decision making.
34:15And then we brushed
34:16each other's hair
34:16and gabbed about
34:17American Idol.
34:18I see your point.
34:18Her new behavior
34:19results in a breakup
34:20with her normie,
34:22beer-chugging boyfriend,
34:23Nate.
34:23It's no surprise
34:24that the Miranda effect
34:25is so strong.
34:27After all,
34:28her colleagues are trained
34:29to observe every detail
34:30of her mannerisms,
34:32from a shake of the head
34:33to the pursing of her lips.
34:34As we witness
34:35this malevolent persona
34:36be passed down
34:37from Miranda to Emily
34:38to Andy,
34:39it becomes apparent
34:40that this pattern
34:41must have started somewhere.
34:42Does it necessarily mean
34:44it started with Miranda?
34:45We think there's reason
34:46to believe that she, too,
34:48followed a similar trajectory,
34:50from the bright-eyed,
34:51young hopeful
34:51to ruthlessly jaded
34:53industry woman.
34:54And if we can forgive
34:55Emily and Andy
34:56for adopting
34:57these wicked traits,
34:59then why should Miranda
34:59be the outlier?
35:01The evidence for this theory
35:02is best observed
35:03in Miranda's dynamic
35:04with Andy.
35:05Initially,
35:06her interest in Andy
35:07is shocking.
35:08considering how high
35:09her standards are,
35:10she acknowledges
35:11that Andy has no sense
35:12of style
35:13and no experience
35:14in the fashion world.
35:16Though,
35:16after surrounding herself
35:17with a fleet of subordinate
35:18mini-Mirandas,
35:20Andy actually provides
35:21something fresh.
35:22She admittedly
35:23doesn't know
35:23who Miranda is,
35:25doesn't read runway,
35:26and has no sense
35:27of office decorum.
35:28This change in pace
35:29seems to be the very thing
35:31that lands her the job.
35:32I said to myself,
35:33go ahead.
35:35Take a chance.
35:37Hire the smart,
35:39fat girl.
35:40Andy's refusal
35:41to bow to Miranda
35:42gives the head honcho
35:43a strange sense
35:44of excitement, too.
35:45She's practically giddy
35:47when Andy corrects her
35:48in front of her colleagues.
35:49Is it too much
35:50to believe it's perhaps
35:51something Miranda
35:51once did herself
35:52in order to get
35:53where she is now?
35:54There's also the possibility
35:56that Andy reminds Miranda
35:57of someone she once was
35:59before she became
36:00so cutthroat,
36:01naive,
36:02green in the industry,
36:03and not yet so bankrupt
36:04of niceties.
36:06I see a great deal
36:07of myself in you.
36:09For such a devilish character,
36:11Miranda's given
36:11the last name Priestley,
36:13implying that she's the head
36:14of this fashion church
36:15she's running.
36:16To her credit,
36:17she's operating
36:18an incredibly well-oiled machine.
36:20She's just doing her job.
36:22Don't you know
36:23that you were working
36:24at the place
36:24that published
36:25some of the greatest artists
36:26of the century?
36:28Miranda educates
36:29Andy on the meaning
36:29of the color cerulean
36:31and informs her
36:31how the clothing
36:32she refers to
36:33as a pile of stuff
36:34has been meticulously crafted
36:36in a painstakingly
36:38thoughtful process
36:38from ideation to rack.
36:41After all,
36:41Runway is a purveyor
36:42of culture,
36:43launching ideas
36:44and influencing fashion
36:45around the globe.
36:46And it's all helmed
36:47by the mogul
36:48Miranda herself.
36:50Understanding just
36:51how Miranda came
36:52to be the wildly
36:52successful devil
36:53who wears Prada
36:54requires some introspection
36:56on her psyche,
36:57though.
36:58Just a hint,
36:58it's not because
36:59she was born ruthless,
37:00but because she understands
37:02the game women
37:03in her space
37:03are forced to play.
37:05Although Miranda
37:06appears to have it
37:07all together
37:07on the surface,
37:08we're willing to bet
37:09there's a deeply vulnerable
37:10and hurt woman
37:11hiding inside.
37:12She isn't the end-all,
37:14be-all of the fashion world.
37:15She reports to others,
37:16too,
37:17accountable to a host
37:18of wealthy men.
