Having it all

As we read in last week's readings, Hollywood usually treats successful women's coming of age moments as wild women losing their wild side and learning to become good, pretty women who are destined to be fine wives for their future husbands. Mary Ann Doane describes the quiet and unattractive women having to undergo the same transformation of having to look beautiful and smile prettily at men in order to be seen as a complete woman. They even have their glasses taken away so they forever will be objects of the gaze.

"Why can't we have both?" They must have thought in 2001 (which is 17 years ago now), when one of the most progressive and feminist films released in theaters, or so I will argue in this post.

The story of Elle Woods' journey to become a complete woman includes embracing her reading glasses, instead of shedding them. What starts as a stereotypical race to recapture her man's heart, ends with the realization that she is her own person, her happiness should be a result of her own actions and not male attention.
Traditionally, in order to be considered attractive or successful (which is often regarded as the same really), women had to chose in Hollywood movies. While looks are important, that often meant more serious things weren't meant for the woman. Brainiacs or ambitious lead female roles were about the realization those ambitions were more important than frivolous  pink dresses or incredible nail art. Ambitions don't mash well with pink and other hyper-feminine stereotypes.

But for Elle Woods in Legally Blonde, she can have it all and look good doing it.