Synopsis
Legally Blonde is the story of Elle Woods, a nontraditional Harvard Law student. Elle is a blond sorority girl who loves pink and her chihuahua Bruiser. After being dumped by her boyfriend, Warner Huntington III, Elle sets out to prove that she’s more than just a dumb blonde. Elle attempts to gain admission to Harvard Law School, where Warner attends and creates a unique admissions video showcasing her personality. She aces her LSATS, submits her video, and eventually gets accepted. Warner is shocked when he learns that Elle is now a Harvard Law student because he assumed that she didn’t possess the intelligence to get into such a prestigious school.
Throughout the course of this movie, Elle finds herself and realizes that she should not be chasing after a man who repeatedly underestimates her. Elle embraces her girly and pink lifestyle and proves to everyone that you can be a girly girl and still be a killer lawyer. Elle’s confidence and ambition empower many of the other women she meets and reminds us to never judge a book by its cover.
Embracing Femininity and Intelligence
Elle’s storyline addresses the way Hollywood typically depicts intelligent women. Women in academics generally are portrayed as bland people who wear muted colors and don’t care about their physical appearance. Usually, a female character needs to reject all the things that are typically associated with femininity to be considered a serious, respectable woman.
Despite being typically “girly,” Elle possesses an unparalleled level of intelligence. However, at first, even Elle sees her “girly” interests as something that will keep her from success. For a brief moment, Elle attempts to change who she is to gain the respect of others, but she very quickly realizes that she can set an example for others and change people’s perceptions by simply being herself.
Women are often negatively portrayed as quiet, pacifistic, and lacking in confidence. Elle is none of those things. She speaks her mind and doesn’t let men speak down or over her. In fact, it is that quality that makes her such a good lawyer. Elle is an anomaly in how intelligent and successful women are portrayed in Hollywood.
Legally Blonde's Limitations
Legally Blonde is a program that effectively promotes positive female representation in the media. This movie allows consumers, especially young women, to be inspired by Elle Woods’ determination to go to an Ivy League school and become a lawyer, although many people doubted her. This movie shows the audience that there are no limitations to what you can do as long as you set your mind to it. Elle Woods is seen as an inspiration for women around the world as she breaks the preconceived notions that women cannot compete in male-dominated fields. Legally Blonde is a feminist film that addresses the gender bias women face in the school and workforce.
It is important to note that while this film promotes female representation, it does not promote racial representation. This film lacks diversity with a very small number of people of color in the cast. Elle Woods’ view on life is from a wealthy white woman’s perspective, which is not representative of the entire audience. Representation matters in films because people belonging to different social groups, such as people of color and members of the LGBTQ community, do not usually see people like themselves in films, which may cause them to think that what the main character has or achieves is not attainable for them. It is important to see people who look like the minority in powerful, main roles rather than in stereotypical roles that hold them back from pursuing their dreams.
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