Anna Wintour Addresses Bitch Label On 60 Minutes (VIDEO)

Anna Wintour shed her sunglasses for an interview with Morley Safer on CBS's 60 Minutes on Sunday night. Amidst smiles and laughs, Wintour disputed her bitchiness but not her notorious frigidity as depicted in the film The Devil Wears Prada. She explained that she and her team are "here to work" and "simply striving for the best."

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The segment chronicled Wintour's conception of each issue of Vogue and included several brief chats with her colleagues and preferred designers. Wintour, who receives a rumored $200,000 yearly clothing allowance remarked, "mediocrity...it doesn't so much as bore me as anger me."

Watch the whole interview here:

Comments

[TigersEye]

Women still have to defend themselves about being "bitches" when they're in a position of power. And this is the year 2009?

[roquelaure]

Word.

[jimsteele2008]

A dear friend was one of the only female VPs at a Fortune 500 company. While friendly, gregarious and quite loud among friends, she was very cool in the workplace. I sat in on a meeting once where she barely spoke above a whisper--in long complicated run-on sentences. I remembered her peculiar behavior in the theatre watching Meryl Streep's character the Devil Wears Prada and it suddenly dawned upon me that she wasn't being rude she was staying in control of the situation by forcing everyone to listen closely. On the way up the ladder I suspected she spend a lot of time yelling at her male peers to be heard.

[AlligatorShuz]

Andre Leon Talley with his fake accent! He was born and raised in South Carolina.

[ACTINGDRAMA]

lol

[benchy]

A hard working, savvy business woman she is. There is something about the falseness of the fashion industry, the emaciated models and arrogant designers that sometimes makes me wonder if her legacy would be one measured by her creativity, intellect and ambition or just a contribution to an industry that is shallow and full of contradictions. Only time will tell.

[byro59]

I don't understand the earlier posters here who hail Wintour for "knowing who she is" and "not caring how she's perceived" and who applaud her for essentially being every bit as much of an a**hole as a great many men who've made it to the top of their professions. Why buy into and perpetuate the tired and increasingly antiquated notion that you need to be a jerk to be a leader? Why, as a woman, adopt the worst habits and tendencies of the alpha males who've ruled and ruined us in so many ways and for so long? Why not be a REAL original and show that it IS possible to be brilliant AND a balanced human being? Do the names Oprah Winfrey or Barack Obama (to name just two) ring any bells? Anna Wintour -- and the men upon whom she's modeled herself -- are dinosaurs in their own times.

[Kit]

You mischaracterized everyone's comments. No one who praised her said she acted like an ah - you did.

and being an alpha has nothing to do with one's sex or gender role. Cleopatra was an apha. Lol.

More time hitting the books is in order.

[byro59]

Wow, I don't think you could possibly have misread my post more thoroughly! Ah well.

[AuntiepoppyCock]

I feel for her staff, but I'm sure they receive perks only some of us could dream of...is it worth it? Working under someone who has a machiavellian approach to business is very stressful.

I would have never guess she didn't finish high school and lucky for her to have wealthy parents who insured that she was able to stay afloat. I don't know her personally, but I admire her drive and tenacity in the pretentious world of fashion. You either love it or hate it.

[starrianna]

One imagines that her entire staff would like to see her head shaved.

[yellowdoggie]

LOL

[Chicagofan1]

WOW. What a powerful woman she is. She is a role model for many young women. Work hard, do not fear to be who you are and know your stuff. What better can we ask for?

[truthyguy]

How about a better plastic surgeon? Or the self confidence to be who you are in the original physical form.

[byro59]

A "role model for young women"?? "What better can we ask for"?? How about being a balanced human being? Success and decency -- even in a cutthroat profession -- aren't mutually exclusive. Someone who aims for that is the kind of role model I want for my kids.

[noudidnt]

Anna Wintour and Donald Trump are celebrated for being a--holes. If Mrs. Obama or Oprah Winfrey acted as these two, they would be crucified.

I wonder why? Well no I don't.

[bethebest]

oh i didn t realise she was so naturally pretty until seeing her in moving pics.

one can only admire self made women!

[SamiSam]

The segment could have done without Morley's slight jabs on fashion. Saying Lagerfeild favors the "dracula look" this season. When Karl has worn the same uniform for decades and is as much a part of his image as Wintour's sunglasses. Then to suggest that Galliano "needs a better tailor" was just out of pocket. John D. is an over the top personality who makes crazy fashion choices as self expression. He is also a fashion genius. Morley obviously has little respect or use for fashion which should not be so apparent in an interview such as this.

[Kit]

I love Karl Lagerfeld - he is really brilliant person and Morley came across ignorant on that score. Too bad he passed that along to the 6 regulars who watch his show. (kidding!)

[notconfindtweenhatnboots]

To most of the world, these "fashions" look like "costumes". Perhaps in this new economy, you fashionistas will keep that in mind if you want designs to actually sell.

[merger]

She is a tough cookie, but she definitely knows her stuff.

[klondiker]

I have to admit, it's hard not to admire a strong woman who is at the top of her game professionally and makes no apologies for who she is. Who cares what people think about her? She clearly enjoys her work and is comfortable in her skin. Good for her!

[Kit]

I could not agree more. Like she says,. she goes to work to work. All that crap she was asked about how people saw her - who would ask a male publisher that nonsense?

[Kit]

like -

"Oh Mort, how do people respond to you when you speak as if you have a mouth full of mashed potatoes?

Do they think you are a b8tch when you refuse to buy the staff the tools they need to produce a quality product?"

[DSun]

In defense, we have military-industrial complex , in fashion, Anna-European elitist tight circle comprising of the same design houses for the last few decades. Hooray for Michelle Obama, who brings us the fresh, populist chic.

[juniperbug]

I do not think you realize how diverse fashion is. Most of the head designers of european design houses are not even european!

[Kit]

scratching my head on this - Marc Jacobs is American, but you are only right if you consider Brits to not be European. Not sure they would say so. So, how do you figure this, please?

[Kit]

finally!@ something ab out a successful business woman.
Anna works extrmely hard and it shows - i admire her grit.
I love her clothes and style, but the furs look like dead pets on her.
If I were a kid i would want to work for her - the ones who do should keep it zipped and learn her work ethic becuase it would serve them anywhere they want to go.

Lastley, the issue with Michelle Obama on the ocver was amazing - I want to look like Queen Rania!

[Weston Green]

There is a great interview on MakingOf that goes into Anna creating the September Issue of Vogue Magazine. It's with RJ Cutler, the director of the Sundance hit documentary, The September Issue' check it out!

http://makingof.com/insiders/artist/rj/cutler/27