by Kate Lewis for fluxo
While that may not be true in the present day (though I could replace “working for a magazine” with “working in influencer marketing” and it would pretty much check out), I still have a deep-rooted appreciation—or fascination—for the careers of the 2000s rom-com leading ladies. They were whimsical yet challenging, fun yet fulfilling. And they were abundant in these movies—journalists, food critics, fashion editors, etc.
But the most iconic, the most memorable, the most exemplary of them? Andy Anderson from How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.
Andy wanted to be a Serious Journalist™, but was pigeonholed by her boss into writing “How-To” articles on what were considered “women’s issues” in the early aughts (apparently the only big issues women had in 2003 were with clothes and men). Personally, I would have loved a weekly column from a trusted journalist on everything from How to Revamp Your Closet for Spring to How to Tell Your Landlord He Needs to Fix the Rat Infestation in Your Building’s Laundry Room, but you can’t win ‘em all. Also, I understand the whole wanting to be a Serious Journalism™ thing, so do your thing, Andy.
But let it not be forgotten that Andy was supposed to be twenty-freaking-three in that movie. Twenty-three!! Twenty-three, and she was complaining about being the resident “How-To” girl at a wildly popular and successful magazine. Now, again, I understand the whole wanting to write articles that really matter thing, that’s entirely respectable, but twenty three! Slow your roll, Miss Anderson.
(Also she was also supposed to have already gotten her Master’s at this point? A Master’s and a column by twenty three? Impressive, but how exactly?)
If it sounds like I don’t like this movie, or Andy, that couldn’t be farther from the truth. I love both immensely and have watched this just-under two hour masterpiece more times than I’d like to admit.
But one of the main reasons I think Andy Anderson sticks out as a leading lady of the iconic 2000s romcoms is because her career—and her career aspirations—was the driving force of the movie’s plot (points for that one, Paramount). Her trying to lose a guy in 10 days is fun and all, but the reason she goes through with all her wacky and embarrassing hijinks is so her boss will let her finally write about politics and global issues instead of the “How-To” articles.
Andy’s motivation throughout the movie is not love, but rather professional success. Good sh*t.
