‘Working Girl’ Idol: Tess McGill

Most Working Girls can site from a long list of successful and bright women where they first caught the Working Girl bug or inherited the working gene. Mothers are a common first answer, teachers a common second. Some mention athletes, actresses, and pop stars (I think Working Girl One has finally taken Britney Spears off her ‘WG Idol’ list, thank God).

I have to admit that my mother can definitely be credited with introducing me to writing and editing but when it comes to my need to take on the world and all its challenges by entering the workforce, I’d have to credit Tess McGill.

From the moment I saw Tess, I wanted to be her. I wanted the big, blonde ‘80s poof hair, to commute to the city from Staten Island, to come up with genius ideas that my boss would want to steal from me, fall in love with a working boy, and have my very own theme song that played whenever I needed uplifting encouragement while I stared over a large body of water contemplating my next Working Girl move.

If you haven’t already guessed, my first real Working Girl idol was a character in a movie - the appropriately named Working Girl which stars Melanie Griffith as my mentor Tess McGill.

Set in the late ‘80s, the movie has its fair share of bad clothing and hair style choices (my favorite being Joan Cusack’s spiky do that looks like it almost hits the ceiling every time she walks), but if you get past the cheesy era, the movie really tugs at those Working Girl heart strings. Tess is a secretary from Staten Island who works in mergers and acquisitions at a Wall Street investment bank. When her evil boss (played by Sigourney Weaver) breaks her leg skiing, Tess utilizes her boss’s absence and contacts to present her amazingly brilliant merger idea to Trask Industries (enter Harrison Ford as eye candy and love interest).

What really gets me about this movie is Tess’s gumption. Even though her boss discourages her merger idea so that she can ultimately steal the idea and use it for her own personal gain, Tess still believes in herself. She takes her dream and makes it a reality despite all those who are telling her that she can’t do it on her own, that she doesn’t have enough experience, or that she doesn’t have a good enough education. She preserves against the odds.

So for anyone who’s ever won, for anyone who’s ever lost, and for everyone who’s still in there trying, rent Working Girl and inspire the Working Girl within.

Also, I am currently holding auditions for anyone who would like to follow me around singing my personal theme song which is TBD. But I’m seriously considering “Public Affair” by Jessica Simpson.