I'm talking about feminism.
Last term, I made the decision to stage manage for Washington and Lee's production of "Legally Blonde." I don't think I expected it to take up so much of my time, but I honestly don't mind. I love all of the music, I love all of the dances, I think all of the cast did a stellar job. If you didn't get a chance to see the show, you didn't only miss a fantastic demonstration of W&L's musical brilliance, but also a multifaceted representation of feminist values.
Elle Woods doesn't seem like your typical proponent for women's rights. Even at the end of the musical, she seems like she would be more preoccupied with herself and her own struggles than with the plights of the more disadvantaged. That's the beauty of it. You don't have to be the camo vest, yin yang insignia, combat boot wearing, Gloria Steinem-worshiping Enid to be considered a feminist.
1. Female empowerment.
Early on in the show, Elle is ostracized from her fellow classmates, most notably by the women. Enid, the SJW human rights champion and Vivienne, the opportunistic networking-obsessed preppy bully, don't want anything to do with Elle. They don't take her seriously and her pleas to be women supporting other women are trampled on by more demanding issues — namely, Warner's last name.
However, it's the very same Enid and Vivienne that end up motivating Elle at the end of the show to continue her law career. After spending enough time around her ultra-optimist and compassionate naivety, they gain an appreciation for the competence of the traditionally incompetent (girly, bubbly, naive women).
2. Equality of the sexes.
3. Preserved femininity.
It's not hard to see that professional environments condemn hyper-femininity. Being a girl is not a curse. Somehow having a pink wardrobe, being a cheerleader and caring about pop culture insinuates a shallowness of thought, character and ability. People are complex and consequently, so is gender. You don't have to like makeup and Justin Bieber to comfortably identify as a girl. You don't have to be a man to have an interest in sports, science or stats. You do what you want to do first and foremost, that tricky gender stuff can follow.
Elle is feminine to the extreme — her bedroom is 50 shades of pink, she majored in fashion merchandising and is the model Delta Nu sister. The musical's main storyline is Elle's overcoming people underestimating her. Any audience can grasp the message that anyone can be successful, it doesn't matter if they wear pink blazers and know the cardinal rules of perm maintenance.
4. Fight for one, fight for all.
5. Happy endings.
Real life isn't actually accompanied by Broadway scores and full choreography. Just because this isn't a perfect world, don't mean you can't employ feminism to make this your perfect world. I hope the audience came away from the musical feeling like they too can accomplish anything their mind and resources permit them to. I hope the audience came away understanding that women, that people, are complex people that are always deserving of our initial respect. I hope they realize that feminism is more than a Beyoncé song and an H&M graphic tee.
Feminism is the effort to give everyone a chance at their own happy ending.