37:19And I knew what everyone
37:20in that restaurant
37:21was thinking.
37:22There he is,
37:23waiting for her again.
37:24It's implied that
37:25there's limited space
37:26for women at the top,
37:27both in the fashion industry
37:29and in other spheres.
37:30Also,
37:30I'm pulling the tube
37:31and piece on the
37:32Supreme Court women.
37:34Woman.
37:35So,
37:35in order to make her mark,
37:37to compete with the boys,
37:38a woman would need
37:39to shed her more
37:39feminine qualities.
37:41Miranda's short haircut
37:42and predator-like costuming
37:44are very intentional
37:45in this regard.
37:46This also means
37:47putting her career
37:47above family
37:48and romantic prospects.
37:50Career-obsessed
37:53Snow Queen
37:54drives away
37:54another Mr. Priestley.
37:56Interestingly,
37:57she refers to her
37:58latest ex-husband
37:59as Mr. Priestley,
38:01meaning her surname
38:02takes precedence
38:03as the patriarchal breadwinner.
38:05Whether or not
38:06the people she answers to
38:07grant her respect,
38:08Miranda has certainly
38:09found a way
38:09to give it to herself.
38:11Okay,
38:11she's tough,
38:12but if Miranda were a man,
38:13no one would notice
38:14anything about her
38:15except how great she is
38:16at her job.
38:17Like those on the
38:18receiving end
38:18of her pipey insults,
38:20she's also forced
38:21to compartmentalize
38:22whatever troubles
38:23she's experiencing
38:24and get back to work.
38:25This masculine approach
38:27to business
38:27may serve Miranda
38:28in this stage
38:29of her career,
38:30but she had to fight
38:31tooth and nail
38:32to get there.
38:33Again,
38:33while we never see
38:34that early version
38:35of Miranda,
38:36the way women
38:37have to step on each other
38:38for that rare seat
38:39at the top
38:40is made apparent
38:40in the competition
38:41between Miranda's assistants,
38:43Emily and Andy.
38:44As Andy comes into her own
38:46and excels at her job,
38:47others refer to her
38:48as Andrea.
38:49At the same time,
38:50Emily begins to falter
38:52and as a result
38:53is overlooked
38:54and regarded as M.
38:55It's as if these nicknames
38:57during different parts
38:58of their arcs
38:58makes them seem
38:59more childlike
39:00or flippant
39:01and like they don't belong
39:03in this more serious world.
39:05Ultimately,
39:05there's only space
39:06for one of them
39:07on the Paris trip
39:08and that invite
39:09is granted to Andy
39:10who chooses to oust Emily
39:11and take her place.
39:13If you want this life,
39:14those choices
39:15are necessary.
39:16Because we experience
39:17the story primarily
39:19through the eyes
39:19of protagonist Andy,
39:21Miranda is largely portrayed
39:22as the big bad.
39:24Through this lens,
39:25it's easy to write her off
39:26as a villain
39:26on first viewing.
39:28When all is said
39:28and done, however,
39:29Miranda's characteristics
39:30are not merely
39:31a careless choice
39:33but a necessary set
39:34of traits
39:34she was forced
39:35to assume
39:35in order to survive
39:37a sexist fashion world,
39:38one that forces women
39:40to shrink their size
39:41and squeeze themselves
39:42into the latest
39:43trending outfits
39:44that determine
39:44their beauty and value.
39:46Well, I'm on this new diet.
39:47It's very effective.
39:48Well, I don't eat anything.
39:50Miranda's ego
39:50is not a whimsically
39:51reckless construction
39:52but a self-defense mechanism
39:54serving as the logical conclusion
39:56to everything that shaped her.
39:57As the film comes to a close,
39:59we discover that
40:00Miranda's boss,
40:01Irv,
40:01has elected to replace her
40:03with a new editor-in-chief
40:04because
40:05Jacqueline's a lot younger
40:06than Miranda.
40:07She has a fresher take
40:08on things.
40:09Woof.
40:09If that doesn't
40:10hammer home the message,
40:11are all the older men
40:13at the top
40:13also being replaced
40:14or are they seen
40:15as wise and irreplaceable?
