Blog 2: Gender in Specific Contexts -"The Devil Wears Prada"
Prompt 1
I would like to analyze one of my favorite movies of all time, “The Devil Wears Prada.” Almost all of you, especially women have probably watched the movie at least once because I believe the movie is so-called “a chick flix.” Briefly, the story draws the success of a fresh college graduate named Andy to become a woman and to pursue her career under the evilest successful editor/boss of Runway, Miranda and at the end, Andy finds what she truly needs. Throughout the movie, it shows her struggles for relationships with her boyfriend, friends, and job. The cultural artifact obviously focuses on women. I chose this movie because I simply loved the movie and dreamed about working in a big city just like Andy. I used to listen to the featured song in the movie, “Suddenly I See” in the morning to motivate myself and changed my ringtone to Andy’s ringtone of Miranda. That’s how much I was into the movie!
Prompt 2
- Who created this message?
The story is written by Lauren Weisberger, and the movie is directed by David Frankel who has mainly produced drama films. Therefore, the story is written by a woman, but a director is a man. I am emphasizing their gender because from my perspective, how a man possibly direct a story about women, which is written by a woman without the male gaze? However, it is the reality. Anne Hathaway as Andy, Meryl Streep as Miranda, and Emily Blunt as Andy’s gossipy, fashion-conscious co-worker are starring the movie, and it is needless to say that those actresses are well-known.
- What creative techniques are used to attract my attention?
The story per se is really attractive and influential, especially to women. Finding a job makes you grow up and be proud of is ideal, and the story reflects the American Dream. Moreover, casting such beautiful, powerful, and successful women is one of the techniques used as well as fashionable clothes to enhance their beauty. Those actresses can almost guarantee the success of any kinds of movies.
- How might different people understand this message differently than me?
I have never personaly experienced something like the story, and it is harder for me as an Asian woman to success just like white women. However, the story is almost unrealistic even for white women. For example, casting Anne Hathaway as Andy is one of the biggest mistakes. Andy is supposed to be “an ordinary girl,” but come on! Anne Hathaway is extraordinarily gorgeous without any biases, even though, they tried to make her look ordinary or “bigger” at the beginning of the movie. I can’t help but assume that someone like her, who fit in the societal standard of beauty, would have a better chance of succeeding in a society.
However, the movie is supposedly telling the opposite. As Miranda said when Andy couldn’t accomplish an impossible mission, she always hires girls who are “stylish, slender, of course, worships to magazine. But so often, they turn out to be… I don’t know, disappointing. And stupid… [because of Andy’s impressive resume and speech,] I thought you would be different. I said to myself… hired the smart fat girl.” Since the story portrays the success of “the fat smart girl,” it tells the audience that women can be smart and pretty simultaneously, or at least one’s prettiness can be evolved, and it is not either smart or pretty like the stereotype.
Objectively, it is a heteronormative, exclusive story. There are not many people from the LGBTQ+ community or people of color in the movie. When there is, they are usually portrayed in stereotypical ways. For example, a man who is interested in fashion is feminine, which makes him gay like Nigel (an art director who works under Miranda). It addresses the idea of stereotypes of certain people and perpetuates the categorization. Therefore, it may reinforce the discriminations against race and gender identity.
- What values, lifestyles and points of view are represented in, or omitted from, this message?
It strongly penetrates the stereotypes of successful women. Like Miranda, successful women are beautiful and slender as well as cold, mean, unhappy, and career-over-family. Technically, “have it all” is just a fairy tale for women. The message tells us that we have to choose either a career or romantic relationship.
One of the main messages that I received from the movie was that what makes women happy is a relationship with a man. The story ends with Andy choosing her romantic relationship over her career and getting back with her boyfriend because she didn’t like herself becoming to fit in the stereotypes of successful women who chose to lose their families over their careers. The movie as media manipulates women to think that we are supposed to be obsessed with being in a relationship with a man.
The movie also draws a strong correlation between fashion and femininity. Women are supposed to be interested in and sensitive to fashion, which connects with one’s femininity. Fashion can supposedly change someone from an ordinary girl to an extraordinary girl. After all, the movie seems to give women hope, but it reinforces stereotypes of women.
- Why is this message being sent?
The message is sent to show that an ordinary woman can be an extraordinary woman as long as she loses weight and wears fabulous clothes. It also portrays that women need to choose either love or work, and women in love are happier even without fabulous clothes. It means that men are the ones who can make women happy but doesn’t work the other way around.
The movie is probably just a fairy tale, but I do still love the movie!
- Akane Sakaki
Hi Akane! Interesting perspective! I love that movie but had never analyzed it in a gender representation way. I agree with you! To begin with, I think that the setting says a lot about our society. The directors and producers chose a fashion setting to portray the "successful woman", instead of, for example, a successful female lawyer, doctor, or CEO. It reinforces the idea that women are only successful in a more feminine setting. Also, when Andy was getting "better" at her job and being more successful, her boyfriend left her. Thinking about it now, the gender roles were switched here. She was having a more successful career than the man, and he couldn't handle it so he left. It was only at the end when she gave up that success that he took her back. This is not how it should be. Women should be portrayed as being successful, just like how men are.
ReplyDeleteHi Akane! Interesting perspective! I love that movie but had never analyzed it in a gender representation way. I agree with you! To begin with, I think that the setting says a lot about our society. The directors and producers chose a fashion setting to portray the "successful woman", instead of, for example, a successful female lawyer, doctor, or CEO. It reinforces the idea that women are only successful in a more feminine setting. Also, when Andy was getting "better" at her job and being more successful, her boyfriend left her. Thinking about it now, the gender roles were switched here. She was having a more successful career than the man, and he couldn't handle it so he left. It was only at the end when she gave up that success that he took her back. This is not how it should be. Women should be portrayed as being successful, just like how men are.
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