From the glamorous to the grim, how accurate are the portrayals of magazine life you see on the big (and small) screen?
MOST ACCURATE
Bridget Jones landing a broadcasting career with no experience might be far-fetched. But her early work on the news desk involves low-key boring (who could forget that pole?) segments that often get cut last minute. It happens.
Okay, so locating an original Harry Potter manuscript (as in The Devil Wears Prada) is unacceptable, but some questionable PA requests have been known. Trekking a cake across town for a birthday? Walking someone’s dog? Buying willy straws for a sister’s friend’s hen party? Ahem.
We’re not saying the story ideas from How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days would get signoff (although...), but fake social media accounts, hundreds of hours and thorough investigative fieldwork – sometimes at the pub – are a big yes.
KIND OF ACCURATE
There’s a scene in The Devil Wears Prada when Andy gives her friends gifts from the office. While designer handbags aren’t exactly going spare (sigh), beauty products and, er, promotional reusable water bottles, usually are.
Not quite like The Bold Type’s Sutton posing as a stylist or Jane’s ‘Are Babies the New Bling?’ article. But instead, trying to get ahead of trends and think up stories that people might want to read in four months’ time.
Jenna’s in 13 Going on 30 gets a standing ovation, while Sutton’s lands her a job in The Bold Type. IRL? They only happen for big shoots. No one claps.
NOT SO ACCURATE
Ugly Betty got one. Andy from The Devil Wears Prada got one. Even 1996’s Sabrina involved travelling to French Vogue for one. Sadly, no one we know has ever been gifted an entire designer wardrobe.
Sequins and sparkles, high heels and hats. The best we can do is an emergency blazer and pair of brogues stashed under the
