Legally blonde; most would argue that it's just your classic unsubstantial chick flick.
Yet upon delving deeper into the film, valuable underlying messages of resilience and strength of character are revealed. The protagonist Elle Woods leads by example; not only in her capacity to be a vibrant social butterfly, but also in her driven nature as she attains academic success. A true icon...
We as unimelb students can assimilate ourselves to Wood’s exuberance; stepping into similar challenges that drive us to become the best versions of ourselves. Whether it be enrolling in an out-of-field breath subject, pushing yourself to meet new people at a social event, or even signing up for that interesting food appreciation society, Melbourne University provides the perfect environment for self-discovery. The myriad of opportunities available across campus creates freedom to step away from barriers that have previously prevented us from doing the things we truly want to achieve.
This leads us into our purpose for this article - What are the lessons we can learn from Elle Woods, and how can we apply this to our uni life?
Lesson One : Don't judge a book by its cover.
However cliche it may be, the film aims to teach us the importance of “not judging a book by its cover”. Although Woods appears your typical blonde bimbo at first glance, the protagonist obtains a sense of focus and intellect like no other. Barely fitting the mould of a student of Harvard Law (with remarkable style and extensive knowledge of both the social and fashion realms), she encounters a multitude of false perceptions from those around her who overlook her true academic abilities. Even her parents express doubts; “Law school’s for people who are boring and ugly and serious. And you, button, are none of those things.”. It would have been so easy for this character to fall into the expectations of failure from those around her, resorting back into a life of glamour and privilege. Courageously she doesn’t, and emerges an inspiration as she excels in all her endeavours.
Lesson Two: Your Interests are Valid and Important
We all know that Elle Woods is indeed pretty in pink and exudes Y2K glitz and glamour, however we also can’t neglect her clear brainiac abilities and emotional intellect. No, we’re not trying to compare her to Mother Teresa and nor to Einstein, but Woods shows us that you can be both beauty and brains by simply being yourself; “The rules of hair care are simple and finite. Any Cosmo girl would have known.”Recall when Woods won the case for Brooke Windham because of this fact? It is Woods’ niche interests and divergent thinking that not only excelled her skills, however also those of her classmates and allowed Brooke Windham to walk a free woman.
There are two lessons to be learnt here; 1) Your interests are important no matter how foreign they may be to others, and 2) your voice will help others feel liberated. So just because you’ve entered a new chapter in life where perhaps not all of your interests and passions may align with your chosen course, like Woods, don’t be afraid to merge them, to use your interests to connect with others or to share this information. Stay connected to the things that you love and invigorate you.
Lesson Three: Know your worth.
On the topic of love, let us enter the next lesson taught by Ms Woods. Don’t love blindly - whether that be romantic or plutonic, stand your ground and don’t let others determine your sense of worth. Yes, in the beginning Woods does enter her degree to win back the “love of my [her] life;” Harvard Law, East Coast, blue-blooded fraternity boy Warner Huntington III (gag). In his eyes, she had always been a dumb blonde with little to offer to the world… apart from being a trophy wife that is. With time she finally came to understand that “I’m never gonna be good enough for you, am I?”
From here, Woods’ growth and self-validation goes above and beyond and we truly begin to see her blossom “I will show you how valuable Elle Woods can be.” By being kind, meeting the beautiful Emmet, working hard, making new friends and surrounding herself with people who bring her up, Woods parades the idea of “you attract the energy that you project,” and that “The less you respond to negative people, the more powerful your life will become.” (Robert E. Baine Jr , https://www.happierhuman.com/toxic-people-quotes/)) . Moral of the story: uni is a new chapter in life and it’s ok to leave some parts of it behind if it won’t serve to progress you as a person; whether that be academic or emotional growth.
Lesson Four: Find your support crew.
Woods also shows us that it is entirely crucial to find a community of individuals that will support, and stand by your side. Whilst it has been a tough few years submerged in intermittent isolation periods, the value of friendships is something that has remained essential to university life. Having a group of friends to grab lunch with, someone to express your concerns about a particular subject, or even a study buddy on campus - your experience at unimelb will be completely transformed if you share it with others.
Evidently, this character would not have been nearly as successful in her venture to law-school if it weren’t for sorority sisters at “Delta Nu”. The girls consistently support her within her various endeavours; “Elle, we came to see your trial!”. The relationship developed between Elle and nail-tech Paulette Buonofonte similarly demonstrates the invaluable nature of friendships. Although vastly contrasting in age, class and lifestyle, the women disregard their differences; inspiring confidence and a renewed sense of self-identity within each other. As such, we receive another key lesson from Miss Woods: However and wherever it may be, find your support crew.
Ultimately, Ms Elle Woods - while a fictional character based off of (the author of Legally Blonde) Amanda Brown’s experiences at Stanford Law school - is a person whom we can draw many valuable lessons from. She demonstrates resilience, kindness, determination, confidence and most importantly, style in her approach towards all aspects of life. By the end of the film, we see her graduate Harvard Law with honours, a multitude of job offers, immense professional experience and innumerable connections. She leaves us with this statement, and we couldn’t say it better ourselves; “It is with passion, courage of conviction, and a strong sense of self that we take our next steps into the world, remembering that first impressions are not always correct. You must always have faith in people. And most importantly, you must always have faith in yourself.”
So…like Ms Woods, throw yourself into opportunities, work hard, be yourself, have self-assurance and of course, be stylish in whatever you do!
Written by Amélie Chung and Maddie Page <3
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