Professional Documents
Culture Documents
University of Leeds
BA Cultural Studies
April 2014
1
Introduction
What does it mean to be considered ‘strong’? The word itself can be interpreted as
anything from physical force and intelligence, to competency, courage and morality.
With these diverse definitions in mind, are we able to secure one concrete
explanation of what it is to consider someone ‘strong’; and, if we are, can that ever
Over the past century, cinema has reigned supreme as one of our most
has an enormous effect on how we construct images both on screen and in our
society. The ‘strong female character’ is one of the tropes to have arisen from the
influence of cinema, and now contributes to one of the most recognisable and
popular genre characterisations. The ‘strong female character’ came into existence
from a backlash by the feminist movement of the 1960s and 70s, due to the fact that,
classification of female illustration, and it is used to portray one basic idea; ‘strength’.
However, as we have and will come to see, ‘strength’ is not a term easily defined or
illustrated and so many of the representations of ‘strength’ that we see on screen are
stereotypes, marginalisation’s and tropes not dissimilar from the ones we see with
the ‘damsel in distress’. More often than not, strength is interpreted as a use of
dissertation is to discuss the shortcomings that this trope presents, and assess
whether a case can be made for ‘strong female characters’ that are overtly feminine.
analysing the 2001 ‘chick flick’ Legally Blonde. The film, which opened to large
commercial success, follows the life of Elle Woods, a Southern Californian sorority
girl who, in the wake of being ‘dumped’ by her boyfriend, decides to follow him to
Harvard Law School. I will be assessing not only its merits in creating a strong and
feminine character, but also its Postfeminist overtones. One of the key elements of
postfeminist theory is the return to femininity for female characters, and Legally
Blonde not only makes femininity a character trait for our protagonist, but a weapon
sacrifice feminine qualities in exchange for masculine ones. What essentially makes
Legally Blonde then itself worth studying is the fact that Elle is, for all intents and
this dissertation seeks to ask how a postfeminist character, with its emphasis on
femininity and undisguised sexual difference, could ever cross the threshold of
becoming a ‘strong female character’. To achieve this aim, I will not only be seeking
but will be using the information I find to ask whether the film can act as a model for
this argument, as it is the features present in both Postfeminist theory and this film
that the argument for strength will be conducted. For this reason, it is important to
research what work has been carried out into analysing the role of the ‘chick flick’ in
3
post feminist discourse. Chick Flicks: Contemporary Women at the Movies, edited by
Susan Ferries and Mallory Young, presents us with multiple arguments surrounding
the idea of ‘chick flicks’ and ‘chick culture’; and, most importantly, frames its findings
around the idea of postfeminism. In framing this argument, this text is integral into
analysing why ‘chick flicks’ are hardly present in the discussion of female strength,
but also why the genre of film is rarely taken seriously as a purveyor of intelligent
was essential in understanding the role that feminism plays in our construction and
make Legally Blonde both a Postfeminist piece of cinema, and also a widely
misunderstood one. Far more than being ‘just another chick flick’, the film offers an
alternative understanding of romantic comedies and the themes and characters that
they promote; and by analysing the films scenic elements, character construction,
costume and narrative, this dissertation seeks to view women’s’ film as a gateway
into understanding the complexity and positivity that feminine qualities can represent.
4
Brief Synopsis
Elle Woods leads a life of luxury and privilege in Southern California. As president of
her sorority, the blonde bombshell thinks her life is about to get even better when her
handsome boyfriend, Warner, takes her on a romantic date. What she assumes will
be a proposal actually transpires as a break up, and on the grounds that Elle just
isn’t serious enough for his new life at Harvard Law School, Warner ‘dumps’ her. In a
state at having lost the ‘love of her life’, Elle decides to apply for Harvard Law School
only to find that Warner has gotten engaged over the summer to Vivian, her
complete opposite. In a bid to steal him back, Elle aims to prove her intelligence and
worth by working hard and being kind to others. Harvard is a much more hostile
place, she finds, than California; and Elle is quick to feel lonely and isolated as the
only girly-girl on campus. She finds solace in a local beauty parlour, where her
manicurist soon becomes her best friend and helps her achieve her goals. Elle, after
facing much adversity, starts to prove her worth and is accepted into a prestigious
internship alongside Warner and Vivian. Defending a former sorority sister, Brooke,
in a murder trial, Elle is viewed as out of depth in the cut-throat world of law. With the
support, however, of Brooke and Emmett, an associate at the law firm, Elle is able to
win the case using her feminine knowledge and intuition. By the end, Elle has
become an honour student, been offered a job in a prestigious firm, turned down
Emmett; a person who had faith in her abilities from the start. What essentially starts
as a pursuit of love ends with Elle finding strength, courage and belief in herself.
5
Unlike many genre characterisations, the concept of the ‘strong female character’ is
challenging to cement into one linear list of attributes. With ‘strength’ being
synonymous with a wide breadth of adjectives, the idea of there being one finite
is useful to look at examples of roles that people traditionally view as ‘strong female
characters’, and assess what it is that apparently makes this so. As Carina Chocano
(2011), expresses:
issues.1
1
Carina Chocano, ‘Tough, Cold, Terse, Taciturn and Prone to Not Saying Goodbye When They Hang Up the
Phone’ (1 July 2011) <http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/03/magazine/a-plague-of-strong-female-
characters.html?_r=5&pagewanted=all&> [accessed 31 March 2014]
6
female character’ came into fruition in the early days of the Second Wave of feminism
from a desire to see more accurate, and less offensive, representations of women
‘strong’ (as it was the natural opposition to the idea of ‘Damsel in Distress’), women
were then faced with the ‘dully literal’2 illustration of ‘strength’. What essentially was a
plea in which to equal the scale between representations of men and women, turned
into a trope by which women, in the event that they were not allowed to be women
(AKA weak), must be men (AKA strong). Here we find one of our first, of three,
Taken from a blog entitled ‘The Strangerverse’, amateur film and television critic
anonym-ed ‘Ugo Strange’ detailed in the post The (Female) Character Controversy:
Stereotypes three boxes of characterisation that women are put into in an effort to
present us with a valuable understanding of the basic ways in which women, from an
oppression/objectification:
i. The Machine
‘The Machine’, exemplified by Lara Croft from the Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001)
series and Black Widow from the Iron Man (2010) and Avengers (2012) franchises,
2
Melissa Silverstein and Inkoo Kang, Goodbye to Strong Female Characters (30 December 2013)
<http://blogs.indiewire.com/womenandhollywood/goodbye-to-strong-female-characters> [accessed 30 March
2014]
7
an ‘amotional’ woman who simply functions like an all-out killing machine; she has no
real emotions aside from frustration at not having enough clips or whatever’3.
Here the idea of ‘strength in a character is actualised in one of its most basic
forms; physical power. Probably the most stark deviations from the damsel, this trope
sees to take all that makes women ‘feminine’, such as compassion, empathy, love
etc. and make her ‘masculine’ in one of the most primal ways. As physical strength is
seen to be almost analogous with the idea of masculinity, writers seemed to have
‘patted themselves on the back, saying, “You wanted Strong Female Characters?
Well, now they’re strong.”’4 The inclusion of this brute strength, however, seems to be
at the expense of what are classically viewed as feminine attributes. Since male
protagonists have had the monopoly on ‘strong’ characters since the dawn of cinema,
their characterisation has shifted from the almost one-dimensional nature of our
female heroes, and transitioned into ones containing both strength and emotion. An
example of this hero evolution is James Bond which, in its fifty years, has seen the
title character progress from the cold, calculated reaction of finding Jill Masterson
dead and covered in gold paint in Goldfinger (1964), to one willing to retire from the
Female ‘machines’ are not afforded this character transition as, whilst a male
hero can cry and still be a hero, a female hero cannot cry at the risk of being seen as
3
Ugo Strange, The (Female) Character Controversy: Stereotypes (18 December 2012)
<http://thestrangeverse.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/the-female-character-controversy_18.html> [accessed 30
March 2014]
4
Shana Mlawski, Why Strong Female Characters Are Bad for Women (18 August 2008)
<http://www.overthinkingit.com/2008/08/18/why-strong-female-characters-are-bad-for-women/> [accessed
30 March 2014]
8
aggressive and assertive; whilst women are ‘communal’, meaning that they hold
empathy, emotion and a strong support from others5. ‘Strong female characters’,
however, are wholly agentic as, in a sense, they must seem almost more masculine
than men at the risk of ever being considered feminine. This is due to the fact that:
masculine6
In the character Black Widow, we see this executed by the ways in which emotional
duty, honour and ‘virtue’. Black Widow, a master assassin in the 2012 franchise
Avengers Assemble, asks Loki, the film villain, about her captured assassin partner
Hawkeye. He responds with the question ‘is this love?’, to which she replies ‘Love is
for children. I owe him a debt’. This forthright denouncement of any affectionate or
nurturing behaviour is symptomatic of ‘the machine’, and further proves that ‘“Strong
female characters,” in other words, are often just female characters with the
5
Robert Kabacoff, The Glass Ceiling Revisited: Gender and Perceptions of Competency (2012)
<http://www.mrg.com/uploads/PDFs/Glass_Ceiling_Revisited_2012.pdf> [accessed 19 March 2014]
6
Carina Chocano, ‘Tough, Cold, Terse, Taciturn and Prone to Not Saying Goodbye When They Hang Up the
Phone’ (1 July 2011) <http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/03/magazine/a-plague-of-strong-female-
characters.html?_r=5&pagewanted=all&> [accessed 31 March 2014]
7
Chocano (2011)
9
This notion of a non-gendered female paves the way for our second ‘strong female
character’ construction; ‘the man-hater’. This figure is actualised by the female anti-
hero Lisbeth Salander in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009) and (2010).
