The Thinner, The Better

     In the movie, The Devil Wears Prada character, Emily Charlton is the ideal model of fashion perfection. The director portrays her as the fashion forward assistant of the famed Runway editor Miranda Priestly. As protagonist Andrea receives her new job, to follow in the footsteps of Emily, Emily teaches her the ropes, presenting herself as the dominant one. Emily is extremely thin, yet extremely fashionable. Throughout the movie all Emily does is rave about her trip to Paris with Miranda. In preparation for this trip Emily says, "See, I'm on this new diet. Well, I don't eat anything. And right before I feel I'm going to faint, I eat a cube of cheese. I'm one stomach flu away from my goal weight." This quote embodies the very fashion industry and the culture that we live in. Character, Emily Charlton who was probably no more than 100 pounds found that she should starve herself in order to be picture perfect in Paris. Here arises the stigma for those who want to be in the fashion industry or be beautiful even to be thin. 

     Today's society glorifies the slimmer woman and the muscular man. These things have become ideal and have shaped the minds and bodies of many. Emily is one of many girls starving themselves to find perfection. The media shapes what we as a society considers acceptable and beautiful and for years what is acceptable and beautiful has been small and thin.

     Not only does this quote show society's dire need to be thin but also portrays the extremes people will go to in order to please other people. Both characters in The Devil Wears Prada Emily and Andrea were willing to somehow alter their appearance in order to fit the role Miranda saw for them. Although the movie is fictional it goes to show that people of our culture go to extreme measures in order to appease those around if they are bosses, or family etc...

       A discourse analysis of this quote brings the reality that our society will do just about anything to fit into a stigma set by people we don't even know personally.