By braving the stupid blonde trope, Reese Witherspoon gave us a new type of female protagonist to get us excited about. However, she told Entertainment Tonight in 2015 that she turned down the role because she wasn`t sure she wanted to play another stereotypical blonde character like her role in Fox`s „Married With Children.” So legally blonde is not a love story. It is an example of women`s empowerment that has been done well. And while „female empowerment” is often used as a slogan when a female character is present, she is an example of an important female character who actually influences the narrative. Still, it`s important to point out that Elle Woods is extraordinarily privileged: she`s a wealthy white woman with a massive support network. Being dismissed as a „stupid blonde” is in no way comparable to any form of actual systemic discrimination. 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. Although she has to deal with Harvard Law School, her heartless ex-boyfriend, and his new fiancée, she struggles with her hair color the most. The origins of the „dumb blonde” stereotype are unknown, but many historians believe that the first officially recorded mute blonde dates back to 1775. A Parisian courtesan named Rosalie Duthé inspired a satirical play called „Les Curiosités de la Foire ” because it had a reputation for stopping long before speaking, falsely attributing stupidity to the starlet and the resulting golden-haired beauties. Cinema has long been plagued by the stereotype of the stupid blonde, ever since Marilyn Monroe jumped off the screen in 1953`s Gentlemen Prefer Blondes with Jane Russell, the smart and competent brunette by her side. Women are constantly slandered and underestimated just because of their hair color, and that`s where Elle Woods ends up. A few darker shades and Legally Blonde would be a completely different movie. For the uninitiated, „Legally Blonde” follows Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon), who, when her boyfriend breaks up with her instead of asking for her, decides to follow him to Harvard Law School to win him back. Of course, the hijinks arrive and she learns the power to believe in herself and that it is possible to be both stereotypical blonde and intelligent.
The obsession of that era with strong female characters narrowed the path for girls who don`t necessarily possess masculine traits. Elle`s strength comes from the things she loves and the warm way she cares for people as a whole. Witherspoon`s performance, with all its infectious charm and radiant positivity, defies the superficial, vague blonde trope and gives us a new type of female protagonist to get excited about. She subverts the stereotype of the stupid blonde by embarking on her studies and discovering that her true value is more than her superficial beauty. Her determination to succeed in this hostile and male-dominated environment eventually overshadowed her desire to win her husband back. Especially for a film released in the early 2000s — a time when physical and behavioral transformations were particularly common in pop culture — she never sacrifices her identity or her characteristic blonde curls. In an interview with Cinema, Witherspoon said her daughter Ava kept her awake most nights during filming. Through this revolutionary thematic montage, She forgets her goals to get Warren back and begins to find herself and her true destiny through the power of her intellect. It`s easy to watch Elle Woods and the movie Legally Blonde and discredit them both — and many have. She`s presumably allowed to go to school because of her appearance, and her own counselor made a nasty joke about taking a polka dot class, which discredited her fashion merchandising major. But keep in mind that she had a 4.0 GPA and a 179 on her LSAT (out of 180 possible points), which makes her a prime candidate. She has also served as president of her sisterhood, involved in extracurricular activities and philanthropy.
Oh and that pink resume? It is inspired by the true story of how the manuscript of the book on which Legally Blonde is based was pulled from the mud pile. Starring Reese Witherspoon, the popular film taught viewers everything from proper perm care and the ideal „Bend and Snap” technique to feminism and self-confidence, no matter who tries to put you down. By the way, it`s also a hilarious and endlessly citable movie. Other writers, such as Cole Delbyck of the Huffington Post, have criticized the film in the past for making Enrique a „demonstrably problematic portrayal of a gay man.” But there is also an unpleasantly racist element in Enrique`s portrayal as the stereotype of the „ugly Latinx.” According to Entertainment Weekly, McCullah asked, „What if Elle [Paulette] showed a train so she could pick up the UPS man?” Everything in Elle Woods is a gum-pink femininity, from her wardrobe („I don`t understand why you completely ignore your signature color!”) and her little handbag dog Bruiser to her enthusiastic colloquial language and name, derived from the 2000s teen fashion magazine, which also happens to be the French pronoun „elle”. When she is frustrated, she channels the feeling into learning and fulfillment. If she is rejected by a study group (essential to survive law school), she politely takes her homemade treats and leaves. A precursor to Annie Murphy`s Alexis Rose on Schitt`s Creek, Reese Witherspoon`s charm and relentless positivity help transform an archetype usually seen as superficial or even villain into a full-fledged character with depth and heart. Enrique wears a glittery green shirt with a Virgin Mary on his back, speaks with an exaggerated accent and leaves Cher CDs in the pool house, all before his disturbing public outing. It seems almost impossible to imagine anyone other than Witherspoon playing Elle Woods, but Christina Applegate had a chance for the role. Elle`s gradual realization of Warner`s lack of respect for her leads to a turning point in the film that is different from the average obligatory turns in films of this genre. Instead of working harder to please Warner, she takes the time to improve and focus on her studies. The montage scene in „Legally Blonde” shows how she becomes more educated and aware of her surroundings as a law student by watching the news, preparing for class with answers, and studying more rigorously to be more competitive in her class.
This montage parodies the typical montage of the protagonist, who undergoes a makeover to meet the standards of men. She concludes the first film by emphasizing the importance of having faith in others and oneself — and I hope Witherspoon knows that her „big-pictured” vision for the upcoming sequel to „Legally Blonde” needs to include better representation and characters of color. „Legally Blonde” follows Elle Woods, played by Reese Witherspoon, as she returns to her ex-boyfriend by attending Harvard Law School. Over the course of the film, she changes to favor her ex Warner Huntington III, played by Mathew Davis. Warner perpetuates the idea that she cannot be taken seriously because of her appearance and background, a „Jackie” is more valuable than a „Marilyn”, in the sense that a woman is taken more seriously by intelligence and „class” than by physical appearance and sexual stimuli. In Warner`s eyes, she`s not serious because she cares about her appearance and focuses less on academics. That`s why She works like a character. In one of the first scenes, it is said that she is really smart, but no one really expected her to be anything.