According to Strange, this trope ‘involves a strong hatred of men to the point where
she'll constantly put men down, vilify them and declare herself superior to them’8 or,
if the narrative does not adhere to that sort of aspersion, ‘the writer will portray the
men as being ultimately useless in order to increase the appeal of the female
from Star Trek Into Darkness (2013), who consistently leaves our hero, Captain
the male protagonist Mikael Blomkvist, she goes on missions throughout the series
to punish and humiliate the men who have abused her in the past.
relationship with a woman, is not emotionally attached to her lover). More often than
not, these characters will be the only female in the cast, engaging in the idea known
as ‘The Smurfette Principle’, which describes a film or television show with a ‘token’
woman employed to represent all women. With this lack of emotional affiliation,
8
Ugo Strange, The (Female) Character Controversy: Stereotypes (18 December 2012)
<http://thestrangeverse.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/the-female-character-controversy_18.html> [accessed 30
March 2014]
9
Strange (2012)
10
these characters are not afforded the description of either ‘agentic’ or ‘communal’
and since, more often than not, their strength derives from mental acuity rather than
brute physicality, they run the risk of mentally subordinating the male characters
within the film. In the event of films where mental superiority or humiliation is
character. Laura Mulvey (1975) implies that, as film is created with a male audience
image seen.10
If we are to agree with Mulvey’s’ delineation, then it would seem that in order to
enjoy a film, a male audience must either identify with the male protagonist, or have
a ‘spectacle’ in which to look at. In the case, then, of the man-hater who routinely
humiliates her male counterpart, the identification by a male audience with said male
place, and our ‘strong’ women must have the ability to be viewed as objects; this can
be seen in how, despite their intellect, Lisbeth Salander and Carol Marcus have been
10
Laura Mulvey, ‘Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema’, Screen, 16 (1975), p. 10
11
Mulvey (1975)
11
(Fig.1, Theatrical poster for The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (2011))
(Fig. 2 Film still of Carol Marcus in underwear from Star Trek Into Darkness (2013))
12
It seems that in order for a woman to be viewed as ‘strong’ for this ‘male audience’
vice versa; never both. In the case of ‘the machine’, the character is physically
Our final trope is what Strange monikers the ‘Business B*tch’. This characterisation
is someone who ‘doesn't have time for a man, doesn't need a man, she has her job
to focus on. Oh yeah, and deep down she really wants a man’. This characterisation
deviates most from our most basic representations of strength, as it lies in her
element of the ‘chick flick’ is creating a character that has features, like money or
power, that you want to emulate. This trope, found in the characters Miranda Priestly
in The Devil Wears Prada (2006) and Grace Heart in Miss Congeniality (2000), is a
female character so focused on excelling in her career that she deliberately shuns
any form of romantic attachment at the risk of sabotaging her work. ‘Married’ to their
careers, their strength is defined by how they surpass their male colleagues in terms
FBI, a government agency that did not allow women into its ranks until 1972)12.
This characters weakness, however, lies in the fact that she suppresses her
emotions. Despite protestations about not needing a man, by the end of the film this
character will have either had to sacrifice her career in exchange for love, or will
have to forgo romantic attachment at the expense of her career (which will ultimately
seem tarnished as a result). Miranda Priestly is a good proponent of the latter as,
despite being married throughout the film, we never see her as anyone other than a
character married to her career. Miranda excels at her job as fashion editor of
chooses to give a promotion to her female rival (in order to prevent her from stealing
her job) instead of her very deserving male colleague Nigel. This neglect of male
protagonist Andrea that her husband is filing for divorce. For the first, and only, time,
audience that, regardless of how ‘strong’ she is in terms of her career, it will never be
strong enough to transcend the need for male attention. Essentially, these women
are given the right to surpass men in terms of economic strength; however they do
12
Diana Reese, A woman could head FBI — just 40 years after women allowed to become special agents (1
April 2013) <http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/she-the-people/wp/2013/04/01/a-woman-could-head-
fbi-just-40-years-after-women-allowed-to-become-special-agents/> [accessed 19 March 2014]
14
Within these tropes, a common theme emerges which states that even with strength,
there must always be a way to subordinate women; this is never more evident than
the fact that ‘strong female character’ exists as a characterisation, whilst the ‘strong
male character’ does not. Stemmed from a desire for equality amongst the sexes in
gender representation, the construction ‘strong female character’ has further tipped
the scales in terms of disparity because ‘calling for “strong male characters” [sounds]
ridiculous and kind of reactionary, [because] who really wants to watch them? They
representation has further slipped into shallow characterisation and formation on the
feeling that what most people mean or hear when they say
13
Carina Chocano, ‘Tough, Cold, Terse, Taciturn and Prone to Not Saying Goodbye When They Hang Up the
Phone’ (1 July 2011) <http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/03/magazine/a-plague-of-strong-female-
characters.html?_r=5&pagewanted=all&> [accessed 31 March 2014]
14
Chocano (2011)
15
“strong,” she is not interesting or worth identifying with’15; however, this simply is not
the case. Brute strength, in any of its forms, is not an interesting characteristic on its
own as, in the belief that illustrations should be representational, no one character
will have only one defining quality in which to profess because, as Chocano states,
Male characters are never tarred with the title of ‘strong male character’ as
‘he’s assumed to be strong by default’16. With effort not made in ensuring that these
characterisation; allowing for male characters to profess love, emotion and intellect
The fact that Sherlock Holmes has remained an prevalent literary and media
character is because his characteristics remain interesting and innovative, whilst the
reason that ‘strong female characters’ have remained a figurative trope is due to the
fact that the ‘patronising promise of the ‘Strong Female Character’ is that she’s
15
Chocano (2011)
16
Sophia McDougall, I hate Strong Female Characters (15 August 2013 )
<http://www.newstatesman.com/culture/2013/08/i-hate-strong-female-characters> [accessed 22 February
2014 ]
17
McDougall (2013)
18
McDougall (2013)
16
because his personality is far more complex than the duality between masculine and
feminine. ‘Strong female characters’, however, evoke an ‘unspoken idea that in order
for a female character to be worth identifying with, she should really try to rein in the
gross girly stuff’19 because, essentially, women cannot be both agentic and
communal. With this in mind, how can we establish whether Postfeminism has a
Legally Blonde
Enid: “Hey. How you doin'? I'm Enid Wexler. I got a Ph.D.
19
Carina Chocano, ‘Tough, Cold, Terse, Taciturn and Prone to Not Saying Goodbye When They Hang Up the
Phone’ (1 July 2011) <http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/03/magazine/a-plague-of-strong-female-
characters.html?_r=5&pagewanted=all&> [accessed 31 March 2014]
20
Legally Blonde Script - Dialogue Transcript(02 December 2011) <http://www.script-o-
rama.com/movie_scripts/l/legally-blonde-script-transcript-reese.html> [accessed 3 March 2014]
17
The above excerpt from ‘Legally Blonde’ exemplifies how, if we are to consider the
film and Elle Woods as a feminist illustration, its construction deviates away from
‘traditional’ portrayals of feminism on screen, and moves towards creating a new kind
representation, does not necessarily mirror actuality). We see Elle’s classmate Enid
feminism by describing integral roles in women’s education and activism. The scene
is a key example of how the film, from an early point, tries to redefine how we view
feminism, and its different factions, on screen. I have defined ‘Legally Blondes’
feminist appeal as Postfeminist; however, how you define the term ‘Postfeminist’ will
determine whether or not you agree with this statement. Postfeminism has never
been afforded one concrete definition, as there is much disparity between how
people view it, and whether it can even be considered feminism. Roughly speaking,
looking at the term ‘post’, we can determine that it should either be defined as the
next step of feminism, leading on from Second Wave feminism, or as the end of it21.
