The fact that a movie was the main reason I went through recruitment is weird, I know. But I have always held "Legally Blonde" in high esteem because I always saw it as a bright and happy movie. It made me want to be in a sorority, but probably not for the reasons you think. So I will explain more in detail why it impacted my life so much.
It starts with the first scene.
It starts out (for those who haven’t seen it) with the sisters of Delta Nu writing Elle Woods a letter wishing her luck on her engagement. Every sister knows who to hand it to, and each writes a sweet note to her, and everyone is happy for her. Sisterhood is wanting the best for all of your sisters, even the ones you might be jealous of or dislike.
Then there is the breakup aftermath.
Elle’s sisters don’t let her sink into a well of depression. Oh, no; they push her to move forward and don’t let her say no. They know exactly why she needs when she is down and take her to the place where she is happiest. This just happens to be the salon. And when she has an epiphany on what she needs to be to get the man, they don’t bat an eyelash.
This is so true in real life. When I was going through my first real breakup, and was horribly upset, my sisters were with me and they didn’t let me sink into a hole. Girls I wasn’t even close with texted me and invited me out. My closer sisters came into my room, and made me get dressed and go out with them. Never have I felt so much sisterhood in my time in my sorority as I did during this time.
Next you have the LSAT prep.
Once Elle sets her mind on going to Harvard, her sisters are there for her. This also shows how diverse her sorority is because you have sisters who party, but also sisters who are prelaw who help her study for the LSAT. I love this scene because even though her sisters want her to party with them they understand she has a goal and so they help her obtain them by working around it.
Accommodating to help a sister is an important part of being a great sister. I know that often in my sorority sisters who have a big test will camp out at the library and other sisters will join them to keep them on track and motivated. This is an awesome part of being in sorority because you build a support system without noticing it.
Fast forward to the final court scene.
A large part of this movie is about Elle and doesn’t feature her sorority sisters. I think this is an important portrayal because active collegiate involvement in a sorority lasts for your undergraduate degree and ends when you graduate. But that doesn’t mean that it is the end of her connection to the sisterhood. She might be far away, but when a sister is in need of support she will have it for the rest of her life. This scene portrays an important milestone in Elle’s life, and her sisters are there for her. You’ll notice that it is only her best friends in the sorority, and this is realistic because not everyone in a sorority is going to be her best friend, but they can support her from afar.
I will admit that "Legally Blonde" isn’t exactly the best portrayal of sorority life, but I’ll be darned if it didn’t prepare me in part for my Greek life experience. If you can ignore the ditzy stereotypes and the sexual innuendos, this movie shows a view of sorority life that can, in theor,y can be obtained during college.
Because of this movie, I went through recruitment and found my home. I am grateful for this movie giving me a positive few of sorority life. What do you think?
