Why Elle Woods is the ultimate feminist role model

tips

babe  • 

Why Elle Woods is the ultimate feminist role model

Legally Blonde turned 15 this year and it’s still one of the most empowering films around

This past July, Legally Blonde, perhaps the greatest movie about being yourself and being an independent woman, turned 15. When you look past the cringeworthy 2000s fashion, Legally Blonde is one of the most empowering movies to date, with one of the iconic feminist protagonists of our time, Elle Woods.

Legally Blonde is, first and foremost, a story of a feminist awakening. After her boyfriend, Warner, dumps her for not being “serious enough” for his future, Elle decides to prove her commitment by following him to Harvard Law. She doesn’t fit in initially, and Warner’s new fiancée, Vivian, goes out of her way to try and humiliate her. However, as the movie goes on Elle realizes that she has skills to be a lawyer, eventually going on to win her final case by using her knowledge of hair treatments!

Elle is not a typical “strong” female character. She doesn’t transform into a better version of herself or go on some sort of quest to discover something that will make her the ultimate lawyer. Rather, the movie focuses on how she can use the abilities that she has naturally in order to be successful. She reads people well and knows how to make people open up.

She is also a natural presenter, with skills that probably came from her experience as a sorority president. There is no sort of change or big revelation – the whole plot relies on Elle simply being herself.

What also makes Legally Blonde a bastion of female empowerment is how it depicts female relationships.

Part of Elle’s charm is that she is able to relate to seemingly everyone, and she makes a number of female friendships along her journey. There’s Paulette, the hair stylist she meets after being embarrassed during her first day of classes. There’s Brooke Windham, the client Elle is tasked to defend who is revealed to be a member of Delta Nu, Elle’s sorority. By the end of the movie, Elle has even struck up a friendship with Vivian.

Not once does Elle never put down another woman, even when she is struggling to fit in at Harvard. Elle’s success comes from the relationships with other women.

When I interviewed other women about Elle, they shared similar views:

Claire Tinsley, 22, Alexandria, VA

“One of the most important things about Elle is her complete, un-self conscious embodiment of so many qualities that many feminists instinctively consider “un-feminist”: she’s a proud sorority sister, she cares about fashion and her appearance, she watches silly soap operas etc. Throughout the movie, she grows a lot as a woman, but she never rejects those typically “girly” traits- simply because that’s who she is.”

Taylor Horst, 22, Castle Rock, CO

“When I really think about what Elle Woods represents, I realize that she defies the stereotype that women who embrace their own femininity are incapable of success in intellectually rigorous fields.”

Marianna Stepniak, 21, Glenelg, MD

“Elle teaches the audience to find the value of a person based on their character and their actions, and she deals with tricky real life situations, like sexual assault and jerky boyfriends, with real feminist aplomb (with a few exceptions).”

Jamie Ferrell, 20, Santa Cruz, CA

“I hope people are not taking the movie seriously enough to be legitimately offended by gags and jokes equating girliness with being shallow or ditzy…When we look past that, we seen an intelligent woman who worked hard for her career and is independently successful at it. I think that is something not championed in movies as often as it should be.”

Adrienne Thompson, 21, Sterling, VA

“I think Elle Woods as a character is wonderful in exploring the strength of a femme identity, overcoming certain barriers and expectations of women (especially in terms of intelligence and when her boss hits on her) and staying true to yourself when you do not fit into the established norms of a community.”

Obviously no movie is perfect. During our interview, Adrienne noted that, “Elle’s ability to accomplish these things were largely due to her race and class…the things that Elle finds empowering and the challenges she faces are very different than a poor Latina woman.” Elle is in many ways the ideal female physically: she is blonde, white, and skinny. Though we know little about her backstory, it’s safe to assume that Harvard Law School probably was the first time that she had ever faced discrimination.

Similarly, Elle’s win during the climactic trial at the end of the film hinges on a pretty unflattering depiction of gay men. Using some questionable deduction, Elle determines that the pool boy, who claimed to be having an affair with Brooke, is in fact gay, after he is able to name the designer on her clothes. Not all gay men are obsessed with fashion, and an interest in appearance is not a predictor of sexuality.

But, despite these faults, Legally Blonde is able to promote a strong, positive message while remaining fun and light-hearted. Very few movies have been able to be so impactful while still being silly. Elle is able to be interested in her appearance and ultra feminine while still being intellectual and hardworking. The movie suggests those two things are not mutually exclusive. You don’t have to shave your head or beat up a boy to be the ultimate female character.

You just have to be yourself, even if that means wearing crazy amounts of pink and glitter.