The reason Postfeminism has been interpreted so fluidly is due in large part to
what extent feminism itself tries to reach, as it attempts to negate gender inequality
by analysing the social, economic and political inconsistencies between the sexes.
is is illogical to demand, and so over the course of time, feminism has fragmented
into different sects (also known as ‘waves’). So far split into three, the ‘First Wave’ of
feminism occurred between the nineteenth and early twentieth century and principally
21
Penelope Robinson, So, what is postfeminism anyway? (23 January 2010)
<http://postfeminist.wordpress.com/2010/01/23/so-what-is-postfeminism-anyway/> [accessed 4 March
2014]
18
focused on suffrage and women’s rights. The ‘Second Wave’, originating in the
1960s, surrounded support of the anti-war movement and focused on civil rights.22
With the limelight focused on reproductive rights and sexuality, the issues most
commonly associated with the idea of ‘feminism’, the Second Wave campaign for
gender equality presented us with what we now view as ‘traditional’ feminist ideals.
These are more often than not the ethics presented in a cinematic representation of
used activism and protest to revolt against such organisations as the Miss America
pageant and Ladies Home Journal magazine for degrading and oppressing women.
Essentially they sought to fight the patriarchy which, they felt, attempted to subdue
them into positions of little power. This established Second Wave feminism as a set
group, Second Wave feminists contrasted greatly to the new ‘Third Wave’ feminists
that emerged during the mid-1990s as a direct critique; opposing ideas such as a
became more equal to men legally, national publications more frequently began to
publish articles about the death and end of feminism. With media becoming a
defining vehicle in which to promote a movement, Third Wave feminists shifted their
22
Martha Rampton, 'The Three Waves of Feminism', PACIFIC, 41.2, (2008), , in
<http://www.pacificu.edu/magazine_archives/2008/fall/echoes/feminism.cfm> [accessed 4 March 2014]
23
Rampton (2008)
24
Rampton (2008)
25
Rampton (2008)
19
Despite Second Wave feminism providing meaningful and lasting change, her
legacy now on film is usually marginalised into a comedy role, whereby the humour
lies in the ‘ridiculous’ ideals that inevitably she embodies. Enid Wexler is a prime
example of this descent, with quotes such as “take ‘semester’, a perfect example of
feminism out of politics and into the home; a ‘shift away from feminist interest in
centralised power blocks’27. Postfeminism seeks to do what is best for the individual,
rather than cater to an entire group; contrasting greatly from the Second Wave idea
ourselves ‘what do I want from society?’ and ‘what do I want for myself’ which, with
no claim for global political action, does not seek to purport those desires onto the
Postfeminism declares the idea of the patriarchy outdated, and instead sees to
whether or not the term means ‘after feminism’ in the sense that feminism is over, or
26
Legally Blonde Script - Dialogue Transcript(02 December 2011) <http://www.script-o-
rama.com/movie_scripts/l/legally-blonde-script-transcript-reese.html> [accessed 3 March 2014]
27
Angela McRobbie , 'Postfeminism and popular culture', Feminist Media Studies, 4.3, (2004), 255-264 (p. 256),
in <http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/1468077042000309937> [accessed 12 March 2014]
20
such that it is how our interpretation of the word ‘post’ that delineates our viewpoint,
then for the purpose of analysing this film, Postfeminism is to be translated a state of
Legally Blonde, like many other bankable female films, adheres to what York (2010)
describes as ‘the look, the hook, and the book’ model of marketing. ‘The look, the
hook, and the book’ method takes a mildly successful book and not only creates a
film out of it, but creates a lifestyle and brand to sell to audiences; most popular uses
of this model are the films such as Sex and the City (2008), which illustrated a group
of ‘independent women’ who valued designer clothing, fancy cocktails and the
unconstrained nature of love and life in New York City, as well as Bridget Jones Diary
(2001), which followed the life of Bridget Jones, a single thirty-something juggling
career and love in early millennial London. Legally Blonde, similarly, was based on a
2001 manuscript of a novel by the same name. The book, like the film, seeks to
create a lifestyle within the narrative, selling ideas of southern Californian affluence
and unadulterated feminity. However, contrasting to Sex and the City and Bridget
Jones Diary, Legally Blonde the film veered heavily away from the narrative of the
manuscript by altering the entire storyline and key motivations written within the main
Of the decisive changes made to the narrative, the reconstruction of Elle Woods
is fundamental. Whilst her femininity, aesthetics and origins are unchanged, the film
into one altogether more motivated, driven and intelligent. Novel Elle seems to have
21
the very end, explains her only dream in life is to attain the rights to the Barbie brand
and create her own line of inspired jewellery. It is in the reconstruction of her
character, with film Elle exhibiting dreams of being taken seriously, stark levels of
intelligence and an intense moral and ethical code, that we move away from
embracement of feminine tropes, which novel Elle did not sacrifice in the move to
film, alongside her character reconstruction that create a far more complex
Despite cinema reigning supreme over audiences since the early 1920s, films
specifically targeted to women, or ‘weepies’, did not emerge until the 1940’s 29. This
new era of cinema sought to create women protagonists that moved outside the
realms of ‘wife, mother and victim’, and instead broadcasted the positive notions of
consumerism and the idea of ‘a better life’30. It was not until 1997 that Titanic
28
Suzanne Ferries, Mallory Young, 'Introduction: Chick Flicks and Chick Culture', in Chick Flicks: Contemporary
Women at the Movies, ed. by Suzanne Ferries, Mallory Young(New York: Routledge, 2008), p. 3
29
Ashley Elaine York, 'From Chick Flicks to Millennial Blockbusters: Spinning Female-Driven Narratives into
Franchises', The Journal of Popular Culture, 43.1, (2010), 3-25 (p. 3), in
<http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1540-5931.2010.00728.x/pdf> [accessed 12 March 2014]
30
York (2010)
22
changed the ‘complexion of the women’s film forever’31 by becoming the highest
grossing film of all time and catapulting what we now know as the ‘chick flick’ into
mainstream attention. Since then, wide recognition has been placed on the idea of
‘chick flicks’ being a viable and profitable film genre, with ‘women’s blockbuster’ films
commonly grossing above the $100 million mark; Legally Blonde being one of
them32.
