Legally Blonde: What the Girlboss Should've Been

This month I received...

In this video, I discuss the 2001 film Legally Blonde and how Elle Woods’ character can redefine how we navigate career ambition.

Sources mentioned:
The death of the girlboss | Vox

What It Takes to Be a Trial Lawyer If You're Not a Man | The Atlantic

The Unfinished Agenda - Women & the Legal Profession

[nachgeben]

Unless I missed it, I'm surprised you didn't include Elle's sorority before the court room. She never got mockery or snide questions from them, she didn't get pressured when she was studying for the exam to get into Harvard. She wasn't mocked for the breakup, there was nothing but pure joy and support for her, following after sympathy for what happened to her with what's-his-face.

[scofthenight]

It's almost intimidating how confident dolly was in that interview. The way she says "I'm secure in myself" and the gaze she has is just naturally dominant in the most feminine, powerful way.

[clarapilier]

Elle Woods is not a girlboss. She is a boss.

[trinaq]

Elle was my icon growing up. She showed me that you don't need to choose between brains and beauty when you can easily have both, and proved that there was more to her than people initially perceived.

[lucasmatiasdelaguilamacdon]

My dad, a very serious, well renowned, 50-something year old international lawyer and corporate arbitrator has made me watch this at least once a week since I was 10. Apart from Star Wars this is his favorite movie. He literally took my family into a Washington DC trip he himself designed because he wanted to see all the places Elle went in the movie…

[madeofcastiron]

"what? like it's hard?" forever one of the most iconic lines ever. it even saved my grades in university and helped me graduate with a decent GPA.

[someonerandom]

Even though I’m a “tomboy” Elle Woods is a character I’ve admired since childhood. And I’d argue a great feminist icon. She never compromises herself or apologises for her tastes. Even when she was dressing “more seriously” it was with a goal in mind and still done with style and femininity.
She is quick to help those in need and when she is mocked or belittled, responds only with kindness.
Even her hard as nails professor comes to respect her. Sure she was “mean” at first, because she could tell that Elle wasn’t taking her studies seriously. So she called her out on it. But she really wanted the best for her students. When Elle rises to her challenge, she sees her potential and seems very happy by her success. Even encouraging her when she needed a lift.
This film, yes has some outdated cliches but honestly subverts many more.

[mophead_xu]

perhaps a bit out of topic, but the abundance of women in this movie reminds me of a discussion thread i found on tumblr a while back. it was talking about the "feminist girlboss" protagonists of YA dystopian novels that basically said, "Women come in packs. I'm not interested in how strong (in traditionally masculine sense) your female protagonist is, I care about how she interacts with other women around her, and how other women live in the same world that she does, even if they don't interact. So many 'strong female protagonist' ended up being in isolation one way or another, surrounded by men or mostly only interact with the men in meaningful ways. But majority of women in real life are not as disconnected with other women as these protagonists tend to be, and when we _do_ exist in isolation, it's usually because a problem has occured. A woman alone in fiction is not empowering, it's a red flag."

[maddieb]

This is such a perfect take on Legally Blonde. And those snarky, judgemental interviews done by Barbara Walters aren't the first I've seen her act like that. A full history and breakdown of her degrading women over the past few decades would be great.

[alexissandren]

I found it very interesting when the video segwayed from Marilyn Monroe to the "If I want to become a senator I need to marry a Jackie, not a Marilyn" and then to Elle's interest in fashion. One thing that was a hallmark of Jackie Kennedy WAS her sense of fashion and how she used that to build the image of both her self and enhance the presidential career of her husband. When we think of Jackie Kennedy I think most of us right away sees her tasteful Channel suits and her ratted hair that is iconic of the 1960s. It was an essential part of the glamour of the Kennedy era. That Warner didn't understand that he actually had a Jackie (and no shade on the one and only Marilyn) right across the table doesn't mean that we as viewers shouldn't as well.

[hiddenechoes]

I grew up in a cult where women and children are more possessions than individuals and was told that I needed to be ready to erase my personality to take on whatever my husband chose for my personality.

So when I was house sitting and this movie came on the tv it was impactful and very bright and hopeful that it wasn't just inside my group where women weren't valued as individuals at times, but that the right people would treat us like individuals . It was oddly impactful.

[elizabethcrossley]

marilyns character was MADE by men.. she tried to step away from that but they only wanted her to play the dumb blonde beauty roles. she actually started her own production company and did acting classes. she wanted to be seen as more serious. the era and the patriarchy effed her. literally and figuratively

[margaret_adelle]

"The abstract concept of strength is still conflated with cruelty." Well said.

[ShadowYaz]

Hearing about the lawyer being reprimanded for “stripping” was infuriating because it implies that a woman’s body is sexual in nature no matter what she’s doing cuz I’ll bet no men were reprimanded for “stripping” because he was sweating buckets in a hot room. She didn’t become a lawyer to be sexual yet she’s objectified anyways. It’s really pathetic on the men who think they’re professional but are outclassed by the women in their field.

[bastion]

Legally Blonde was a film that my older sister would put on sometimes, and I had to watch it with her since there was nothing else I could do instead. As a young boy, I was always bored by it since I was outside of the target demographic. Now that I'm older, I found the film on TV randomly while my mom and sister were watching it, and actually found it very endearing, and found so much respect for the protagonist. I like how she's a fully developed, realized person that also likes to dress pretty, wear make-up and such, and how she wins the case by staying true to her ideals. Another character in the same vein that I respect more now that I'm older is Daphne Blake from the live-action Scooby-Doo movies. There's something about female characters that are unabashedly feminine, true to themselves and competent in their own right without compromising who they are that is just really nice.

[Rapidashisaunicorn]

Calling a sorority a “friendship cult” is hilariously on point

[laurenconrad]

“It turns out women are people and not immune to being shitty.” I need that on a t-shirt. Or a poster. If not an “inspirational poster, ” make it a “truth poster.” Lol

[muskaan]

As a woman law student, I love Elle and she's my icon. She's the complete opposite of me with her feminity, but still I really admire her and wish to have her confidence. And yeah the whole brain or beauty thing is stupid. Women are complex humans not a badly written character by a man 😂 most of my female classmates have beauty/fashion and brains/personality! So yeah go Elle Woods

[sophie]

not only is the highest score on the lsat a 180 and elle got a 179, but she got a 143 on her first practice test. that jump is basically unheard of. the average score increase is 11 points, elle's increased from a below average score (150 tends to be the average) up THIRTY SIX POINTS. you get better at the lsat with practice, but that's insane. good for her

[gnu]

Professor Stromwel is one of my favourite characters in this movie. Her take-no-prisoners attitude contrasts with Elle, but both end up respecting the other by the end of the film. Plus, she’s not just a female lawyer, she’s an OLDER female lawyer. The struggles she’d have faced early in her career would be very different to the younger generation of up and coming lawyers, not to mention the prejudices women face as they age.

Cutting her from Legally Blonde The Musical was an insult and an affront, and I’m still not over it….