One More Thing Before I Go...

Why should Wintour be warm anyway?

I just watched the 60 Minutes piece on Anna Wintour, and I have to throw my two cents into the fire. Wintour is the head of the most influential, successful, widely known fashion magazine in the world. I really think that all comments regarding her bitchy, cold, wintry persona are quite sexist. Normally I'm of the overly optimistic crowd who hopes that everyone acts like they gently consume rays of sunshine and rainbows for breakfast, but in the fast-paced, high-stakes game of the media business, there isn't room for cozy, maternal, gentleness. Heard any male CEOs held to standards of warmth lately? I haven't.

Watch Anna's episode here, in case you missed it.

I admire Wintour for her shrewd, quick, decisiveness, and think it is well within the demands of her job. She runs an empire built on image and the assertion of her taste as the taste to have, and she succeeds. I like to poke fun at her persona as much as the next fashion fan, but underneath the teasing is true admiration and respect. I mean every hair on her head is in place, she wears runway-fresh Prada to work, and she keeps a team of stilettoed, skinny chicks scurrying through the Conde Nast hallways as if their lives depended on it, because well, they do. It's impressive. I wouldn't enjoy having to be that tightly wound all the time, but she seems to like it. And she's damn good at her job. Truth be told, I found her surprisingly smiley in the interview portions of the piece. At work it was a different story, as it usually is in business. In the end I say save the expectations of kid gloves for caretakers, give Wintour her feirceness and let her do her job. Just don't expect me to want to work for her-which I say with all due respect, Ms. Wintour!

Ok, Jamaica! Here I come!