Topic > Research the sexist portrayal of Elle Woods in Legally Blonde

IntroductionElle Woods is a rich, white, blonde, boyfriend-obsessed Hollywood girl whose goal is to get accepted into Harvard Law School. Although she is doubted and questioned by everyone around her, she ends up winning a notable case and graduating as one of the top students in her group; he also feels a sense of self-worth. The film Legally Blonde purposely showcases and markets this character to show how a "girl like that" can overcome and demonstrate to everyone around her, especially her ex-boyfriend, that looks and interests do not limit determination and achievements of a woman. However, despite all of this, Elle's depiction of femininity is limited to superficial aspects of female identity, so while the film appears to validate femininity and sisterhood, it paints unflattering and sexist images of women. For this reason, this research paper will attempt to answer the question: To what extent is the portrayal of Elle Woods sexist? Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Ella Alexander of Harpers Bazaar argues that Elle is a feminist heroine, overcoming all the sexist stereotypes deliberately given to her by the film's creators. She states: “Regardless of outside opinion, Elle never conforms to what others think of her. She doesn't give up when her California peers tell her to continue with a life of shopping and sisterhood rather than hard work at Harvard, nor does she change her appearance or sunny demeanor at Harvard when others belittle her for it. However it grows; learns that there is more to life than romantic happiness and that fulfillment comes in many forms. In fact, her courage of conviction is ultimately what allows her to unravel the truth behind the murder case. She fights misogyny and sexism, learns to believe in herself, and discovers who she is: a fiercely intelligent nonconformist who really likes the color pink. stereotypes. Elle not only develops as an individual through education and realizes her worth, but also tries to help everyone around her as best she can. This film not only conveys the various stereotypes that most girls face, but also embodies the characteristics of friendship. It portrays Elle as a woman who refuses to sacrifice her femininity to succeed. However, in doing so, the film limits the superficial aspects of female identity. The filmmakers and director consider Elle a loser ignoring all her privileges. In general, there are three different types of gender stereotypes. One of the types is personality traits. This incorporates women who are “emotional” and men who are “emotionless” and “aggressive.” Women also have domestic roles, meaning they cook or take care of children while men work. Women are stereotyped as teachers and nurses, while men are expected to take on more professional jobs such as doctors, pilots, or in this case, lawyers. The third is occupation, which is one of the most represented in this film. This affects the jobs of men and women. The last type is physical appearance. This is another significant type of generalization. It includes the basic image of a slim, beautiful, perfectly groomed woman wearing makeup and dressing a certain way. Elle falls into the fourth stereotype. However, she refuses to give up her personal style of femininity for a career as big as being a lawyer. Elle's portrayal in this film focuses on her concern for thefashion and beauty, and how having such limited interests is the key to her overall success. The women throughout this film are put into two classifications: their appearance or the way they behave. Either they are called Try Hards or they are seen as stupid, both of which are well-known generalizations for women in our current society. The women in Legally Blonde who fall under the classification of those who commit are mostly generally intelligent women like Enid, Vivian, and Professor Stromwell. Each of these women are white women who are obviously highly educated, able-bodied, and upper-middle class. Due to their individual roles in Elle's life throughout the film, they are presented as female characters that audiences are inclined to hate, due to their attitudes and intentions. Most of the "dumb" women are considered more attractive than those in the movie "trying hard" so they are classified as less intelligent. Most of the women in this movie who belong to this category are middle-class, able-bodied white women , coincidentally, almost all of them are also blonde and love to shop and get their nails done, which is another stereotype about women. As for the clothing of women in this specific category, every single scene these women appear in features them in dresses that show off their bodies compared to women in the "try hard" category who reveal very little of their bodies. Women in this film are seen to be there simply for the pleasure of men several incidents occur where it is evident that Elle she is only seen as an object by these men, for example, the Harvard lawmen who only let Elle in because of her hypersexualized admissions video. Another example is Professor Callaghan, who only let Elle work with him because he thought she would have sexual intercourse with him. The men in this film are depicted in two categories, although less harsh than the women, they are either the "good" or the "bad" guys. “Good kids” spend much less time in front of screens and wear increasingly casual clothes, describing their financial situation as inferior to that of “bad kids”. The “bad guys” spend more and more time on screen and almost wear expensive clothes, which represent their wealth. They are considered more desirable by the show's female characters due to their wealth and social status. Elle is a sweet, feminine and tenacious young woman. She is portrayed in a very closed, stupid and fashion-obsessed light. She is shown to be very emotional. In the scene where her boyfriend Warner leaves her for another, smarter girl, she cries herself to sleep: "I've lost all meaning in life." Soon after, she is seen studying, working hard, and applying to Harvard for the sole purpose of getting him back. Another example was when she was lying with her dog and said, “I will prove him wrong and get him back! You'll see!". Once she entered Harvard, her mindset began to change, however, when she saw Warner and his new girlfriend in class, she was devastated. «He can't have it! Now I'm at Harvard, he should want me again!" As for Elle's physical appearance, in every single scene she appears in she wears clothes that show off her body compared to that of women, like her ex's new girlfriend which reveals very little of her body, Elle is portrayed wearing it to please the men around her. An example is when Warner is playing football with her friends, Elle relaxes on the sidelines to "study". distracts the boys playing as she wears nothing but a sparkly bikini top under a furry shawl at the top.