40:17Though Miranda
40:18does manage
40:19to keep her job
40:20and Jacqueline
40:21is appointed
40:22the head of Holt,
40:23she lets Andy know
40:24that she's aware
40:24of much more
40:25than she necessarily
40:26lets on.
40:27I've known what was
40:28happening for quite some time.
40:31The defense of Miranda
40:32Priestley is simple.
40:33Miranda is not evil
40:34for the sake of being evil.
40:36She's the victim
40:37of a deeply misogynistic time
40:39and her actions
40:39are the product
40:40of a world she inherited.
40:42Is the solution
40:43to rip up the old unjust system
40:45and create a new one?
40:46Yes.
40:47Can Miranda do that
40:48all by herself?
40:49We wouldn't put it past her
40:50to try.
40:51But what's more likely
40:52is that she's priming
40:53these young women
40:54to play the game properly
40:55so that they can one day
40:57seize their own seat
40:58at this male-dominated table
40:59and just maybe
41:01change the game
41:02from within.
41:03So what's your verdict?
41:05Is Miranda guilty
41:06of all her wicked sins?
41:07Or does the ultimate culpability
41:09of this story's tragedies
41:10lie elsewhere?
41:12Sharp, savage,
41:14and endlessly quotable,
41:16we are ending things today
41:17with the line deliveries
41:19that defined
41:20The Devil Wears Prada.
41:23That's really what
41:24this multi-billion dollar industry
41:25is all about anyway,
41:26isn't it?
41:27Inner beauty.
41:28Welcome to Ms. Mojo.
41:29And today we're counting down
41:31our picks for
41:32The Devil Wears Prada quotes
41:33that were delivered
41:34with more style
41:35than a September issue
41:36cover story.
41:37Everybody wants to be us.
41:40Number 10.
41:41You have no style
41:42or sense of fashion.
41:44Andy immediately gets thrown
41:45into the deep end
41:46of the high fashion world
41:47and it is painfully clear
41:49she is out of her league.
41:51We need to find someone
41:51who can survive here,
41:52do you understand?
41:53Yeah, of course.
41:54Who's Miranda?
41:55Oh my god,
41:56I will pretend
41:57you did not just ask me that.
41:58She's the editor-in-chief
42:00of Runway,
42:01not to mention a legend.
42:02Miranda doesn't raise her voice.
42:04She doesn't need to.
42:05The calm,
42:06almost bored way
42:07she says,
42:08You have no style
42:09or sense of fashion.
42:11Well, um,
42:13I think that depends
42:15on what you're-
42:16No, no.
42:17That wasn't a question.
42:19Strikes a bigger blow
42:20than any scream ever could.
42:22It's clinical.
42:23It's precise.
42:24It's lethal.
42:25In one sentence,
42:27she exposes exactly
42:28how out of place
42:29Andy is at Runway.
42:31The delivery is so stripped
42:32of emotion
42:33that it somehow
42:33feels even colder.
42:35Of course,
42:35Miranda also has
42:36a cutting way
42:37of telling Andy
42:38that no style
42:39was exactly
42:40what she had been
42:40looking for.
42:41It's brutal,
42:42it's brilliant,
42:43and it is exactly
42:44what Miranda is all about.
42:52Number nine.
42:53Why didn't you just
42:54crawl into bed with her
42:55and ask for a bedtime story?
42:56The stakes rise
42:57when Andy is finally trusted
42:59with delivering the book
43:00to Miranda's home.
43:01You do not talk
43:02to anyone.
43:04You do not look
43:05at anyone.
43:06This is of the utmost importance.
43:08You must be invisible.
43:09Do you understand?
43:10Uh-huh.
43:11She's under the strictest
43:12instructions to stay invisible,
43:14but Miranda's daughters
43:15pull her off course.
43:16To be fair,
43:18Emily's instructions
43:18were crystal clear,
43:20so really,
43:21this is on Andy.
43:22And something tells us
43:23Emily might have had
43:24a sleepless night
43:25worrying about the ways
43:26she might mess this up.
43:27Okay, okay, um,
43:29okay, okay, okay.
43:30I'll make a deal,
43:31I promise.
43:32And if the twins said hello,
43:33so I said hello back,
43:34and then I went up the stairs
43:35to give her the book.