During the height of Second Wave liberation, terms such as ‘girl’, ‘doll’ and
infantilised women. Renouncing these terms, along with repudiating all traditional
tropes of femininity such as ‘girly’ colours and obvious sexual difference, acted as a
stance against inequality and moved towards the desire for female independence. In
contrast, as feminist activism moved from the politics of the 70’s to the personal of
the 90’s, Third Wavers’ reclaimed these words for themselves by re-appropriating
was celebrated rather than sequestered, and the ‘chick flick’, by physically
perpetuating this glorification in its name, was able to present women with storylines
and characters that not only included issues of love and womanliness, but sold them
31
York (2010) p.6
32
York (2010) p.6
23
When we tear apart the attributes of both ‘chick flick’ anatomy and Postfeminist film
theory, the power of the feminine is the most significant trope; and if we are to
consider femininity as the defining feature, then we could argue that Legally Blonde
and sensitivity. As these tropes are generally seen as synonymous with fragility, they
both female and male. This film utilises this stereotype by creating a character, Elle
characters, again both male and female, who embody what we view of as
33
Suzanne Ferries, Mallory Young, 'Introduction: Chick Flicks and Chick Culture', in Chick Flicks: Contemporary
Women at the Movies, ed. by Suzanne Ferries, Mallory Young(New York: Routledge, 2008), p. 4
24
traditionally ‘masculine’ traits; such as intelligence and apathy. Whilst Elles’ life in
first class with Professor Callahan where, after saying that every student will be
competing for four coveted internship spaces, he remarks “let the bloodbath
begin”34). This ‘male space’ is represented in the dialogue, costume and scenery of
the film, with Harvard being depicted as a quintessentially ‘man’s world’ where there
From the start of the film, Elle is viewed as an entirely good character, as is
exemplified by how quick her ‘sisters’ are to support her throughout her breakup,
people seen to be supportive of Elle are the women at the beauty parlour,
specifically Paulette, who, like her sisters, sees her as a kind person. Compassion,
however, appears to have no place in Harvard, and a scene that sculpts this idea
effectively is the one depicting Elles’ first class with Professor Stromwell. In reading
out the quote “The law is reason free from passion” and asking who wrote it,
encourages discourse between teacher and student to better aid learning. However
on its head when Stromwell asks Warners’ new fiancé Vivian whether Elle should be
removed from the class for not completing her work; to which Vivian responds that
she should. This alienation of Elle within the confines of the class emulates the quote
learning, is exemplified as a room free from passion and, indeed, compassion. Why
this scene is imperative to our understanding of Elle is due to the fact that Professor
what we garner as ‘feminine’ qualities, and surely what Elle expects from a fellow
female, it is more than surprising to find that Stromwell seems to have become
Harvard one must sacrifice the feminine attributes that ‘weaken’ you, Elle retains an
immense level of compassion in all that she does. In fact, in scenes whereby her
compassion seems laughable, for example when she protects Brookes’ alibi of
compassion; Elle shows that empathy is not necessarily a ‘weak’ point in someone’s
personality, but is in fact rather a way in which to solve problems without pain or
judgement. In this case, Elle cares more for her clients’ reputation than she does for
her own; a trait, one would argue, should be befitting of any lawyer. Other cases
where Elle chooses to show compassion over animosity lead to her peers and
professors individually beginning to respect Elle more and more; such as David and
Emmett who both aid her solo representation of the case, and Stromwell who, in the
beauty parlour before Elles’ triumphant turn as lead council, pushes Elle not to give
gaining equality will rely on judgement free world in order to achieve its aims. Elle
embodies this idea process as she practices a non-judgemental moral code, which
we see in how she interacts with characters from all genders, classes and
sexualities. Despite being from an affluent and privileged upbringing, Elle never
26
wavers in her affection for Paulette, a middle aged divorcee who lives in a trailer
park; she instead bonds with her over the things they have in common like a shared
love of dogs. Similarly, when confronted by Enid about how inevitably she would
have called her a “dyke” behind her back, Elle replies by saying that she “[doesn’t]
use that word”. Leading an all-inclusive feminine lifestyle allows Elle to delve into
motivations and impulses that her peers were unable to distinguish. For example,
her team of lawyers and classmates are convinced that Brooke, on trial for murder,
only married her husband for wealth; and that her step-daughter, Chutney, has no
motivation for killing her father because she already has a “trust fund”35. Elle reasons
that not all motives are ‘logical’ and, as it transpires, we come to discover that
Brooke did actually love her husband and that Chutney did indeed kill her father, not
for of money, but because her feelings were hurt after he married a woman of the
same age. This understanding of emotional intuition wins Elle the case because she
disregarded as unimportant.
This case, then, is decidedly un-free from passion, which brings the narrative
of the film full circle; from Elles’ first experience with the law in Stromwells’
classroom, to her first experience winning a judicial case. The film closes this circle
in the final sequence where, two years later, we are attending Elles’ graduation from
Harvard. Professor Stromwell smilingly presents the podium to Elle, the class
35
Legally Blonde Script - Dialogue Transcript(02 December 2011) <http://www.script-o-
rama.com/movie_scripts/l/legally-blonde-script-transcript-reese.html> [accessed 3 March 2014]
27
Stromwell both convinces Elle to return to law school and then sings her praises at
the bond that has developed’37. From a feminist perspective, Stromwell embodies
the ideas of the Second Wave, being quite hardened, initially at least, to the idea of
Elle as a serious feminist voice. As a female professor, ‘she has succeeded in the
male bastion of Harvard Law School by accepting it on its own terms’38, which allows
for the assumption that Elle will one day do the same. This engages in the
postfeminist ideology that allows for freedom in how one chooses to present oneself.
By showing Elle and Stromwell as friendly and with a clear mutual regard for each
other, it allows for the understanding that no two females have to forge the same
36
Legally Blonde Script - Dialogue Transcript(02 December 2011) <http://www.script-o-
rama.com/movie_scripts/l/legally-blonde-script-transcript-reese.html> [accessed 3 March 2014]
37
Kathleen Rowe Karlyn, Unruly Girls, Unrepentant Mothers: Redefining Feminism on Screen (Texas: University
of Texas Press, 2011), p. 148
38
Karlyn (2011)
28
Elle, in summation, is rewarded with success whilst the peers who remained
opposed to her are left with little in way of reputation or success (Warner is left
jobless and without a girlfriend after graduation, and Callahan, though still a
successful lawyer and professor, has had to endure the embarrassment watching
Elle win the case that he, presumably, would have lost). This success, whilst
imperative to any ‘chick flick’, as the ‘happily ever after’ of the protagonist is a
defining narrative feature, is a direct result of the compassion and generosity that
Elle consigns to others; proving that ‘what the law needs is a major dose of girl
intuition over reason, everyday knowledge over book knowledge, cooperation over
Colour is one of, if not the, most prominent focal feature of Legally Blonde.
Everything about Elle is defined by colour, including her hair which, when placed
film for a multitude of reasons and for a diverse range of effects. Firstly, and most
transparently, the ‘chick flick’ must retain some level of fun and light heartedness.
Colour is used, however, also as a narrative tool, and I would argue that the most
fundamental objective of colour within the film is to represent the fight between
feminine and masculine power. Elle is the ultimate manifestation of female, and
therefore acts as the token in which to signify all feminine struggles. As Dana Cloud
39
Kathleen Rowe Karlyn, Unruly Girls, Unrepentant Mothers: Redefining Feminism on Screen (Texas: University
of Texas Press, 2011), p. 147
40
Karlyn (2010)
29
(1996) states, a token is ‘person who is constructed from the character and life of a
that the society at large does not discriminate against members of that group’41; and
in this sense, Elle Woods speaks for the subordinated group of ‘feminine
professionals’.
exaggerated representation of female life, with communal pink fitness and shower
rooms in the sorority house, to the unquestionable kindness and support that her
fellow sisters give her. We are given this intense burst of femininity so that when Elle
arrives at Harvard, dressed still in caricatural feminine attire, we are left with this
realise that, just as Elles’ appearance is exaggeratedly feminine, so are her peers
and professors exaggerated in the sense that only black and navy ‘masculine’
colours are employed. This is important as it not only sets Elle apart, which we see
very clearly in the films’ frequent use of wide angle shots, but because the colours
represented, pink and navy (essentially blue), mirror our traditional notions of the
41
Dana L. Cloud, 'Hegemony or Concordance? The Rhetoric of Tokenism in "Oprah" Winfrey's Rags-to-Riches
Biography', Critical Studies in Mass Communication, 13, (1996), 115-137 (p. 122-123)
42
This gender binary is depicted in the colour scheme of the opening credits to the film. Unlike other ‘romantic
comedies’ which tend to rely on the colours pink, red and white to signal their premise, Legally Blonde uses a
neat colour scheme of pink and blue. This colour coordination is used to signal that this film is far from just a
‘romantic comedy’, and in utilising the two most prominent gendered colours, it signifies the struggle between
the feminine and the masculine that we see throughout.
30
(Fig. 3: Elle sits alongside fellow classmates on first day, Legally Blonde (2001))
(Fig. 4: Elle moves into Harvard halls of residence, Legally Blonde (2001))
Essentially, Elles’ use of feminine colour is not so much an aesthetic decision than it
is a character trait, as her overt feminity allows her hard work and intelligence to
evolve unnoticed by her peers whilst they are distracted by how she is appears. In
this sense, Elle is both visible and invisible at the furthermost end of each spectrum.
