When a new Malaysian prime minister promises to raise the minimum wage for his country's workers, cabals of fashion industry insiders know there's only one choice: Kill the prime minister -- and use a male model to do it. "We need a beautiful, self-absorbed simpleton who can be manipulated and molded, like Jell-o," intones a woman veiled by shadow. Enter Derek Zoolander (Ben Stiller), a veteran male model who names his looks (blue steel, le tigre, etc.) but manages to look the same doing all of them, and who always wanted to make a living "being really, really, really, ridiculously good-looking." When he loses a prestigious fashion award to up-and-comer Hansel (Owen Wilson), and his three best model friends die after having a gasoline fight (don't ask), Derek quits, only to come back to international espionage, an orgy, and a date with destiny.