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Why Legally Blonde is the ultimate feminist movie

I randomly decided to watch Legally Blonde last night. I was on a sort of angry feminist kick and was debating between Hard Candy and Girls Town before I ultimately decided on the popular Reese Witherspoon flick. I'd seen the movie before, but not in a long, long time. And let me tell you, this movie gets it right. Really right. Here are the top four reasons why Legally Blonde is the ultimate feminist movie:

1. Feminism is for sorority chicks, too

Too often, feminism is associated with a certain type of lady. In the movies, she's usually the tomboy who likes to snarl at the girly-girls and thinks she's better than everyone else because she doesn't subscribe to society's standards. These girls suffer from what I like to call Special Snowflake Syndrome. "I'm not the kind of girl who wears makeup and heels." Can I get a slow clap? This does not make you better than the "kind of girl" who does. It's refreshing to see a female lead like Elle Woods. She makes positive changes in her life while still keeping the qualities that make her who she is.

2. Forget about the boy

Love stories are secondary in this film. It starts out strong, but dwindles away right at the middle. And this isn't to say a good feminist flick can't have a love story. But Elle's ex-boyfriend was no good, and the minute she realized it she decided to prove herself to him. Proving herself to him evolved into proving herself to a ton of other people who didn't believe in her. In the end, she got Luke Wilson without a big to-do. Refreshing.

3. Lady friendships!

When Vivian and Elle meet, they immediately hate each other. Pretty typical among female leads. And naturally, it has to do with a boy. But towards the end of the film, they take a liking to each other. They become best friends and, eventually, Vivian wants nothing to do with Emmett either.

And let's not forget how Elle's professor makes a pass and she decides to leave Harvard and go back to Los Angeles. She confides in Luke Wilson's character, who tries to convince her to stay. She refuses and goes to Paulette's salon to talk it out. With the help of Paulette and a female professor Elle butted heads with previously, she decides to stay in Harvard and finish the case. That's right - the love interest couldn't convince the girl. But her fellow ladies had it under control. And the icing on the cake? Her male professor gets kicked off the case when his client replaces him with Elle, who proves her innocence. There's one or two helpful remarks from Luke Wilson during the trial, but other than that it's all about girl power.

4. The "hot" chick succeeds

Sometimes chick flicks turn into some sort of revenge fantasy where the average girl gets it in the end. Much like a Taylor Swift song! But every type of girl deserves to be happy. Elle Woods was a genuinely nice girl who got a lot flak for the way she looked, and in the end she told everyone who doubted her - the douchey guys, the average girls who thought they were better than her - exactly where they could go.

#legally blonde #feminism #elle woods #source: films