What is the message behind the Legally Blonde films? These are Hollywood redemptive comedies after all, there must be a message. Is it that:
a) Blondes aren’t dumb after all (countered by all her blonde friends being dumb)
b) Is it that we all can overcome prejudice to succeed (countered by the reverse “dull person prejudice” the films set up)
c) Is it that if we work hard enough our dreams will come true (upset by the fact that being a lawyer wasn’t exactly Elle’s dream)
d) That big, tough scary sounding jobs are actually a piece of piss especially if you go at them in a quirky manner (probably).
The message behind the films is as nebulous as the supposed joke in the title. Legally Blonde sounds like it should be a pun, or a play on words but is actually nothing.
Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde tries to re-run the plot of the first film and comes a-cropper at the first scene. The journey in the original was from seemingly dumb bimbo to top flight lawyer. Here the altogether more plausible plot is top flight lawyer is transformed into a politician. Not exactly a leap of credulity. Instead the film has to remind us how ridiculous Elle is (which the first film told us made her special). In the end the only reason the film works at all is because Reese Witherspoon wills it. The satire is toothless and the message that politicians are corrupt is trite to say the least. In the end though the idea that pure gumption and dirty tricks can win the day (stalking people in their hairdressers) suggests that idealistic Elle is not exactly holier than thou. When it comes to me – she is not even blonder than thou.