What Every Girl Needs To Take Away From ‘Legally Blonde’

Recently, I rewatched Legally Blonde (and Legally Blonde: The Musical, which is all on Youtube and I highly recommend it and it might even be better than the movie itself but that’s beside the point), and while watching, I realized: that movie is amazing and a great example for young women.

Yes, it starts with a heartbroken Elle after her boyfriend breaks up with her when she thinks he’s going to propose (which isn’t wrong of her – I would probably throw chocolates at the TV too!). Yes, Elle’s friends seem dumb and stupid, playing right into the sad, slutty sorority girl stereotype. Elle is rich, spoiled, and no one seems to have any faith that she can pull off anything other than being pretty and marrying rich.

But then, she gets a 179 on the LSAT (only one point lower than the highest score possible, thank you very much), and she gets into Harvard Law School.

Her first few months at Harvard are horrible, to say the least. She had underestimated the workload, the work she thinks she needs to do to get Warner back, the other students there and what they might think of her, and worst of all: she’s underestimated herself.

And no one takes her seriously.

Why? Because all they see is the Elle that wears lots of pink, carries around a purse dog, gets her nails done to cheer herself up, and dresses up like a Playboy bunny.

This woman pulled off a 179 on the Law School Entrance Exam, after studying fashion merchandising and what shade of pink is the most perfect her whole college career. She pulls herself together, starts studying, aces exams, helps Paulette get her dog back by invoking the law, and becomes a great and badass lawyer.

And she does all this while staying true to herself.

Elle never compromises her love of pink, her great hair, or great clothes just to become what other people want her to be. She never lets anyone drag her down, or tell her to believe in something she doesn’t want to believe. And even when everyone pressures her to give up Brooke’s alibi, she doesn’t because she has strong morals and she won’t give them up for anything.

Elle fights back against Callahan’s sexual harassment by letting other people stand up for her, believe in her, and fight for her. She fights back by standing up for herself and finally believing that she’s smart enough to achieve more.

And even when she becomes the lead lawyer in Brooke’s defense case, she uses her knowledge from her sorority girl life to win the case. She uses her own Elle-type superpowers, while dressed like a boss in a hot pink dress, and shows that a sorority girl can be a good – no, great – lawyer.

Paulette, too, is a great example for women. When we first see Paulette, she lacks self-confidence and is quiet and reserved. She doesn’t think she deserves anything more than crappy men and her dog. But Elle teaches her, and also us, that no matter what, she can be hot, smart, and get the guy without giving any part of ourselves up.

Elle and Paulette are the women we all want to be.

Elle is confident, smart, sassy, and never gives up on herself. Paulette finds herself in the course of the story; she discovers her confidence and what makes her beautiful without giving up on her unique style. We all need to take a page out of both of these women’s books. After all, as Vivienne says at the end of the musical, Being true to yourself never goes out of style.”

Featured image via Legally Blonde Movies on Instagram

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