The Best Blonde
to Ever Be in Movies

If you ask me to name a great feminist movie of the 21st century, I'll always say Legally Blonde. Granted, it doesn't do well on intersectional feminism since it centers a blonde, blue-eyed white woman, but her journey of becoming a bona fide lawyer is feminism at its finest. She fought through all the barriers put against her because of her gender and still came out on top.

I'm also only picking the first movie since the sequel is, well, a bit too much for my taste. Say what you will about the original's plot, but it was still grounded. It had its crazy moments, sure, but what early 2000s comedy didn't? At the end of the day, Elle Woods did everything right to earn her law degree by the end of the movie.

And the best part? She did it all while staying herself and maintaining her femininity. She didn't conform to whatever image others required of her to succeed in the field. She studied hard, listened to her mentors, respected her client, and won the case fairly. How could you not feel inspired by that?

Reese Witherspoon really gave a performance of a lifetime here, too. I'd even go so far as to say she deserved an Oscar nomination. She did earn a Golden Globe nomination for it, but because it's a comedy, she never got the full recognition. She turned a character who could've been annoying, vapid, and unrealistic into a likable, sympathetic, inspiring icon.

As a blonde woman myself, I also thank her for challenging the dumb blonde stereotype. I may not be a lawyer, but I'm not dumb, and I'm college-educated. I even hold a master's degree and am now one of the best professionals in my field. I couldn't have gained the confidence to get this far without Elle Woods.

You can imagine how emotional I got when I finally met her in person. I work in PR, so I often have access to celebrities, especially during awards ceremonies. I'll never forget working the 2018 Golden Globes, because that was the first time I saw and interacted with Reese Witherspoon.

That was also the year she helped launch the Time's Up initiative, and the night's red carpet went black in support of it. She looked gorgeous in her black one-shoulder Zac Posen gown and Bulgari jewelry, with her blonde hair sleek and straight. I couldn't help but stare.

I luckily got a hold of myself just in time to interact with her on the red carpet. We greeted each other, exchanged pleasantries, and then she headed inside the Beverly Hilton. Not wanting to miss my chance, I got one of my assistants to ask her to sign my Legally Blonde movie poster before the ceremony began.

I was already fairly established in the industry at the time, so I was embarrassed to ask for an autograph myself. Thankfully, I had the best assistant in the world, and she was more than willing to ask for me. In fact, she eventually got the rest of the Legally Blonde cast to sign the same poster over the years, too. I was honestly astonished!