Pink is the ultimate female colour, and it is a colour that has been so engendered
into our society that we immediately create correlations in our mind as to what it
31
wear. It is not surprising, therefore, that the students surrounding Elle are clothed in
muted colours, as traditionally they are the colours that implore people to take you
seriously. The purpose, then, of having Elle see pink as her “signature colour”43 is to
set her up as all of these ‘inferior’ feminine attributes, only then to dismantle them
flattering shapes, the majority of the other characters, women included, seem to
wear either masculine ones, i.e. Strong shoulder pads and collared shirts, or, in the
case of Enid, clothes not distinctive to any one gender (again refer to fig.3). What
this film presents us with is the notion that in order to be viewed as ‘serious’, you
either must appear masculine or, in the least, non-binary. Colour, therefore, is much
difference should be extolled rather than obscured; and essentially its theory lies in
the belief that women should not have to conceal their womanhood in order to be
taken seriously. Unlike the Second Wave that considered ‘the way to equality was to
reject Barbie and all forms of pink-packaged femininity’44, Postfeminism argues that
‘the admission of girliness doesn’t mean the loss of female independence and
43
Legally Blonde Script - Dialogue Transcript(02 December 2011) <http://www.script-o-
rama.com/movie_scripts/l/legally-blonde-script-transcript-reese.html> [accessed 3 March 2014]
44
Suzanne Ferries, Mallory Young, 'Introduction: Chick Flicks and Chick Culture', in Chick Flicks: Contemporary
Women at the Movies, ed. by Suzanne Ferries, Mallory Young(New York: Routledge, 2008), p. 4
32
power’45. In this understanding, Elle Woods is the ultimate rival against Second
Wave opinion, as she is literally referred to as “Malibu Barbie”46 in one of her first
meant to be viewed as a hurtful remark; however we feel that Elle deserves respect
as she achieved admission into one of the most prestigious universities in the world
alongside the classmates who mock her. Elle, however, never seems to demand
films postfeminist ideology, as it does not adhere to the idea that women must ‘shield
away from a colour that [seems] to emphasize difference from men even while
demanding equality to men’47. Being such a feminine visual stimulus against the
fight against oppression. This is achieved in one of the final scenes of the film
whereby Elle is asked by the defendant on her case to be her sole representation
and take control from Professor Callahan. In the scenes running up to the climactic
courtroom finale, Elle has subdued her distinctive femininity by exchanging her
sequins for darker, more classic looking clothes and her Chihuahua for a briefcase.
Even so, Elle is still rebutted, and becomes obvious that without the clothes that she
feels comfortable in, she does not have the confidence to fight back. After being
sexually harassed by her professor, Elle seeks to validate her worth by representing
Brooke Windham, the defendant, on her own. She makes an entrance (see fig. 5) by
walking into the courtroom in an entirely pink ensemble. She wins her case, despite
much adversity, and she does this by adorning herself with the most gender
45
Ferries and Young (2008) p.62
46
Legally Blonde Script - Dialogue Transcript(02 December 2011) <http://www.script-o-
rama.com/movie_scripts/l/legally-blonde-script-transcript-reese.html> [accessed 3 March 2014]
47
Ferries and Young (2008) p.58
33
binaristic examples of colour and clothing; proving, most prominently, that clothing
and appearance of femininity are not limiting in the least. Ultimately, Elle embodies
the belief of not ‘reducing femininity to superficial markers such as high heels and
frilly dresses’48, and reflects the understanding that ‘notions of choice, of ‘being
(Fig. 5: Elle represents Brooke Windham in murder trial, Legally Blonde (2001))
How this film differs, perhaps, to other romantic comedies is in how the contrast
between Elle and her classmates is executed so visibly and, given our understanding
48
Ferries and Young (2008) p. 4
49
Rosalind Gill, 'Postfeminist Media Culture: Elements of a Sensibility', European Journal of Cultural Studies,
10.2, (2007), 147-166 (p. 157), in
<http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/2449/1/Postfeminist_media_culture_%28LSERO%29.pdf> [accessed 18 March 2014]
50
Kathleen Rowe Karlyn, Unruly Girls, Unrepentant Mothers: Redefining Feminism on Screen (Texas: University
of Texas Press, 2011), p. 145
34
Wave feminists abandoned any and all forms of overt femininity, as in a politically
driven feminist climate such was the movement, abandoning all obvious features of
sexual difference was not seen as repression, but instead as a way of proving that
empowering’51. Believing along the same lines as Second Wave feminism that there
is no difference between what a man can do and what a woman can, Postfeminists
instead highlight sexual difference as a way of proving that that aesthetic disparity is
In essence, Elle embodies ‘girl power’, a term made famous during the
postfeminist rise of the 90s. Originally a construct of the ‘Riot Grrrls’ movement,
promoting feminism alongside a post-punk aesthetic, ‘girl power’ was then adopted
into the mainstream by pop bands; most infamously by the girl group the Spice Girls.
Reinterpreting its origins, ‘girl power’ came to mean ‘a form of pro-girl rhetoric that
offers support for girls and girl culture by reclaiming the feminine and making it as
sense, Elle actually has more in common with the Second Wave movement
exemplified by Enid, as a crucial element of the second wave crusade was a strong
connection with sisterhood. Elle’s enrolment into Harvard was aided by the help of
her sorority sisters who put their lives on hold to support her, but despite this, Enid
presumes that they are all merely shallow girls who “called me a dyke behind my
51
Suzanne Ferries, Mallory Young, 'Introduction: Chick Flicks and Chick Culture', in Chick Flicks: Contemporary
Women at the Movies, ed. by Suzanne Ferries, Mallory Young(New York: Routledge, 2008), p. 4
52
Rebecca C. Hains, 'Power Feminism, Mediated: Girl Power and the Commercial Politics of Change', Women's
Studies in Communication, 32.1, (2009), 89- 113 (p. 98)
35
back?”53 While Elle is in Harvard without her sisters, she finds that same solace in
the primarily ‘female space’54 of the beauty parlour. Her manicurist, and later close
friend, Paulette, does not act surprised or is in disbelief that Elle is a serious Harvard
student, as no correlation is made between how she looks and how intelligent she
may be. Ironically, the ‘traditional’ Second Wave feminist overtones of the film, as
symbolized by Enid, are some of the most prominent voices of oppression against
Elle for how she dresses, acts and feels; and it is in these safe female spaces of the
sorority house and the beauty parlour that Elle receives the most support.
This point is made all together more prominent by the fact that Professor
Stromwell states, after Elle is sexually harassed by Professor Callahan, that if she
gives up then “you’re not the girl I thought you were”55. To this, Elle responds by not
leaving law school, and instead taking charge over the murder case she is aiding
with; forcing her professor, and sexual harasser, to relinquish all control. This
exchange between Elle and Stromwell, like the majority of key scenes depicting
Elles’ strength of character (i.e. her decision to stay in Harvard rather than leaving
after learning that Warner is engaged, revising books on legal practice to prove to
everyone that she is capable and helping Paulette gain confidence in attracting the
attention of the man that she desires), takes place within the walls of the beauty
parlour. This, like the sorority house, represents to an audience that Elles’ fortitude,
power and independence is cultivated and able to flourish when she is surrounded
53
Legally Blonde Script - Dialogue Transcript(02 December 2011) <http://www.script-o-
rama.com/movie_scripts/l/legally-blonde-script-transcript-reese.html> [accessed 3 March 2014]
54
Kathleen Rowe Karlyn, Unruly Girls, Unrepentant Mothers: Redefining Feminism on Screen (Texas: University
of Texas Press, 2011), p. 146
55
Legally Blonde Script - Dialogue Transcript(02 December 2011) <http://www.script-o-
rama.com/movie_scripts/l/legally-blonde-script-transcript-reese.html> [accessed 3 March 2014]
36
(Fig.6: Elle studies hard for law school in the beauty parlour, Legally Blonde (2001))
(Fig.7: Elle studies for LSAT exams with fellow sorority sister, Legally Blonde (2001))
It is not coincidental that Elle becomes more confident and sure of herself in her later
years at Harvard just as she becomes more respected and regarded by her peers.
Whilst the idea of ‘sisterhood’ is more in line with Second Wave ideology than that of
Postfeminism, it is important to indicate that this film does place a very high
importance in the value of sisterhood. What it does do, however, is delineate that,
whilst these women eventually come together and form a bond with each other, they
are all vastly different. This may seem false in regards to Elle and her sorority
37
sisters, however there is never any debate as to whether Elle should go to Harvard
as, above all things, sisters support each other. However, unlike the Second Wave,
oppression between sisters is not seen as an act wielded by the figurative idea of the
way. We see this occur with the character of Professor Callahan who oppresses not
only Elle, but Vivian also. This oppression, in the forms of sexual harassment for the
former and neglect for the latter, is enforced at the hands of only one man in the film.
