As the saying goes, “Beauty is just on edge.” Elle Woods, in the movie Legal Blonde, fulfills the saying wonderfully. The film debuted in 2001 at a time when feminism was not as remarkable as it is today; The early 2000s were marked by a period of regression towards traditional gender roles in media and popular culture. Reese Witherspoon, the debut of Legally Blonde, gained worldwide recognition for a role that required more than just sitting by the pool in a bikini. Witherspoon became a popular staple in American culture for her role as ultra girly, but led Elle Woods on her journey to become a wealthy lawyer. Legal Blonde is known for its inspiring plot, which has become an American classic and has challenged blonde stereotypes forever. It`s worth mentioning that because the film debuted in 2001, almost twenty years ago, makes young adults like me think about how clichéd and cheesy the characters sometimes are. I certainly don`t think the film fits my own perception of gender and communication for several reasons. One of them is that I would never think about viewing a woman as a sexual object or thinking about sexualizing her under any circumstances. We live in a time when women are still underpaid and undervalued for what they do for society. Without women, who will have our children? Exactly. This world would collapse without women; A world with only men would be a world without balance and chaotic. I think women are beings of love, affection and empathy that help stabilize society in a state of balance.
Essentially, I firmly believe that women are almost like a big pair of open arms that are understanding and can help heal people through physical and emotional trauma. Certainly, I can analyze this film as a young white woman who lived in a middle-class sheltered home until the age of ten. I loved pink and played with Barbies. I found it easy to relate to Reese Witherspoon`s character because, as my friend said, she was a “girly girl” like me. She also attended Harvard, one of the two colleges I had in mind at the age of seven, as I grew up in an ivy-obsessed environment. As mentioned earlier, Warner Washington is a man who plays his dominance by showing no emotion or vulnerability. He does this in the scene after their breakup, when Elle flees the restaurant when he persuades her to get in his car, saying, “You`re going to get your shoes dirty.” Such a statement undermines a woman`s worth by essentially saying that her shoes are more important than her emotional well-being. “Masculine language [consists] of means to achieve concrete goals, exercise control, maintain independence, entertain and enhance status.” Warner takes pleasure in not feeling like an aggressor in the film, does not show empathy, but simply puts women (She) in her place of lesser value as emotionally fragile and dependent beings. Stubbornly putting his pride aside, he shows no remorse or emotion to justify to Her that he will lack nothing without her. By braving the stupid blonde trope, Reese Witherspoon gave us a new type of female protagonist to get us excited about. The film also proves that it is possible to create a strong female character without tearing down men as a whole.
It is complex. She has no defensive attitude, has her own flaws, and never digs into men (except when it`s really necessary, as with Callahan). Many people assume that feminist films are all “women are perfect, men are bad” films. It is not one of them. She and Legally Blonde aren`t perfect — their journey began looking for their ex-boyfriend, and her classmate Enid was probably right that many sorority women called her a dam and abused her. It`s a shame she never finds common ground with the only woman in the film who is an outspoken feminist. But people are growing, and Legally Blonde has given her heroine the space to do so, even after the credits. Elle Woods has inspired many women to become lawyers, and it`s easy to see why. She believes in herself and others, fights for her friend Paulette`s dog and defends herself against sexual harassment. But even for those who don`t care about the law, the way she wins people by being kind and supportive and “using her blonde for good” sends an important message that traditionally feminine qualities and aesthetics are powerful in themselves. As far as men are concerned, the roles in the film were supporters of a patriarchal world and it is a society that people have championed for generations.