Power Doesn’t Have One Flavor: Femininity and Authority in Legally Blonde

The movie Legally Blonde portrays the story of the protagonist, Elle Woods,

and her journey to becoming a lawyer. Elle Woods isn’t the typical lawyer archetype. She is a seemingly shallow sorority girl who only has an eye for fashion and guys.

However, as the movie plays out, it isn’t Elle who changes, but our understanding of her. After getting broken up with her long-term boyfriend, Warner,  she decides to follow him into Harvard Law School in hopes of getting him back. Warner, seeing her at his law school, doesn’t take her seriously. He represents gender bias in a male dominated world of law, dismissing her capability based on her appearance.

In fact, even her professor, Callahan, makes inappropriate advances at Elle undermining her accomplishments by suggesting that her success is due to her looks rather than her intelligence. This moment represents the abuse women often experience in male-dominated professional fields.

At the same time, Elle’s relationships with other women develop in meaningful ways. At first, her and Warner’s fiance, Vivian Kensington, clash heavily in fits of jealousy. Over the period of the movie, the two women learn to support each other as their fight is not with each other, but Warner. Their eventual solidarity represents one of the film’s messages about the importance of supporting one another instead of competing for male approval.

Ultimately, Elle’s success demonstrates a broader realization: women do not need to change who they are in order to be respected. The film celebrates the idea that individuals can embrace their personal style; whether it be feminine, goth, tomboy, or anything else, and still achieve success, proving that authenticity and competence go hand in hand.