43:36Her reaction is packed
43:37with disbelief and horror
43:39that anyone would cross
43:40a sacred boundary.
43:41It captures her devotion
43:43to Miranda
43:43and the rules
43:44of being her assistant.
43:45The intensity
43:46makes it hilarious,
43:48but it also feels real
43:49for anyone who's ever
43:50taken their job
43:51too seriously.
43:51You went upstairs.
43:52Oh my God,
43:53why didn't you just
43:54climb into bed with her
43:55and ask for a bedtime story?
43:56Okay, okay,
43:57I made a mistake,
43:57I know.
43:58Number eight,
43:59bore someone else
43:59with your questions.
44:01Some managers hover
44:02over every move
44:03to the point where
44:04you wonder why
44:05they don't just
44:05do the task themselves.
44:07An RSVP, yes,
44:08the Michael Kors party,
44:09I want the driver
44:09to drop me off at 9.30
44:10and pick me up
44:11at 9.45 sharp.
44:13Then call Natalie
44:14at Glorious Foods
44:14and tell her no
44:15for the 40th time, no.
44:16I don't want aquas,
44:17I want torts
44:18filled with warm
44:19rhubarb compote.
44:20Miranda is the
44:21complete opposite.
44:22She expects perfection
44:23but refuses
44:24to hold your hand
44:25for even a second.
44:26The delivery
44:27is utterly devoid
44:28of warmth,
44:29coated in a thick
44:30layer of annoyance
44:31and the unspoken
44:32command that her time
44:33is far too precious
44:34to waste on trivialities.
44:36I need 10 or 15 skirts
44:37from Calvin Klein.
44:39Okay, what kind
44:40of skirts do you use?
44:40Please bore someone else
44:41with your questions.
44:43It's not even that
44:44she's just brushing you off.
44:45It's an assertion
44:46of absolute power,
44:48demonstrating that
44:49Miranda operates
44:50on a level
44:50where even basic inquiries
44:52are beneath her.
44:53And while we're at it,
44:54you can keep the details
44:55of your incompetence
44:56to yourself too.
44:56I don't understand
44:57why it's so difficult
44:58to confirm an appointment.
45:00I know, I'm so sorry,
45:01Miranda, I actually
45:01did confirm last night.
45:02The details of your
45:03incompetence
45:03do not interest me.
45:05Number seven,
45:06is there some reason
45:07that my coffee isn't here?
45:09In the real world,
45:10someone dying
45:11is an actual tragedy.
45:12A late latte
45:13is a minor inconvenience.
45:15I want one no-foam,
45:17skimmed latte
45:18with an extra shot
45:19and three drip coffees
45:20with room for milk.
45:21Searing hot,
45:22and I mean hot.
45:23But in Miranda's universe,
45:24the lack of a latte
45:25on her desk
45:26is the tragedy.
45:27She is not worried
45:28about her assistant.
45:29No, no,
45:30the coffee is late.
45:31Something catastrophic
45:32must have happened
45:33because in her world,
45:34there is no
45:35acceptable middle ground.
45:37There is some reason
45:38that my coffee isn't here.
45:40Has she died or something?
45:41To her,
45:42Andy,
45:43or whoever's in that hot seat,
45:44isn't a full human being
45:45with a life or feelings.
45:46She's a role,
45:48a moving part.
45:49If the part fails,
45:50it's clearly defective
45:51or dead.
45:52We've all had bosses
45:53who felt slightly detached
45:55from reality,
45:56but Miranda turns that
45:57into high art.
45:58What's that?
45:59Oh, I don't want that.
46:00I'm having lunch with her.
46:02I'll be back at three.
46:03I'd like my Starbucks waiting.
46:05Number six,
46:06you eat carbs.
46:07Emily really has a way
46:08with words.
46:09Who else could make
46:10eating cheese
46:10sound so troubling
46:12and yet so vogue
46:13at the same time?
46:13Well, I'm on this new diet.
46:15It's very effective.
46:15Well, I don't eat anything.
46:17And when I feel like
46:18I'm about to faint,
46:19I eat a cube of cheese.
46:20Well, it's definitely working.
46:22I know.
46:22I just one stomach
46:23flew away from my gall weight.
