Femininity and Feminism
If you like clubbing, you’re shallow. If you like reading, you’re pretentious. If you have sex, you’re a slut. If you don’t, you’re a prude. It seems as though women cannot win, no matter what position they’re in.
The feminist movement’s rich and complicated history cannot be summarised in a brief article, and there is fierce debate regarding its precise definition. However, one thing most self-proclaimed feminists agree on is that the movement’s purpose is to give women a choice. But what does this choice entail?
The Rise of the Girlboss: Liberation or New Shackles?
The advent of the internet brought widespread connection, leading many women to realise the lack of true freedom regarding patriarchal gender roles and biases. Feminism has become a raging topic that constantly loses and gains favour in the mainstream, leading many people to form strong opinions on what feminism entails, and what is considered misogynistic.
Misogyny — a dislike of, contempt for, or ingrained prejudice against women — has become embroiled with the idea of what modern-day feminism is supposed to be. We can see this in “‘The Girlboss”, a concept that has received overwhelming positivity in the majority of feminist circles, the idea of a woman being the breadwinner of her home, a woman who breaks the glass ceilings of the workforce, knee-deep in hustle culture while still thriving as both a mother and wife. But is this sustainable? Or even realistic as the idea of a woman with autonomy and happiness for herself?
The origin of the girlboss concept is often traced back to the period when Western, particularly American, women began taking on traditionally ‘masculine’ jobs, such as factory work or engineering, to support its economy while men were away fighting in WWII. Although the USA is not a monolith for all women, it is important for us to recognise that much of the mainstream narrative is influenced by this global superpower.
The Second Wave of Feminism and Its Legacy
This major event went onto lay the seeds of the women’s rights movement in the 60s and 70s, where American author Betty Friedan published ‘The Feminine Mystique’, a book that sought to address the domestication of women and how they were made to believe that to have it all was to be a loving housewife with children and a large house, suppressing their own aspirations and autonomy in life.
With the advent of the second wave of feminism, there was an emphasis on women taking on more traditionally masculine roles to be taken seriously. While this was a reasonable course of action for the time, it led some people to deem feminine women ‘weaker’ or ‘not feminist enough’, as they felt that these women were not contributing to the fight against oppression and the patriarchy. Many women have expressed guilt over feeling they are bad feminists over things such as putting effort into their appearance, or because they place importance on their romantic relationships. But doesn’t shaming women for making these personal choices just circle back to misogyny? Betty Friedan called for women to reject makeup, heels, and bras as instruments of oppression, and now women struggle with traditionally feminine behaviour being at odds with the fight for gender equity. Can one wear lipstick and still fight the patriarchy?
There is an unreasonable amount of pressure on every woman to be mature, respectful, intelligent, obedient, and put-together. If one woman falters, all women are to blame. Male drivers involved in accidents are just ‘drivers’, but female drivers are always ‘female drivers’. Fathers are praised for simply spending just a little time with their children, but mothers who work full time are shamed for not being involved with every aspect of their childrens’ lives. Despite long-standing efforts to balance all of these responsibilities, they are rarely celebrated enough for their hard work. Many feminists have tried to counter this by highlighting these women’s experiences, and acknowledging their accomplishments.
But with counteracting the internalised contempt towards each other comes the other extreme: forgiving women for genuinely horrible behaviour on the basis of ‘supporting other women’. Or feeling as though you are obligated to forgive other women for doing genuinely horrible things to you simply because you have to ‘support other women’. Interpersonal relationships are inherently complicated, and these lines are difficult to draw.
Legally Blonde: Celebrating Femininity and Feminism
One unlikely place where these themes are explored is the 2001 film Legally Blonde, which follows Elle Woods, a bombshell blonde sorority girl studying fashion marketing, who enrols in Harvard Law School to win back her ex-boyfriend. Despite having several flaws and being a product of its time, Legally Blonde is a surprisingly progressive film. Elle Woods’ bubbly, girly characterisation did not fit in with the other strong female characters of the time, such as Lara Croft or Sarah Connor, yet she showcases her intelligence and determination at many points throughout the film, as the film advocated for gender equality regardless of femininity and masculinity.
Elle Woods prevails alongside her traditionally feminine character traits, not in spite of them. She eventually graduates as valedictorian while staying true to herself. For example, one of Elle’s classmates, Vivian Kensington, turned out to be engaged to her ex-boyfriend. Despite the initial petty rivalry between the two, they end up putting their differences aside and become good friends. This shift undermined the societal pressure for women to compete for male attention. Her kindness and loyalty, traditionally feminine traits, shine through when she chooses to keep a sorority sister’s career-ruining secret, even though it would hurt the case. Nonetheless, Elle still manages to use her intelligence to find alternative means to win the case. Finally, it is her knowledge of fashion and beauty (in this case, hair and perms) that helps her solve a murder case.
Everything about Elle Woods’ character is girly to the max, from her pink wardrobe to her name (both a reference to the fashion magazine, and the French pronoun for ‘she’). The difference between Legally Blonde and other films with similarly feminine characters is that it never seeks to mock its heroine’s interest in femininity. Even at the film’s outset, Elle had utilised her understanding of clothing to expose a saleswoman’s blatant lies, showcasing her intelligence and knowledgeability. Her love of pink dresses doesn’t stop her from becoming a successful lawyer, nor should it stop other women from pursuing their goals.
The general dictionary definition of feminism is the advocacy for women’s rights on the basis of equality of the sexes. Ultimately, this is an incredibly nuanced and charged subject, and every individual has their personal view on the topic. However, it wouldn’t hurt to be a little kinder to women who simply want to have fun and be pretty in pink.
[Written By: Kianna Chan, Edited By: Bryan Lue]