So whilst the film makes a point to engage with the idea that Harvard is a very
‘masculinised’ place ruled over by the ‘patriarchy’; what it essentially says is that,
regardless of how you dress, appear or act, individuals can always find a way to
oppress. Essentially:
With this individuality of oppression in mind, the idea, then, of a sisterly fight against
the ‘patriarchy’ becomes null and void. The idea that Elle cannot engage with any
woman aside from her sorority sisters who all share the same interests, is proved to
be a false reality as soon as Elle starts to become successful at Harvard. Elle is able
to cultivate her intelligence at Harvard, and whilst her sorority sisters are imperative
to her success and emotional care, she is afforded the opportunity at Harvard to
56
Taryn Fivek, Postfeminism (8 March 2013) <http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/feminist-
current/2013/03/postfeminism> [accessed 18 March 2014]
38
unlock a part of herself that otherwise would have lain dormant. In bonding with this
diverse set of women, Elle is able to become a well rounded individual who has
strength of self and conviction (attributes given to her by Harvard), whilst still
retaining her incontrovertible femininity (traits cultivated in her sorority). Here lies the
is just as, if not more, achievable than the idea of a ‘universal’ woman that all women
iv. Love, Sex and Power: Sexuality and the Primacy of Romantic Attachments
Including a romantic overtone is a feature present in almost any ‘chick flick’, with the
motivations of the lead character usually revolving around some kind of scheme to
win the man she desires. Legally Blonde does not differ from adhering to this
undertakes a plan in which to ‘steal’ him back from Vivian. Much like how in order to
have her application considered for Harvard Elle used her admissions video to
showcase her sexuality (see fig. 8); she similarly starts wearing revealing clothing
and bikinis to gain Warners’ attention. This utilisation of sexuality is indicative of the
worshipped virgins. Here sexuality, or lack thereof, was a defining character trait.
proved that there was a wide breadth of ‘femininity’ far and between just the self-
39
sacrificing mother and desolate spinster. Creating a genre of film in which female
sexuality could be appropriately represented was one of the key driving forces of the
rejecting the idea that female sexuality was only acceptable if it was for male
voyeurism. This film, although tame in its PG-13 presentation of sexuality, extends a
version of feminism that links together the sex-positive ideals of the Second Wave
Elle uses her assets to gain the attention of the admissions board at Harvard,
and this ploy to garner consideration is an execution of what Joan Riviére (1929)
argues that women can conform to femininity whilst still being masterful in how they
use it. In the case of Elle, she uses her sexuality and good looks to gain the attention
of Harvard, however she also has excellent exam results that put her in the same
league as others who are applying (the exams results, we discover, surpass those of
‘objectified sex object’, whilst at the same time harbouring enough intelligence to
57
Joan Riviére, 'Womanliness as Masquerade', in Psychoanalysis and Female Sexuality, ed. by Henrik M.
Ruitenbeek(New Haven: United Printing Services, 1966), p. 209
40
(Fig.8: a bikini clad Elles’ application video to Harvard, Legally Blonde (2001))
position themselves well within postfeminist film theory, as relationships are not seen
viewed as deliberately engaging in the suggestion that men and women are not
equal. For postfeminism, channelling their views over the medium of film, television
or radio was a key element in presenting the world with this new feminist campaign.
As a result we see ‘chick flick’ films primarily aimed at young women that include
argued as a method in which to prove to women that ‘feminine’ emotions of love and
In essence, this film capitalises on the idea that explicit femininity is not limited
to just appearing feminine, but far more it encompasses all that makes people truly
female. This includes, but is not limited to, suggestions of compassion, maternal
nurturance and sexuality. We have established that Elle is free and forward thinking
in regards to using her sexuality; however, she deviates away from being purely
Second Wave in regard wanting to take part in the ‘sexual slavery’ of marriage, as
Postfeminism employs an entirely pro-liberation standpoint, and accounts for the fact
that different women will require different things from life. Much like how it deviated
from political activism under the belief that there is not one common goal,
Postfeminism sees that individuals will require alternative levels of support, success,
love etc. to feel fulfilled (a clever example of the employment of this is in the
television series Sex and the City, which by the end, has one of character unmarried
by choice, and one deciding against the prospect of children. It is a key text in which
Blonde, however, also exercises this theory with the inclusion of multiple characters
love with a man in his sixties, Vivian is engaged to Warner on the basis of status and
Margot, Elles’ former sorority sister, enjoys the prospect of marriage as a departure
from work. These engagements are not presented in a judgemental way, as they are
used to show the diversity of female desire. This disparate representation of women
and relationships adheres to the objective that a woman, if she desires, can have a
42
partner as well as a career or a partner and no career and even, in the case of Vivian
Initially moving across to country to be with Warner, Elle realises that she wants to
succeed in Harvard also. Elle does use her sexuality to attract Warner; however she
also studies, works hard and speaks up in class in order to prove that she is
‘valuable’. In unlocking this hidden intelligence within her, we hear less and less her
plan to steal Warner as it becomes evident that she now is far more focused on
discovering her potential. By the end of the case, Elle has rejected Warner in the
defence that “if [she’s] gonna be a partner at a law firm by the time [she’s] 30, [she]
needs a boyfriend who's not such a complete bonehead”58. The camera fades, and
we are satisfied that Elle views herself as intrinsically valuable without Warner. The
final sequence of the film flashes to all of the key characters, and states what each
one of them is doing since the case: Vivian has left Warner (instilling her right to be
without a partner), Warner has been left without a girlfriend and Elle, as
valedictorian, has been offered a job at a prestigious firm. It is revealed that Elle has
been dating Emmett for the past two years and that, unbeknownst to her, he is
proposing that night. By explicitly revealing Elles’ success at Harvard and her
inevitable future success as a lawyer, the film makes a point to not place marriage as
the end of Elles’ story but as the start of a new one. Frequently in films of this genre,
the narrative will end with the couple coming together in some fashion, and no inkling
is given to what will transpire after their ‘happy ever after’. In this sense, Legally
Blonde differs from traditional ‘chick flicks’ as, perhaps due to its Second Wave
58
Legally Blonde Script - Dialogue Transcript(02 December 2011) <http://www.script-o-
rama.com/movie_scripts/l/legally-blonde-script-transcript-reese.html> [accessed 3 March 2014]
43
undertones, the romantic arc, although prevalent, makes a distinctive effort to make
sure that Elle never needs ‘saving’ by Emmett. Instead, she is placed in a
of Elle Woods without calling attention to her most prominent feature; her blonde
hair. More so than any other hair colour, ‘blonde’ brings with it a plethora of
and inferior intelligence. Whilst there are numerous examples of female characters
with blonde hair who ‘defy’ their colour, it is important to understand that blonde hair
manufactured statement that is usually far more memorable than the character who
holds it, and is ‘part of cultural discourse’ which suggests that ‘[hair] can be ‘worn’;
even if ‘grown.’59 Far more so than the idea that redheads have hot tempers, or that
become one of the most successful stereotypes in modern popular culture, as ‘the
Popular culture, to which our stereotypes and cultural icons lie, can be
attributed to the formation of the stereotype. In 1925, Anita Loos penned her novel
59
Laini Michelle Burton, ‘The Blonde Paradox: Power and agency through feminine masquerade and carnival’
(Unpublished doctoral thesis, Griffith University, 2005), p. 7
60
Richard Dyer, 'The Role of Stereotypes', in Media Studies: A Reader, ed. by Paul Marris, Sue Thornham, 2nd
edn. (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 1996), p. 247
44
‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes’, which was later adapted onto screen in 1953;
catapulting arguably the most famous blonde, Marilyn Monroe, into stardom. Within
the story lies Lorelai Lee, an enigmatic and sexualised woman, who presents us with
the stock blonde character, the ‘gold digger’61. Along with the ‘innocent blondes who
were victimized by society and men’62 and the ‘spunky, comedic blondes who were
out to prove the adage “blondes have more fun”’63, she presented the growing
consumers of cinema and popular culture an attitude towards ‘blonde’ that paved the
way for what we now consider as ‘how blondes are’ (or at least how they should be
represented).
Post war America brought with it a reintegration of ideals for women, as it was
imperative to ensure that, despite having had the opportunity to work alongside the
war effort, women’s’ real place in society was in domestic labour. In order for women
Alongside existing tropes now resided the ‘bombshell’, the ‘ethereal’ and the ‘peppy’
blondes65.
The bombshell, simply the beautiful and ‘dumb’ female characters epitomised
by Marilyn Monroe, were ‘consciously or not, a creation of men and for men’ 66. She
stupidity, both warned women against straying away from domesticity and marriage.
