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Jordyn Stump
Dr. Parker
Feminist Visions of Justice
12-12-2015
Legally Blonde Film Analysis
Boldly going where no blonde has gone is the tagline found on the promotion poster of
Legally Blonde, making the film controversial and demeaning before audiences even view it. The
movie follows Elle Woods, a prominent member of the Delta Nu sorority at a southern California
university. Her longtime boyfriend unexpectedly dumps her before he heads off for Harvard Law
School, claiming he needs to marry a Jackie, not a Marilyn. Elle then makes it her mission to
also enroll at the school in order to win him back. Although wildly entertaining and lighthearted,
Legally Blonde employs many sexist tactics to further its storyline. The film capitalizes on
stereotypes, gender roles, the sexualization of women, patriarchy, heteronormativity, and rivalries
between strong female characters. The film isnt entirely chauvinistic, however. Female
friendships are painted in a positive light and female empowerment is a prominent theme
throughout the movie. Legally Blonde is a carefree comedy that cant be taken too seriously, yet
should still be taken with a grain of salt as it perpetuates many concepts damaging to feminism.
Legally Blonde is problematic for many reasons. Most blatantly, the film preys on
multiple stereotypes attributed to sorority members and, of course, blondes. It can be assumed
that much of the sorority representations and blonde jokes are to be taken sarcastically, but they
still remain a vital part of the movies rhetoric. At one point, a saleswoman literally says:
Theres nothing I love more than a dumb blonde with daddys plastic. In the movies opening
scene, women are seen shaving their legs, painting their nails, cheerleading, drinking, dancing,

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and getting ready together in the bathroom in their towels. While these are typical practices in
all-female residences, dozens of women do not engage in such obviously superficial routines in
the middle of the day, all at once. Elle and her sorority sisters are also only ever dressed in pink,
while everyone else around them is wearing dark or neutral colors, and even Elles resume is
pink and scented. When Elle tells her parents that she is applying to law school, her parents are
taken aback. Her astonished mother says the following: Honey, you were Miss Runner-Up at
the Miss Hawaiian Tropics contest. Why are you going to throw that all away? While the
audience recognizes that line as a stark exaggeration, it is still disheartening to hear. It gives the
impression that all sorority girls are only interested in their looks and have no emotional or
intellectual substance. On her first day of class, Elle is the only one in class to not have a laptop
and instead takes notes in her heart-shaped notebook with a feather pen. If Elle is capable enough
to get into Harvard, she most likely has more sense than the filmmakers allowed her.
Gender roles are also very prominently displayed throughout the film. After Elles
boyfriend, Warner, breaks up with her, she responds with loud, high-pitched sobs and squeals
that are expected of women. Warner remains apathetic and unapologetic, implying that only
women can be sensitive and men have to be stoic. After Elle storms out of the restaurant and
refuses to drive home with Warner, he finally persuades her to get in the car by saying: Youre
going to ruin your shoes. Indicating that her shoes are more important than her emotions, Elle
reluctantly gives in. Once Elles friends learn of her breakup, they try to cheer her up with the
one thing that always makes us feel better: a trip to the salon for manicures and pedicures. The
spa is also sarcastically referred to as Elles mothership. Lastly, only the female interns at the
law firm are asked to do menial tasks for their professor, like fetching him coffee and food
whenever he requests it. This instance reflects the arguments of Judith Lorbers article Night to

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His Day: The Social Construction of Gender. In her piece, Lorber writes: In a gender-stratified
society, what men do is usually valued more highly than what women do because men do it, even
when their activities are very similar or the same (44). Like their male counterparts, Elle and her
fellow female interns rightfully earned the internship but are completely discredited once they
got there.
Another critique of Legally Blonde is the films both subtle and blatant references to
patriarchy. In the opening scene, women are seen cheering on the sidelines as shirtless men dual
each other in fountains and play football on fraternity lawns. Even though these were fleeting
images, women are still grossly sexualized and featured in supporting roles to men. Patricia
Yancey Martin and Robert Hummers article Fraternities and Rape on Campus came to mind
after viewing this scene. As the article stated, women can play three roles in fraternities: bait,
servers, or sexual prey. In this instance, the women on screen are being portrayed as both servers
and sexual prey. They are supporting the male characters in whatever they do, while also wearing
very sexually revealing clothespresumably for the pleasure of the fraternity members in the
scene. In a later scene, Elle parks herself at one of Warners football games, scantily glad in a
glitter bikini as every man in the scene wears sweatpants and sweatshirts.
These two examples are understated odes to patriarchy, but there are two more obvious
examples as well. After Elle decides to apply to Harvard, she has to make an admissions video.
Throughout the video, she is seen in glitter dresses and bikinis, taking part in many hypothetical
situations that are supposed to convince the board to accept her. The video is silly, sexual, and in
reality, would be an instant rejection. However, the admissions board (made up of six white
businessmen) pauses Elles video at a scene where she is wearing a sequined bikini in a hot tub,
obviously gaping over her body. The board then legitimately discusses her enrollment,

