music men wrote songs about her, some said it sweet, some said it very mean

I must tell you guys about a really touching and inspiring movie I saw last night. I'd seen it before when I was younger, but my naive mind was unable to fully grasp it.

The protagonist is a brilliant fashion designer with an eccentric hairstyle and impeccable taste - some might call her a bitch, but every strong, independent woman gets called nasty names by those who are intimidated by their self-reliance.

One such person, the husband of an employee, even goes so far as to write a song mocking her aggressive ways. Catchy though the song may be, it is highly typical of this bullying man, who taunts her mercilessly - even his dogs get in on the act, calling her a "devil woman". Pretty tough talk from a being known to eat its own feces.

With her bumbling-but-well-intentioned henchmen, she embarks on a noble quest to craft a most perfect collection of spotted coats, but this couple and their pets refuses to allow this, muscling her hustle at every opportunity. Don't hate the player, Radcliffes, hate the game. The pets even use their sneaky animal advantage to connect with other dogs across the county, managing to simultaneously undermine our heroine and irritate neighbors for miles.
But even with the odds stacked against her, the plucky fashion designer doesn't give up! A testament to ambition, she continues to fight for her art. Unfortunately, the movie takes a tragic turn when, in a race against time and a truck that the dogs have (surely illegally) stowed themselves away on, the elements turn cruelly against her as well, and a snowy car crash ensues. Miraculously, she survives, but her luck stops there: the puppies, even the ones rightfully acquired from pet stores, find asylum with the Radcliffes. As for our girl, well, at least she's got her to-die-for white coat. And elegant red gloves. And gorgeous turquoise ring. And dramatic skin tone. And uber-badass cigarette holder.

So, really, methinks she was the winner all along. And while Anita and Roger are trying to co-ordinate doggy bathtime times one-hundred-and-one, Ms. Cruella de Vil will be lounging in her furs, hacking up a lung and enjoying her legacy as one of the most gloriously inspirational movies characters of all time.

P.S. You may have noticed that I've added advertisements to the blog - if you weren't incredibly offended by this post and my love for fur, maybe you'd like to do me a "solid", to use the parlance of our times, and click on a link or two. It puts a little money (and I do mean "a little" - pocket change, but I appreciate it ever so much) in my bank account.