61
Dyer (1996)
62
Dyer (1996)
63
Dyer (1996)
64
Joanna Pitman, On Blondes, (New York: Bloomsbury, 2003) P.226
65
Christine Margaret Young, ‘Beyond Blonde: Creating A Non-stereotypical Audrey in Ken Ludwig’s Leading
Ladies’ (Unpublished thesis, University of Central Florida, 2009) pp. 19-20
66
Joanna Pitman, On Blondes, (New York: Bloomsbury, 2003) P.232
45
blondes, personified by Tippi Hedren and Janet Leigh, were cast as they ‘[made] the
best victims’67. Alfred Hitchcock relied on an icy femme fatale to stir trouble and,
ultimately, meet her end in a dramatic and ‘just’ finale. Her demise is presupposed,
as any woman showing to be brazen in her sexuality and affairs must be subdued.
Thus the ‘third species of blonde emerged’ in the 1950s; the ‘chirpy, peppy girls-
next-door’ embodied by the likes of Sandra Dee and Doris Day. They presented a
new avenue of escape, and embodied all that was appropriate for the ‘ideal’ woman
of the 1950s68; they were conservative, maritally appropriate and, most importantly,
1957, Look magazine in America reported that ‘55 million American women were
adding colour to their hair’69. Arguably one of the most successful marketing tools,
‘blonde’ allowed women to take control of their looks, whilst at the same time being
first home blonde dye made available) in 1960 penned the slogan ‘If I’ve only one
life, let me live it as a blonde’70; proving that blonde was not just a tone, but a
mantra.
In the opening montage of Legally Blonde, the camera pans across Elles’
room before pausing on box of Clairol home blonde hair dye (see fig.9). As well as
the aforementioned phrase, Polykoff was most famous for the Clairol ‘Does she or
Doesn’t she?’ campaign. It firstly implies that, as the Clairol hair colour is so natural
looking, it is hard to distinguish whether the user is a natural blonde or not. However,
there is a second undertone to this phrase, as it implies that you can never know
67
Pitman (2003)
68
Pitman(2003) p.232
69
Pitman( 2003) p.235
70
Pitman( 2003) p.235
46
who someone is just by looking at them and, according to Polykoff’s daughter, it was
isn’t she?”71.
(Fig.9: Camera pans over Elles’ desk showing a box of Clairol hair dye, Legally Blonde
(2001))
The choice of Clairol as Elles’ tint choice is not an accident. Much like the
slogan suggests, the film aims to ask us ‘is she strong or is she dumb, is she smart
the part of the filmmakers to transport us back to the time whereby blonde was one
of the most prominent ideals of beauty; and also one of the most influencial methods
of control. It is integral that we link this film back to this time, as it allows us to
understand fully how Elle not only subverts expectations, but tears apart a piece of
71
Joanna Pitman, On Blondes, (New York: Bloomsbury, 2003) P.236
72
The entire product placement is not a matter of chance, as they all serve a greater purpose to the narrative.
For example, Apple computers are given a large amount of screen time by Elle, as she is seen buying a bright
orange MacBook laptop which, amongst a collection of grey and black laptops by her peers, sets her apart from
the norm. The slogan for Apple products in the early 2000s simply stood as ‘think different’, which is a simple
and effective slogan in terms of the product, however in relation to the narrative of this film, it actually
provides us with how we are to approach this lead character; we need to think differently and not conform with
public perception. Similarly, Porsche cars are shown extensively in this film, to which their slogan reads ‘There Is
No Substitute’, which in relation to this film reveals that, despite ‘dumb blonde’ being one of the most
reproduced and stock character constructions, there is no substitution for Elle Woods; she is not a reproduction
and cannot be reproduced.
47
not afforded the creation of any new blonde tropes in which to enforce, but instead
our traditional stereotypes are moulded from the degrading into something positive;
for example:
yesterday.
wrong girl.73
We see in this scene excerpt that Elle is far from being oblivious to the expectations
that are befitting of her; but instead changing herself to not be perceived that way,
she lets people express their opinion before ultimately turning it back on them. This
scene presents us with a much tailored hero/villain dynamic, with Elle literally
providing the ‘light’ of the hero, and the saleswoman presenting the dark. The
saleswoman, who wears all black, is muted in her appearance and so becomes the
73
Legally Blonde Script - Dialogue Transcript(02 December 2011) <http://www.script-o-
rama.com/movie_scripts/l/legally-blonde-script-transcript-reese.html> [accessed 3 March 2014]
48
masculinised guns and knives that so commonly adorn ‘strong female characters’,
Elle uses her blonde hair as the weapon. She uses the most literal form of female
This is just one of the ways that this film attempts to subvert perception, by
exhibiting that there are not only two ways to be blonde (either to live up to the
stereotype or diverge away from it) but rather you can just be blonde. The fact is
that, in circumstances, Elle is quintessentially a ‘dumb’ blonde, but what sets this
character decision apart from being just another stencil, is the fact that this film takes
care to throw its weight behind making sure that Elle, whilst acting ‘dumb’ on
traditional ‘dumb’ blonde, Elle also exemplifies parts of the ‘bombshell’, the ‘peppy’,
the ‘comedic’, the ‘gold digger’ and the ‘ethereal’. For example, when Elle is tricked
into attending a ‘costume party’ that is not, in fact, a costume party; she elects to
wear the traditional ‘bunny’ outfit made prominent by female workers at the now
(Fig.10: Elle wears infamous ‘Bunny Club’ costume, Legally Blonde (2001))
The playboy bunny was the pinnacle of patriarchal mirage, and the ‘Playboy Club
uniform, by hook or by crook, created the illusion that every woman working there
conformed to that fantasy’74. The choice of the costume department to put Elle in the
‘bunny club’ outfit was not circumstantial, as the playboy bunny marks the sign of the
ultimate bombshell. Similarly, when Elle brings a basket of food to a study group in
the hopes of joining, she personifies the ‘peppy’ blonde of the late fifties and when
she is asked a question in a class, to which her response is ‘I'd pick the dangerous
one 'cause I'm not afraid of a challenge’75, she embodies the ethereal. When, in the
beginning, she states ‘Hello! He just had lunch with his grandmother. You know he
got the rock’ she hypostatizes the ‘gold digger’ and, finally, Elle Woods provides
impeccable comic timing throughout the film, which identifies itself as a comedy, and
‘Blonde’ is a loaded statement, that, more often than not, surmounts to lack; a
74
Nina Metz, Bunnies take a hop down memory lane: Women recall their time working at the original club (14
September 2011) <http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-09-14/entertainment/ct-ent-0915-playboy-bunny-
primer-20110915_1_playboy-club-bunny-hugh-hefner/3> [accessed 4 March 2014]
75
Legally Blonde Script - Dialogue Transcript(02 December 2011) <http://www.script-o-
rama.com/movie_scripts/l/legally-blonde-script-transcript-reese.html> [accessed 3 March 2014]
50
‘Blonde’ is almost always degradation, and so it is important to note the decision that
the makers of this film took to not only create a feminine blonde heroine, but to make
her proud of her fairness. The film takes these stereotypes and makes a conscious
effort not to ignore them, but to dissect them and create a character whereby these
feminine stereotypes are not a barrier. Such is the Postfemininst attention to the
stands up for her femininity is an important decision. Despite how they are
however, were. Blondes were created on film to pacify women, to exude feminity and
keep them away from the independence that so often comes hand in hand with
strength. They were the ultimate female, so therefore the ultimate lack. The inclusion
understanding of the ‘strong female character’, whose roots, similarly, lie in the
As Chocano (2011) regarded, it seems that in order for women to be seen as strong
then they must relinquish all features of femininity and ‘girliness’. We know now,
however, from our understanding of Postfeminism, that ‘girliness’ and the return to
pushing forth the power and prominence of femininity is essential in creating equality
for women; whether this idea is viable is still undecided, however we can see from
our traditional models of ‘strong female characters’ that relinquishing them certainly
has not. Why must a female character shun love to be strong? Why must she
killed on order to profess power, when men, for the most part, do not have to
measure their strength against the weakness of another? It seems, for women, that
‘strength’ is synonymous with the fight; the fight against emotions, the fight against
objectifications and the fight against men-kind. Essentially, ‘strong female characters’
are the actualisation of the constant struggle between women and ‘patriarchy’ that
learn, contrasts this, as its theory aims takes itself away from the idea of the
With this in depth analysis of the films Postfeminist attributes in mind, how are we
able to argue the case for Legally Blonde as a model for ‘chick flicks’ breaking the
barrier from ‘damsel in distress’ into ‘strong female character’? Romantic comedy
implausible.’76
powerful, sharply intelligent and strikingly beautiful has relatable qualities of strength,
then we should be able to regard Elle Woods, and all other female characters that
Woods and Grace Heart, Black Widow and Lisbeth Salander is the fact that she is
overtly feminine; whilst they, in whatever manifestation they are constructed in, are
features and tropes that make her an exaggeration of what it is to be female; much
like how our ‘strong female characters’ are a combination of ideas and
characteristics that, somewhere along the way, people decided illustrated strength.