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desperately searching for reasons to allow this attractive woman into their school. They discuss
her LSAT score, extracurricular activities, and philanthropic efforts as her bronzed body is
projected on the screen behind them. Another blatant patriarchal moment came when Elles
professor put his hand on her knee and pushed up her skirt. After Elle protests, he yells after her:
I thought you were a law student who wanted to be a lawyer! This implies that the only way
for a female to be successful as a lawyer is to sleep her way to the top.
Heteronormativity is also very prevalent throughout Legally Blonde, with any gay or
lesbian characters being featured in very stereotypical ways. Elle, her parents, and all members
of her sorority are assumed to be heterosexual. After Elle is broken up with, her friends
frantically say: We thought shed be the first one married and now shes totally adrift. This
indicates that being a single woman is something to fear and to avoid being at all costs. While
much of the movie is focused on Elle trying to win Warner back, she eventually realizes that she
is better off without him. After she wins her case, he comes running after her and begs for her to
take him back. Without missing a beat, she answers: If Im going to be a partner in a law firm
by the time Im 30, then I need a boyfriend whos not such a bonehead. After Elles newfound
independence and intelligence, why does she need a boyfriend at all?
Instead of reuniting with Warner, Elle instead falls for the smart, caring man who roots
for her all along: a fellow lawyer named Emmett. Although Emmett is often in awe of Elle, he
still plays the conventional role of the heterosexual hero. Elle is confident already, but doesnt
fully believe in herself until Emmett voices his faith in her. After Elle graduates from Harvard
Law School as valedictorian, the audience is let in on a secret that Emmett will be proposing to
her that night. Even after such an empowering academic accomplishment, it is insinuated that
nothing is as special or exciting as a woman getting proposed to by her knight in shining armor.

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Karin Martin and Emily Kazyak wrote an intriguing piece on heterosexual relationships in
movies titled Hetero-Romantic Love and Heterosexiness in Childrens G-Rated Films. The
article discusses how heterosexual relationships are often painted as exceptional, powerful, and
transformative, while queer characters are often trivialized, which is true of Legally Blonde.
The cast isnt entirely made up of heterosexual characters, as there are two token queer
characters introduced throughout the film. When Elle arrives at Harvard, she meets a lesbian
named Enid. She is, per usual, a blunt and outspoken feminist who wants nothing to do with the
ultra-feminine Elle. She is portrayed as a rude and selfish individual. During the murder trial that
Elle is an intern for, she also meets the gay pool boy named Enrique. Elle discovers that he is gay
based on his knowledge about her shoes. As Elle put it: Gay men know designers, straight men
dont. Once Enriques sexuality is confirmed, another character mentions: I shouldve known;
he did leave a Cher CD in the pool house. The portrayal of gay and lesbian characters in
Legally Blonde is insanely narrow. Lesbians and feminists in general are once again painted as
aggressive, hateful people. Gay men are painted as ultra-sensitive, superficial people who only
care about fashion.
Lastly, the relationship between Elle and her nemesis Vivian is yet another destructive
plotline in Legally Blonde. From their first encounter, the two women are pitted against each
other and are constantly in competition. Vivian is the typical educated woman who is demonized
as a show-off and referred to as a frigid bitch. Vivian is eager to make snarky comments about
Elles intelligence and often undermines her efforts in the classroom. She deliberately
embarrasses Elle, ranging from kicking her out of class to tricking her into thinking a party is a
costume party. For her part, Elle often insults Vivian on her wardrobe and accessories. It is
unfortunate that two strong, capable, and driven women are automatically counted as rivals

