Gender Stereotypes In The Film Legally Blonde

The film Legally Blonde surrounds stereotypes and the breaking of them, something many people have deemed as powerful. Legally Blonde surrounds Elle, a blonde sorority girl that initially has her heart broken by her ex, Warren, after being told that she is not serious enough for him to wed. So, after learning that he is attending Harvard Law School, she does the same. Following several bumps in the road, her success on a case she was assigned combined with her talents for school allow her to overcome initial expectations, or the lack thereof, for her, and she ends the film incredibly successful.

In Legally Blonde, obvious stereotypes include Elle, Warren, and the handling of gender overall, while less obvious stereotypes include those of the gay community and college life. When analyzing this film from the perspective of the 2016 society, cultural and societal changes become apparent that have since allowed for more representation since the film’s initial release in 2001.

Perhaps the most obvious stereotype in the film concerns Elle’s blonde, white sorority girl persona. Her signature color is pink, she own a pet

These stereotypes are never broken, making them harder to detect, but they are still there. The gay stereotypes present surround Enrique the pool boy. He immediately recognized Elle’s shoes as, “last season Prada”, and Brooke comments that he does love Cher. These two pieces of information are used to stereotype the gay community into Cher and designer loving flamboyant men, while this is far from the truth for most in the community. College life is also stereotyped as ideal in the beginning of the film, with everyone outside, playing hacky sack, and the large events thrown by Elle’s sorority and other groups. Both the gay community and college life are stereotyped in Legally Blonde, without any development to the treatment of these