When The Devil Wears Prada debuted in 2006, it introduced the world to cerulean blue and the not-so-glam life of fashion and editorial.
This spring, as the world readies not for florals but for the film’s sequel, questions around toxic work cultures—and how to handle them—are resurfacing.
Fresh discourse on the topic was sparked during the upcoming movie’s press tour, when Emily Blunt—who plays the English, overworked but fashionable first assistant to the editor-in-chief of a magazine—revisited one of her character’s most iconic scenes.
In the scene, Blunt’s character (also named Emily), who is wearing Valentino and an early-aughts smoky eye, dashes into her office teary-eyed from a cold. Seemingly flustered by feeling under the weather and a crushing workload ahead, the character whispers a mantra while settling into her desk.
“I love my job, I love my job, I love my job,” she says in the movie.
The scene has since become a meme for overworked millennial and Gen Z fans navigating corporate life.
“Find something that you deeply want to do”
During an interview with Betches, Blunt revealed that the scene was improvised, but upon being asked if she had any tips for young women hating their jobs, her response sparked a larger conversation about the state of the job market.
“Quit,” she replied. “Just find something that you deeply want to do. Even if you’re earning no money, as long as you love it, you’ll be happy.”
Not everyone found the advice especially helpful, arguing that, amid inflation, the rising cost of living, and a shrinking job market riddled with layoffs, opting to earn no money is not realistic
“Girl the rent doesn’t care what you’re passionate about,” one user said on X reacting to the video interview.
Another added, “she’s not wrong but passion without stability is a luxury most people don’t have.”
Still, some saw value in Blunt’s comments.
“There’s still truth in what Emily Blunt said. Not the ‘quit everything and follow your dreams’ part—but the quiet reminder not to abandon yourself completely,” a user said on X.
But regardless of where users fall in the conversation, the discourse reveals just how complicated the conversation around work-life balance has gotten.
“Can you imagine if she said you have to suck it up cause you need the money? Or the flipside, leave your job and follow your passion? I can’t think of a single nice answer that would fit the context of the interview,” a user said on Reddit.
Another user on Reddit also shared their personal experiences in overly demanding jobs.
“I have had a boss making us work 18-hour days, screaming at us and not letting us literally sleep, causing long-term damage to our physical and mental health)…please do quit,” the user said.
However, that same user couldn’t let go of the hardships in today’s job landscape.
They added: “If you think the current job market is so awful that all you will end up with are rejections because no company is actually truly hiring and there are historic layoffs happening every few days … then don’t quit.”