However, the 1980s and 90s introduced the “toxic workaholic” trope. Films like Working Girl (1988) gave us the ambitious striver, but the subtext was always trade-offs. By the time we reached The Devil Wears Prada (2006), the "girl at work" narrative had bifurcated: you were either the scrappy, underestimated Andy Sachs or the terrifying, perfectionist Miranda Priestly. Entertainment media taught young women that to exist in the professional sphere meant choosing between being liked and being successful.
