Gender Socialization in Legally Blonde - Essay Example

Gender Socialization in Legally Blonde

 

Legally Blonde at first sight is a movie that has been termed in the category of ‘chick flicks’ however the movie speaks a great deal more than what it may portray in hindsight. Elle Woods, the main protagonist is a feminist in her true form. Throughout the course of the film, she has tried to put her needs behind her and put the needs of others first. She is different than the people that she works with in her legal profession; however, that helps people to realize that it does not mean that she doesn’t have goals and aspirations. Elle tries to bring about women’s upliftment by understanding that her goals are combined with the goals of other women around the world. The movie helps to provide a very early introduction to the idea of feminism.

 

There are different kinds of feminists all around the world; liberal, socialist, and radical feminism behavior. Elle represents liberal feministic conduct because she tries to improve the situation of women by becoming passionate about their plight. She witnesses a few incidents of women being disrespected; both in the professional sphere as well as in relationships and social life. The movie helps to send a message to younger women and women in school about how they should step down from something they believe in. Most women all around the world are taunted for their likes and dislikes – just Elle was by her family and boyfriend. However, she took the SATs and showed them that she was intelligent enough to get into the same law program as well.

 

Despite her Barbie-doll persona, Reese Witherspoon's latest character has a surprisingly strong feminist agenda, writes Ron Dicker. Film historian Cari Beauchamp says the first film - a surprise hit two years ago - had a solid feminist agenda. “Her priorities are so clear," Beauchamp says. "There are self-worth issues. Women are taking care of women. Women who are friends are really important to each other, and they have to love each other first. All of that with this veneer of lip gloss and the Guccis and last year's Prada.” Elle is the representation of a number of women out there in the world who do not have a voice of their own due to suppression faced by their male counterparts.

 

The main objective of a feminist is to empower other women around him or her and Elle is able to achieve this as she helps her friends throughout the first and second parts of the movie understand how important it is for every woman to have a voice. Elle Woods stands up to her boyfriend and gets selected to be a part of a high-profile law case in the first part of the film. She displays a true sense of feminism by telling him that she can be successful without him by her side.

 

Through this, she has tried to tell other women that it is not necessary to have a man by their side in order to achieve goals and ambitions in life. Gender socialization is the bigger aspect that differentiates a person on the basis of his sex or gender. When a baby is born, it is differentiated on the basis of a girl or a boy and is brought up by society around it in a particular manner; boys are given much more freedom, and girls are overprotected. These are the stereotypical ways in which children have been brought up.

 

Most women around the world have to fight in order to obtain what they want; they are not given sufficient education and job opportunities and have to fight to marry the person they want as well, in many cases. Elle Woods in Legally Blonde helps women to understand how important it is for a woman to stand up and have power in a society that belongs to men. Most societies around the world are patriarchal in nature, not providing enough leverage to women or helping them achieve an ascribed status.

 

When Elle’s friend in the second part tells her that her boyfriend did not want to be with her anymore, and thinks that she is dumb, Elle comforts her by telling her that no woman should be treated the way she was and in this manner, spreads an epidemic about letting women be free and liberal in their own sense. Thus, as a liberal feminist, Elle does not intend to impose any rules or any rights on men around her; however, she wants them to understand that it is important for them to not undermine the power of women in society. She helps society transform into a suitable place for women to be comfortable with respect to their rights and rules, in the movie and paved the way for feminism in the same manner. Read More