46:25Then, when Andy visits Emily
46:26in the hospital
46:27after her accident,
46:28she has bad news to share.
46:29We've all been in Emily's shoes
46:31where we watch someone
46:32who's seemingly less deserving
46:34propel into a position
46:35that we feel
46:35we're way more deserving of.
46:37Face it, Andy,
46:38you sold your soul.
46:39The day you put on
46:40that first pair of Jimmy Choo's,
46:42I saw it.
46:42For Emily,
46:43that's missing out
46:44on her dream Paris trip
46:45since Miranda has decided
46:46to give her ticket to Andy.
46:48It's her exasperated
46:49you eat carbs moment
46:50that seals it.
46:51She's angry and frustrated
46:53and based on the bread roll
46:54she's ironically eating,
46:56she's feeling defeated AF.
46:58Don't deserve them.
46:59You eat carbs
47:00for Christ's sake.
47:02Gone.
47:04So unfair.
47:05Number five.
47:06Gird your loins.
47:07The moment Miranda's town car
47:09rounds the corner,
47:10the lookouts trigger an alarm
47:11that ripples through the building.
47:13Oh my God.
47:14No, no, no.
47:17What's wrong?
47:23She's on her way.
47:24Tell everyone.
47:25It becomes a literal countdown
47:27with Nigel's warning
47:28snapping everyone
47:29across the office to attention.
47:30At this point,
47:32much like Andy,
47:32we still don't fully understand
47:34the panic.
47:35So this line sets the tone perfectly.
47:37This is a battlefield
47:38and you are completely unarmed.
47:41All right, everyone.
47:42Gird your loins.
47:43As Andy watches the mayhem
47:45erupt around her,
47:46everything feels intense,
47:48theatrical,
47:48and borderline absurd.
47:50And yet nothing could have prepared her
47:52for meeting Miranda herself.
47:53Needless to say,
47:54Andy learns very quickly
47:56that at runway,
47:57you absolutely do need
47:58to gird your loins.
48:00I was editor-in-chief
48:01of the Daily Northwestern.
48:02I also won a national competition
48:05for college journalists
48:07with my series
48:08on the janitor's union,
48:09which exposed the...
48:10That's all.
48:10Number four.
48:11Florals for spring,
48:13groundbreaking.
48:14Look,
48:14you don't become editor-in-chief
48:16of runway
48:16or cultivate a reputation
48:18that could freeze water
48:19in a heat wave
48:20without making waves
48:21and stamping your authority
48:22all over the industry.
48:23So because she pursed her lips,
48:25he's going to change
48:25his entire collection?
48:27You still don't get it,
48:28do you?
48:29Her opinion
48:30is the only one that matters.
48:31Miranda and runway
48:33set the trends.
48:34They do not follow them.
48:35So if you're bold enough
48:37to bring her an idea,
48:38it had better be something
48:39no one else
48:40has even dreamed of.
48:41We thought about
48:41shooting him
48:42in an industrial space.
48:43We thought the contrast
48:44between the femininity
48:45of the florals
48:46and the more raw,
48:47rough-humed background
48:48would create
48:48this wonderful tension with...
48:50No.
48:50Her reaction
48:51to a floral-themed
48:52spring spread
48:52drips with such
48:53exquisite disdain
48:54that it's both hilarious
48:55and brutal.
48:56She lets the sarcasm
48:58bloom,
48:59fully formed,
49:00underscoring her
49:01total boredom
49:01with anything predictable.
49:03In Miranda's world,
49:04if it's been done before,
49:05it may as well
49:06not exist.
49:07I'm showing a lot
49:08of florals right now,
49:09so I was thinking...
49:10Florals?
49:11For spring.
49:13Groundbreaking.
49:14No.
49:143.
49:14By all means,
49:15move at a glacial pace.
49:17You know how that
49:18thrills me.
49:19While in Paris,
49:20Andy catches Miranda
49:21during one of those
49:22rare moments
49:22where she seems
49:23almost human.
49:24Just imagine what
49:25they're gonna write
49:26about me.
49:27The dragon lady,
49:29career-obsessed.
49:31Snow Queen
49:32drives away
49:33another Mr. Priestley.
49:34Of course,
49:35that vulnerability
49:36doesn't last long.
