Anyone who has seen The Devil Wears Prada is well aware of the breakneck New York pace, the one-liners sharp enough to cut glass, and the abusive treatment the underlings suffered at the hands of Miranda Priestly, played by Meryl Streep. Believe it or not, a million women would kill for a chance to go on coffee runs for an abusive boss, as long as the job was in Paris. There’s just one problem — Miranda Priestly’s treatment of Andrea “Andy” Sachs, played by Ann Hathaway, is not okay. Miranda — who was based on legendary Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour — is obviously iconic, which makes it easy to overlook how brutal the job actually is. “By all means, move at a glacial pace” is still one of the best insults ever put to film. It also captures something real about the culture it reflects — the job keeps demanding proof of Andy's commitment……..always being on call, unquestioning compliance, and erasure of herself in service to the company. Many young, ambitious people today are trying to craft a career out of thin air. They’re willing to put up with a lot for the promise of a steady paycheck and health care. They miss family get-togethers, struggle to make friends, and have no time for hobbies. Instead of The Devil Wears Prada being the reality of that kind of work environment, it’s much uglier. Today’s workers experience moderate to high stress and greater levels of burnout than any other generation. People are getting fed up with being treated badly by their employers, and now they’re beginning to speak up. Now companies are learning that environments that expect less sacrifice tend to get better production results. Today people are realizing that the kind of sacrifice that makes you totally lose yourself isn’t worth it, even with the promise of Paris.
