Awesome Female Role Models - Elle Woods

Every Wednesday (and sometimes another bonus day!) I feature a female character from a book, TV show, musical/play, or movie that I think is an awesome role model.

The women who have been featured so far are:

Meg from Hercules
Maria from West Side Story
Anne Shirley from Anne of Green Gables
Katherine Plumber from Newsies (stage production)
Rachel Berry from Glee

Today, I want to talk to you all about Elle Woods from Legally Blonde. (The movie specifically, but that's only because I haven't seen the stage musical all the way through. I've heard it's awesome though!)

I was a freshman in high school when this movie came out in 2001, and I absolutely fell in love with it! While I'm by no means a sorority girl or fashionista and I have no intentions of going to law school, I felt like I could relate to Elle. I have had my fair share of blonde moments though. Especially when I was in high school. Now I can "fake" my blondness a bit more. ;-) My friends and I would joke that I really was Elle Woods.



Especially now that I have Bandit. He's the Bruiser to my Elle.

Elle first appears to be - well - a dumb blonde. All she cares about is clothes and playing with her puppy. She wears pink all the time, shops constantly, goes to get her nails done when she's sad, and giggles and squeals with her sorority sisters. Not someone that you would take seriously at first glance.

Heck, even at second glance. Instead of the proposal she's expecting, Elle's boyfriend breaks up with her because he's going to Harvard Law and needs to be with a "Jackie, not a Marilyn."

Ouch.

So, Elle decides she's going to turn it around and go to Harvard Law to prove to him that she can be taken seriously. The best part though, is that in the end she proves more to herself that she can more than she ever dreamed, but also that she doesn't have to conform to the way people think she should behave and remain true to the awesome person that she is.

Elle appears to be your sterotypical blonde, but she actually breaks stereotypes. Just because someone loves clothes and showing off her femininity, it doesn't mean she isn't smart or can step up and work hard. Elle studies just as much as the other students, if not more. She has to prepare her arguments in court and think critically on the spot. In fact, because of her fashion knowledge, there are times she is a step ahead of the others. Also - looking good is just part of putting your best foot forward. It may seem shallow, but when you think realistically, if you want people to take you seriously there are times you need to look good.

Elle is genuinely kind hearted. She cares about people. Even when her ex (Warner) is a jerk to her, she still treats him kindly. She helps out the woman who does her nails get her dog back and win a date with the UPS guy. She's hurt by Warner's new fiance, but they end up becoming best friends in spite of that. When girls are turning their noses up at one of the other law students, she stands up for him and helps people to see him in a new light. She doesn't care what background you come from, what you look like, or who you are. When everyone thinks the worst in others, Elle sees the best. Also, someone who loves dogs that much can't be a bad person. They just can't.

Elle makes the best out of any situation. Your boyfriend dumps you? Prove him wrong by going to law school! Make a mistake by wearing a bunny costume to a party? No biggie, get over the embarrassment and work it like you did it on purpose. People aren't taking you seriously?  Do whatever you need to in order to show that you can do it. Because you can! Everything Elle does, she does it with a smile and a great attitude. Even when she's feeling unsure of herself.

Elle doesn't back down. When her proffessor comes onto her, while she knows it could make her life easier, she doesn't take his crap. She stands up for herself even if it means sacrificing her hard work. When the other students wouldn't be her friend or help her study, Elle could have quit and gone home. But she didn't. She stuck with it until the bitter end. Even her own parents didn't believe she would actually get into law school and go through with it. But she does it anyway.

Elle knows what she deserves. It takes her awhile to figure it out, but by the end of the movie when Warner wants her back, she won't take him. She realizes that he's a jerk and she deserves someone much better than him. Someone who accepts and loves her as she is and doesn't doubt her abilities.

Awesome Elle Woods Quotes:

I just don't think that Brooke could've done this. Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don't shoot their husbands, they just don't.

I once had to judge a tighty-whitey contest for Lambda Kappa Pi. Trust me, I can handle anything

"You got into Harvard Law?' "What? Like it's hard?"

Because I'm not a Vanderbilt, suddenly I'm white trash? I grew up in Bel Air, Warner. Across the street from Aaron Spelling. I think most people would agree that's a lot better than some stinky old Vanderbilt.

It's impossible to use a half-loop stitching on low-viscosity rayon. It would snag the fabric. And you didn't just get it in- I saw in the June Vogue a year ago. So if you're trying to sell it to me for full price, you've picked the wrong girl.

But if I'm going to be a partner in my own law firm by the time I'm 30, I need a boyfriend who's not such a complete bonehead.

This is going to be just like senior year, only funner!

Bend and snap!

Do you love Elle Woods too? What are your thoughts on Legally Blonde? Any differences between the movie character and the one on stage? What other women do you want to see featured on Wednesdays?