192. The Devil Wears Prada

Gird your loins, folks! We’ve accepted the low-paying position of assistant to Miranda Priestly, the legendary editor-in-chief at Runway Magazine, the fashion crown jewel of the Elias Clarke publishing empire. A million other people would kill to have this job, but it’s sure to open up big doors for us in the future. Ms. Priestly’s a little demanding, and doesn’t like us to ask questions, and doesn’t like when we don’t understand things, and calls us fat, but all things require a learning curve.

On an unrelated note: The podcast is covering The Devil Wears Prada (2006), the millennial classic about a hard-working striver who doesn’t think she can please her boss, before wouldn’t you know it, she pleases her damn boss?

It might end up being the role Meryl Streep will be best remembered for, and she’s truly electric in this movie. But Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci are also incredible! And Anne Hathaway’s doing her thing.

Now, about that: During the history segment, we really try to unpack why people don’t like Anne Hathaway. Including one of the people who hosts this podcast.

Also in the history segment: The life and times of Vogue editor Anna Wintour; Lauren Weisberger working for Wintour and then writing a thinly veiled novel about it; how that novel was adapted into a movie; and how playing Priestly catapulted Meryl Streep into being a box office sensation for the first time in her career.

Watch the history segment in full: https://youtu.be/iF8YfSnisqw 

Next week (May 8, 2026): Bride of Chucky (1998)!

 

Time stamps:

• 00:06:33 — History segment: Anna Wintour; author Lauren Weisberger works as Wintour's assistant for 10 months, writes a novel about it; the novel gets adapated as a movie by director David Frankel; casting Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway; why do people hate Anne Hathaway?
• 00:51:55 — Movie discussion
• 02:05:15 — Final thoughts & star ratings

 

The Devil Wears Prada was directed by David Frankel and written by Aline Brosh McKenna, based on Lauren Weisberger's novel. Starring Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, Stanley Tucci, Simon Baker, Tracie Thoms, Rich Sommer, Gisele Bundchen, and Adrian Grenier as "Nate." 

 

Sources:

• "Anna Wintour's legacy and who might replace her as Vogue editor" by Steven McIntosh | BBC (2025) - https://bit.ly/4vZ8Zof
• "Anna Wintour Embraces a New Era At Vogue" by David Remnick | The New Yorker (2025) - https://bit.ly/48JrpQb 
• "What’s Wrong With Vogue?" by Cathy Horyn | The New York Times (2008) - https://bit.ly/424AcIw 
• "The White Issue: Has Anna Wintour’s Diversity Push Come Too Late?" by Edmund Lee | The New York Times (2020) - https://bit.ly/4cFPslf 
• “When personal assistants attack!” by Elizabeth Spiers | Salon (2003) - https://bit.ly/4n0Y1uv 
• "‘Every minute at Vogue felt like an emergency’: Devil Wears Prada author Lauren Weisberger on igniting a scandal" by Jess Cartner-Morley | The Guardian (2024) - https://bit.ly/4vRpl2f 
• “‘It was a year of being yelled at’: How much of The Devil Wears Prada really happened?” by Megan Agnew | The Sydney Morning Herald (2026) - https://bit.ly/4cDk5rG 
• "The Devil Wears Prada oral history: Cast reunites to dish on making the best-dressed hit" by Joey Nolfi | Entertainment Weekly (2021) - https://bit.ly/3QK5PVi 
• "‘The Devil Wears Prada’ Turns 10: Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway and Emily Blunt Tell All" by Ramin Setoodeh | Variety (2016) - https://bit.ly/4u3ztDs 
• “Anne Hathaway on Tuning Out the Haters and Embracing Her True Self” by Julie Miller | Vanity Fair (2024) - https://bit.ly/4u5uJgo 
• "Anne Hathaway Can’t Win" by Anne Helen Petersen | BuzzFeed (2015) - https://bzfd.it/4cHqMZC 
• "A Tale of Two Oscar-Winning Actresses: Why Has Jennifer Lawrence Become a Media Darling by Breaking All the Rules, While Well-Behaved Anne Hathaway Is Getting Flack?" by Julie Miller | Vanity Fair (2013) - https://bit.ly/4tm4aDf
• "How Annoying Is Anne Hathaway: A Scientific Inquiry" by Billy Kimball | HuffPost (2013) - https://bit.ly/4mZqVLl 
• "The Cult of Hathahaters: Will It Hurt Anne Hathaway’s Oscar Chances?" by Kevin Fallon | The Daily Beast (2013) - https://bit.ly/3OMV302 

 

Artwork by Laci Roth.  

Check out Laci's coloring videos on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-kKLhWb2g0bKA-RrvvLh0Q/ 

Matt has a monthly spin-off podcast covering the James Bond films! Check out PodJob: A James Bond Podcast on Apple Podcast (https://bit.ly/4jRL2K1), Spotify (https://bit.ly/4a8jM6E), and YouTube (https://youtube.com/@podjob007).

 

Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC).

 

Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode:

• “Winston-Salem” - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM
• “Snake Drama” - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg
• “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ 

 

Follow the show! 

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