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instead of allies. One womans success does not inhibit anothers, yet that is exactly that notion
that Legally Blonde promoted.
Despite all of the previously mentioned flaws, there are still some promising examples of
feminism shown throughout the film. Most notably, the power and importance of female
friendships is emphasized repeatedly. Legally Blonde does succumb to many of the petty girl
fights typical of romantic comedies, but most of the friendships portrayed in this movie are
encouraging and uplifting. In just the first few minutes of the movie, all members of Elles
sorority are shown supporting her before her presumed proposal. They all take time to sign a card
and offer her well wishes. Later in the film, Elles two best friends, Margot and Serena,
encourage her during her quest to take the LSAT and get into Harvard. Once Elle receives her
impressive LSAT scores, she is literally hoisted into the air and celebrated by her fellow sisters.
After Elle becomes the head lawyer at the murder trial, her friends are in the crowd and become
visibly defensive when people laugh at Elle and doubt her abilities.
Elle also befriends a local beautician, Paulette, when she arrives at Harvard. Paulette
continually encourages Elle and repeatedly expresses her admiration of her. Elle, in turn, helps to
boost Paulettes self-confidence. The audience learns that Paulette has recently endured an ugly
breakup with a man who constantly insulted and undermined her. Elle helps Paulette to become
more assertive and confident, which helps Paulette to eventually confront her ex-husband. In
fact, the infamous bend and snap flirting mechanism was invented by Elle to help get Paulette
out of her comfort zone. Although the move can definitely be analyzed as a sexual tactic to
please men, the scene is actually also very empowering. The salon is a social gathering place,
and by practicing the bend and snap, a distinct camaraderie among the women is formed. Elle

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compliments all the women who partake in the activity and it is clearly an affirming and
enjoyable experience for all those involved.
Another friendship that Elle forms is with the woman she is hired to defend, Brooke
Windham. Brooke is one of Elles sorority sisters, and only trusts Elle with her alibi. Although
Elle has a case to win and a professor and fellow classmates to impress, she keeps the alibi
between herself and Brooke. She does not lower her standards or betray her friend even when
she is pressured to.
A third female relationship that Elle develops is with the first instructor she meets at
Harvard: Professor Stromwell. At first, Professor Stromwell is depicted as a harsh, intimidating
woman who doesnt put up with any of Elles airhead antics. By the time Elle finds her groove,
however, Professor Stromwell becomes very impressed with Elles progress and ideas. After Elle
is hit on by Professor Callahan, Elle is determined to quit her internship and move back to
California. Professor Stromwell overhears and warns Elle that if she is going to let one stupid
prick ruin your life, youre not the girl I thought you were. This mentorship is just another
example of the female empowerment found in this film. Even when one woman doesnt fully
believe in herself, there is always a group of women waiting to rally around her and make her
realize her true potential.
Lastly, Elle is a great example of a woman who is unabashedly confident and comfortable
in her own skin. Although her goal is pretty far-fetched, Elle sets a target for herself and doesnt
stop until she achieves it. Many doubt her abilities along the way, but she never loses faith in
herself and even shows empathy towards her adversaries. She overcomes any stereotypes that are
used against her and passionately accomplishes any task that comes her way. While Elle Woods
isnt the typical feminist role model, she does exude many admirable qualities.

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Legally Blonde has long been a popular staple in American popular culture. It is a
lighthearted romantic comedy that few people find fault with, due to its physical comedy,
satirical wit, and empowering messages. Upon further inspection, however, it is clear that the
film utilizes many tactics that are harmful to feminism. Such strategies include emphasizing
stereotypes, gender roles, the sexualization of women, patriarchy, heteronormativity, and female
rivalry. There are some redeeming themes found throughout the movie, however. The importance
of female friendships and self-confidence are underlying themes through many of the trials that
Elle Woods faces. Viewers should still feel free to count Legally Blonde as a guilty pleasure, as
long as they are fully aware of the patriarchal traps it often falls victim to.

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Works Cited
Legally Blonde. Dir. Robert Luketic. Perf. Reese Witherspoon. MGM Home Entertainment,
2001. DVD.
Lorber, Judith. Night to His Day: The Social Construction of Gender. Feminist Frontiers.
Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 33-45. Print.
Martin, Karin A. & Kazyak, Emily. Hetero-Romantic Love and Heterosexiness in Childrens GRated Films. Feminist Frontiers. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 153-163. Print.
Martin, Patricia Y. & Hummer, Robert A. Fraternities and Rape on Campus. Feminist
Frontiers. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 405-413. Print.