The Devil Wears Prada Explained: Perfectionism, Workaholism & The Girlboss Trap | Compilation

The Devil Wears Prada isn’t just a fashionista classic, it’s a blueprint for understanding the Girlboss era, the rise of workaholism, and the two sides of perfectionism. Through Andy Sachs, Emily Charlton and Miranda Priestly, the film predicted exactly how modern career women would be celebrated, pressured, and ultimately punished. In this compilation of our Takes on the film, we explore: why Andy represents the rise (and collapse) of the Girlboss myth, how Emily embodies the dangers of work-as-identity, how Miranda reveals the hidden cost of perfectionism, the real reason so many films turn ambitious women into villains, and what these characters can still teach us today. We're unpacking the gendered expectations behind careers, ambition, image, and success, and why The Devil Wears Prada still shapes how we talk about women at work.

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CHAPTERS
00:00 Andy Sachs & the girlboss problem
03:59 How she predicted the rise (& fall) of the girlboss
09:12 Emily Charlton & making work your life
10:38 Why people become workaholics
16:17 The 3 types of workaholic women onscreen
24:43 Don't be like Emily! The Warning in Emily's Arc.
30:07 Miranda Priestly & The Perfectionist Paradox
38:36 Why movies & tv making ambitious women villains
44:33 When perfectionism goes too far...


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