What is the difference, then, between one caricature and the other? The difference
76
Mindy Kaling, Flick Chicks: A Guide to Women in the Movies (3 October 2011)
<http://www.newyorker.com/humor/2011/10/03/111003sh_shouts_kaling?currentPage=all> [accessed 23
March 2014]
53
with Elle Woods is that we relate to her. Part of the draw of ‘chick flicks’ are a
a viewer sees themselves in the character. Most people, we can presume, do not
people, women specifically, do relate to protagonists in ‘chick flicks’. This raises the
further elaborates that women do not relate to characters ‘despite the fact that she is
weak, [they] relate to her because she is weak’77. This is where, I would argue,
weakness allows for the idea of support. We have seen that support and sisterhood
were fundamental to the Second Wave, however from our analysis of Legally Blonde
we have also seen the benefit of being supported by diverse groups of women (as is
supported by her sorority sisters, Paulette and her Harvard peers than when she was
just surrounded by her California sisters, a factor, again aforementioned, that shows
viewers will recognise, is commonly seen as a beacon of strength; and this film
recognises and portrays positively the power and success that can be achieved with
the support of people around you. This support system is not present in common
portrayals of ‘strong female characters’, as they are usually the only woman featured
in the film; or, in the event that there are other women, usually only one of them
77
Carina Chocano, ‘Tough, Cold, Terse, Taciturn and Prone to Not Saying Goodbye When They Hang Up the
Phone’ (1 July 2011) <http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/03/magazine/a-plague-of-strong-female-
characters.html?_r=5&pagewanted=all&> [accessed 31 March 2014]
54
survives until the end (encompassing the trope of the ‘final girl’, a phrase coined by
Carol J. Clover to identify the features of the ‘last girl standing’ in action or horror
films78). With this lack of support, the real issue in the ‘strong female character’ lies
in the fact that they must be entirely strong or entirely week; as, without any female
destined to either be the women tied to the train tracks, or the ones single-handedly
This strength that is entirely present or entirely not (never neither, never both)
is usually, as we have eluded, made visually aware by the use of dark colours,
masculine shapes and/or powerful props. Most of the ‘strong female characters’ that
I have mentioned are not masculine looking in their physical features, however their
costumes and positions have been over-masculinised as, it could be contended, they
need to aesthetically show that they are somehow not entirely female. Whilst this did
occur as a response to the weak, fragile ‘damsels in distress, it was also composed
Stereotyped as either the ‘virgin’ or the ‘whore’, this bifurcation of women expressed
that, unless you were wholly weak and naïve, you would be punished. The ‘whore’
was not just brazen in her sexuality (just as the ‘virgin’ was not just sexually pure),
but she was knowledgeable in affairs that were not appropriate to her gender. As a
result, these characters, who usually visibly were shown as dark featured and darkly
costumed, were to pay a price. The ‘strong female character’, therefore, allows
78
Carol J. Clover, Men, Women, and Chain Saws: Gender in the Modern Horror Film (New Jersey: Princeton
University Press, 1992)
55
However, because they have become masculinised, they can never be assumed as
acting out of their gender roles and, therefore, can never be punished.
Legally Blonde, as we’ve seen from our analysis of colour, uses a similar
trope of using the dark colours worn by Vivian to emulate the ‘whore’ (also known as
‘vamp), and the lightness of Elle, both clothing and hair, to signify the ‘virgin’.
However, the film shifts away from these binary descriptions (much like ‘strong’ and
‘weak’) by showing that Vivian is not entirely the ‘whore’ and Elle is not overtly
‘virgin’. Elle is shown to be naïve to an extent when she first arrives at Harvard,
however she works hard to alleviate that naivety and grow in intelligence so that, by
the end, she is no longer naïve at all. Vivian, similarly, is seen to boast, be it slyly, to
Elle that she has won warner; however, again by the end, Vivian’s’ character is
shown to flourish and succeed with Elle as her best friend, rather than being seen to
When Warner states at the start of the film that, if he wants to be taken
then we are obviously to assert that Vivian, with her dark hair and sophisticated
dress and upbringing, is the Jackie Kennedy, whilst Elle, with her platinum hair and
light-hearted nature, is the Marilyn Monroe. However, I would argue that this
comparison is also used to show that, regardless of how people have come to
exist in history; however their legacies have veered farther from the truth since the
heiress who had no real passion for her husband’s political work, was, in actual fact,
a woman who came, as a result of her mother’s second marriage, from a upbringing
of little affluence and, from records, actually had a great deal of input into her
56
commonly viewed as a ‘dumb blonde’ who only exercised her sexuality in order to
get fame and fortune; however, we now know that she not only left the shackles of
20th Century Fox, who insisted on giving her the shallow roles she is famous for, but
she left it to create her own production company (the first woman to ever do so). She
was well versed in literature, science and politics; however no one sought to believe
It is not hard to see the correlation between Marilyn Monroe and Elle Woods,
but it is also important to note the similarities between Vivian and Jackie Kennedy.
Warner states that he wants a ‘Jackie’; however what he really wants is someone
who gives him status, whilst at the same time not interfering with his work. Vivian is
thought to be this person; however she ‘dumps’ Warner on the grounds that she
does not agree with his politics (shown by her facial expression when Warner says
that Elle should not care about her promise to Brooke), and she is shown becoming
a companion to Elle. The idea of a rival ‘Jackie’ and ‘Marilyn’, therefore, does not
and Jackie Kennedy, is that both these women, by today’s standard, were incredibly
strong. The moved amongst the men in the ‘boys club’ of politics and Hollywood,
however they were able to both utilise their positions in order to create lasting
change. What is obvious, therefore, is that the reason these women are not regarded
79
Michael Beschloss, Five myths about Jackie Kennedy () <http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/five-
myths-about-jackie-kennedy/2013/10/24/5cf1833a-3b2e-11e3-a94f-b58017bfee6c_story.html> [accessed 5
March 2014]
57
Conclusion
meanings. Despite this, however, film tropes have decided that ‘strength’ should be
entire sect of female representation that, whilst perhaps not physically or mentally
portray strength in a multitude of ways. ‘Chick flicks’ are very rarely offered the
however, in analysing Legally Blonde I feel that an argument has been put forward to
factions of ‘strength’, and that was ultimately due to its Postfeminist overtones. By
romantic attachment and support; we are able to now dissect exactly which elements
of Postfeminist theory are useful in reimagining this trope. Ultimately, the crux of
Postfeminist theory is its belief in the freedom of feminity, and this is where our
argument for Legally Blonde as a model of Postfeminist strength is brought full circle.
this film attempts to make waves in the reimagination of the ‘strong female character’
by not only showing femininity, but by throwing it in people’s faces. Essentially what
this film achieves is an outlet in which to prove that, despite femininity or ‘weakness’,
58
this character is able to achieve everything that she wants. This success at proving
her intelligence may not be on a par with fighting an alien army or seeking vigilante
justice; but it is strength. It is, as Elle puts it, a “passion, courage of conviction and
strong sense of self” 80 that comes from a self-belief born of strength and bravery.
What the character achieves might seem minute in a grand global sense; however
they are achievements based up things that audiences relate to. As we have argued,
relatability is important to any ‘chick flick’, and that is achieved by shrinking the world
person facing her own individual problems; a trope, we have seen, that is imperative
Legally Blonde as a Postfeminist model relies on the reimagining, on our part, that
Upon analysis of this film we are able to see its merits, but also see its
strength, as I feel there are positive elements engrained within our traditional
understandings of the ‘strong female character’. The weakness of the trope does lie
in its formation, but in its construction. There are many ways that establishing
model whereby our traditional characters can merge with our Postfeminist ones. As
struggle between women and the patriarchy; and where Postfemininst contrasts can
act as a way in which to converge these tropes into one all together more rounded.
Essentially, by taking our female characters out of the ‘patriarchy’, we let them know
80
Legally Blonde Script - Dialogue Transcript (02 December 2011) <http://www.script
rama.com/movie_scripts/l/legally-blonde-script-transcript-reese.html> [accessed 3 March 2014]
59
that they can fight an army single-handedly or diffuse a bomb whilst at the same time