49:37As Andy fumbles
49:38through her bag,
49:39Miranda fires off
49:40one of those
49:40perfectly sharp quips
49:41that makes you
49:42want to stand up
49:42and applaud.
49:43By all means,
49:44move at a glacial pace.
49:45You know how that
49:46thrills me.
49:47We've all been
49:48stuck waiting on someone,
49:49wishing we could say
49:50what she just did.
49:51And honestly,
49:52this moment makes it
49:53impossible not to
49:54pull out your inner
49:55Miranda from time to time.
49:56It's classic,
49:57iconic,
49:58and hilarious.
49:59However,
50:00it also really shows
50:01how obsessed she is
50:02with control,
50:03keeping up appearances,
50:05and keeping everything
50:06running just the way
50:07she wants.
50:07Is there anything else
50:08I can do?
50:11Your job.
50:16That's all.
50:17Number two.
50:18That's all.
50:19Miranda can slay.
50:20And no,
50:21we're not talking
50:22about her outfit.
50:23No,
50:23she strikes her blow
50:24with two simple words.
50:26Her signature sign-off
50:27is deceptively simple,
50:28but it is packed
50:29with authority,
50:30finality,
50:31and that unmistakable
50:32Miranda energy.
50:33Delivered in a cool,
50:34detached tone,
50:35it shuts down conversations,
50:37dismisses her assistance,
50:39and reminds everyone
50:40who's in charge.
50:41If you don't go,
50:42I'll assume you're not
50:42serious about your future,
50:44that runway,
50:45or any other publication.
50:54The decision's yours.
50:58That's all.
50:59Yeah,
50:59if Miranda says,
51:00that's all,
51:01she may as well have just
51:02slammed the door
51:03in your face.
51:03The power isn't
51:04in the words themselves,
51:06it's in the effortless,
51:07almost indifferent way
51:08she says them.
51:09We aspire to be
51:10this level of iconic.
51:12Miranda always gets
51:13the last word,
51:14every single time.
51:16Is there anything else
51:16I can do for you?
51:19Mm-mm.
51:22That's all.
51:23Number one.
51:24The Cerulean Monologue.
51:25This entire monologue
51:27is a tour de force,
51:28a master class in acting
51:29and character development
51:30that utterly redefines
51:32Miranda Priestly.
51:33You go to your closet
51:35and you select,
51:37I don't know,
51:37that lumpy blue sweater,
51:39for instance,
51:40because you're trying
51:40to tell the world
51:41that you take yourself
51:42too seriously to care
51:44about what you put
51:44on your back,
51:45but what you don't know
51:46is that that sweater
51:47is not just blue,
51:49it's not turquoise,
51:50it's not lapis,
51:51it's actually Cerulean.
51:53She calmly and authoritatively
51:54walks through the journey
51:55of the lumpy blue sweater,
51:57connecting it to the trends
51:58Andy doesn't even understand,
52:00and it is fascinating to watch.
52:02Meryl Streep delivers each line
52:03with measured precision,
52:05moving from a patient explanation
52:07to a sharp critique
52:08of Andy's naivety.
52:09Trickled on down
52:10into some tragic casual corner
52:13where you no doubt
52:14fished it out of some clearance bin,
52:16however,
52:17that blue represents
52:18millions of dollars
52:19and countless jobs.
52:21It's more than just
52:21a fashion lesson,
52:23it's about influence,
52:24power,
52:25and the forces
52:25that shape the world
52:26behind the scenes.
52:27This monologue
52:28not only shifts
52:29Andy's perspective,
52:30but also reveals
52:31the depth and intelligence
52:32behind Miranda's
52:33seemingly frivolous empire,
52:35solidifying her
52:35as a complex
52:36and brilliant antagonist.
52:38You think that you've made
52:39a choice that exempts you
52:40from the fashion industry
52:41when in fact
52:43you're wearing a sweater
52:44that was selected for you
52:45by the people in this room
52:48from a pile of stuff.
52:49What's your favorite
52:50Devil Wears Prada line
52:51to quote?
52:53Well, that's gonna do it
52:54for this special look
52:55at the cultural phenomenon
52:57that is the Devil Wears Prada.
52:59I've been Matt
52:59for Ms. Mojo
53:00and I'll see you next time.
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