12 Things The Devil Wears Prada Got Wrong About The Magazine Industry

A funny thing happened when I landed my first internship at a magazine. Instead of “congratulations” or even “mazel tov,” I just heard the same refrain over and over: “So, your life is basically The Devil Wears Prada, right?” Well, yes and no. It was fast-paced, glamorous, and exciting, sure. But my boss wasn’t a devil. And to be honest, I think she mostly wore J.Crew.

Exactly 10 years ago, the movie that showed what it's like to have a job "a million girls would kill for" hit theaters. But the magazine industry has changed a lot since. In 2006, the internet was young, Facebook was in its infancy, and Instagram didn’t even exist. Today, those forces (among many others) have completely reshaped the way publications communicate with their audiences. Print magazines — those actually printed on glossy paper — have found themselves in a bind, with budget cuts, layoffs, and unanticipated closures. Back in 2006, the industry was IT — and Andy Sachs and her role of a lifetime became the foundation for what most who aimed to work in "fashion" wanted to achieve.

The thing is, some of the events in the film are now outdated — and some of them never would have existed, anyway. So, sit back, relax, nosh on a grilled cheese oozing with $8 worth of Jarlsberg, and let’s go through all the things The Devil Wears Prada got wrong about the magazine industry (sorry, Miranda).