Article Analysis - Persuasion

For this assignment, we take a deep dive into the world of persuasion. After choosing a film or documentary, we analyze the ways persuasion can be found within the storyline. I chose the film, The Devil Wears Prada. "The Devil Wears Prada" is a film that follows the story of Andrea Sachs, who lands a job as an assistant to the powerful and demanding editor-in-chief of a top fashion magazine. As Andrea struggles to keep up with her demanding boss and the fast-paced world of high fashion, she begins to question her priorities and values.

Throughout the film, there are many ways that persuasion is used, especially with the Chief Editor, Miranda Priestly. Miranda is the editor-in-chief of Runway magazine, and she is highly respected and influential in the fashion industry. Her position of power and authority makes her highly credible, and she uses this credibility to persuade her staff to work harder and meet her demands. From our Module contect, we see her in a Primary Dimension of Credibility as she shows off her expertise for credibility, (Lietzmeyer, 2023). The film’s portrayal of Miranda as a powerful editor pulls from real-life experiences and tries to create that sense of credibility within.

Miranda creates a form of emotional persuasion by appealing to her employees emotions to persuade them. In the film, Miranda frequently uses ingratiation to manipulate her employees and get them to do what she wants, such as when she compliments Andrea on her outfits and her work, making her feel valued and important to the magazine's success to get her to agree to a difficult task. She even promises them perks and benefits, such as tickets to fashion shows and access to exclusive events, in exchange for their hard work and dedication.

Branching off from the emotional persuasion, Miranda creates a whole world of persuasion through Coercion. She can turn around to the negative emotions with the snap of her fingers. While Miranda doesn't use explicit coercion, she does use her power and authority to manipulate her employees and make them feel like they have no choice but to follow her orders. For example, she hints that their jobs may be on the line if they don't comply with her demands, or she makes them feel guilty for not working hard enough. Miranda frequently reminds her employees that they can be easily replaced and that there are hundreds of people waiting to take their jobs. Miranda often makes passive-aggressive comments or gives backhanded compliments to her employees, creating a sense of unease and discomfort. This makes her staff feel like they have to work harder to please her and avoid her criticism.

Social Judgement Theory proposes that individuals have pre-existing attitudes and beliefs that shape their perception and evaluation of persuasive messages, (Sherif, 1965). Andrea Sachs starts the film with a set of beliefs and values that are at odds with the world of high fashion and celebrity culture. She sees the industry as superficial and trivial and doesn't care much about her appearance. Over the course of the film, her attitudes and beliefs shift as she is exposed to the world of fashion and begins to see the value in its creativity and influence. Miranda Priestly represents a set of attitudes and values that are quite different from those of the typical person. She is hyper-critical, demanding, and often dismissive of people who don't meet her standards. Because of this, she can be seen as occupying an extreme position on the acceptance-rejection spectrum. The film explores the way that social judgments are influenced by group norms and expectations. Andrea struggles to fit in with her new colleagues at the fashion magazine and feels pressure to conform to their expectations. She also sees firsthand how the attitudes and beliefs of the fashion industry are shaped by the opinions of powerful people like Miranda Priestly.

I think in the end there really are certain groups that are targeted more than others. The number one being the target market, Women. Women tend to not only fall into the world of fashion more than men but also are seen to have a higher fluctuation in emotions, creating a stronger pull from emotional persuasion. In one scene, Miranda Priestly instructs her team to feature florals in their upcoming issue because "florals for spring...groundbreaking," as a way to appeal to their female audience.

I truly don’t feel as if I have been motivated to change my beliefs or actions after watching the film or show because in all honesty, I think I would have left that job long before I realized I was being persuaded to do difficult tasks required by Miranda. I see how the film offers many examples on how persuasion can be used to influence individuals in different ways and it’s kind of scary. The film shows how Miranda Priestly, the powerful and influential editor-in-chief, uses a variety of persuasive tactics, such as flattery, threats, and criticism, to manipulate her employees and get them to do her bidding. She is portrayed as a master persuader who uses her power and knowledge to control others and achieve her goals. It’s selfish honestly. The film really does create a good “highlight reel” into the ways persuasion is used in the workplace and that even though you can try to resist the persuasive tactics of your boss, you eventually succumb to their influence and sacrifice personal values and relationships for the sake of professional success. The film shows how persuasion can be used to manipulate individuals and lead them down a path that may not align with their true desires or beliefs.

I never watched a film and saw the ways persuasion is used throughout. Whether the film is persuading you with a specific brand or we see it like it is in the Devil Wears Prada, that isn’t something I saw immediately. I guess the biggest influence is the fact I never had the technical knowledge on persuasion and now, I do. It’s crazy to think back to the first time I saw that movie and the different aspects you pickup throughout when watching it now. I never would’ve seen the “mean girl” persuasive side to Miranda. With that being said, I think future films will definitely be seen through a new lens.

Works Cited

Lietzenmayer, A. (2023). Module 4. Old Dominion University. Retrieved from url.

Sherif, C. W. (1965). Social judgment: Assimilation and contrast effects in communication and attitude change. Yale University Press.