Legally Blonde

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Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to the Bechdel Cast. My name is Jamie Loftus, my name is Caitlin Darante, and welcome to a very special episode of the beck Doel Cast. We have a little treat for you today, So if if you're new to the show, we'll catch you up in a second. But for for our loyal listeners, um, we are unlocking a much demanded episode of the Bechtel Cast today from our patreon ak Matreon page. So what you're going to here today is an episode that people who do not subscribe to our Patreon have been asking for us for years and all of our matrons have been sneakily enjoying for a long time. But it's the Legally Blond episode. Yes, we recorded and released this quite some time ago. I think it's around two yeah, two years ago at least, So it's one of our older episodes and it's been it's been behind the paywall, but we decided, hey, we could use a break now more than ever, and yeah, what a what a delightful movie and episode to share with people, So we we decided to share. It's unlocked. Yeah, so it's it's unlocked, And if you like this episode, and you're not already a matron, it will hopefully give you an idea of what our Matreon episodes are like. They're a little looser, they're fun. We don't have to go into all the detail about explaining what the Bechtel test is. You already know. If you're a matron, we're just like you got it. But but if you if this is your first episode, interesting choice of first episode, but we will get you caught up, so we since we don't introduce it this way in in the episode, we're unlocking. The Bechtel test is a media metric invented by cartoonist Alice and Bechtel, sometimes called the Bechtel Wallace test, that requires uh piece of media have the following qualifications that it has an exchange in which too female identified named characters talk to each other about something other than a man for two lines of dialogue. Does it usually happen? Not so much, But today's movie might fare a little bit better than normal. Jamie, can we demonstrate the Bectal test and how how one might love? Okay, Hey Jamie, Hey Caitlin, would you join me in a little bend and snap choreographed move with me? Today. This is a polite way to refer to would you care to engage in a bit of a bend and then immediately followed by a snap, uh, well yes, Caitlin, I would love that. Oh, thank you so much. We're gonna have to do it separately in separate rooms because we were still social disting, of course, but I think that would be a nice little activity for us to make us feel closer together. A man baby a woman A wow, look at her challenging the status quo, changing the world as we know it, eld boss Um. Uh yeah, so so we're we're excited to be unlocking this episode for your enjoyment. If you enjoy it, Like Caitlin was saying, check out our Matreon It's patreon dot com slash Bechtel Cast. It's five bucks a month and you get two extra full blown bonus episodes of the Bechtel Cast a month, and it's it's a little casual, and it's also we tend to do less popular movies there maybe stuff that's a little more niche uh little it's in the episodes are just they're just silly, fun stuff. And also there's an episode on doubt in there. What's your weight? What's your favorite Matreon episode outside of this one? Because this is this is a quite good one if if you don't mind my saying so, I agree. Um, oh my goodness. I love our Christmas Prints episodes. Yes, there's never a bad time for it. We also have extra Titanic episodes over there if you if you could have possibly needed one, they're there. Uh. We just have a lot of fun stuff. The frame Roger rabbits over there, into the Spider verses over there. Um, we've got oh and we One of my favorite things about the Matreon is we do absurd themes such as Zach Martron. 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All of our themes are the worst, but in the best way, and you have to you know, we highly recommend you join the community because it's really really fun. Yes, without further ado, please enjoy this very special unlocked episode legally Blonde. On the Doe Cast, the questions asked if movies have women in them? Are all their discussions just boyfriends and husbands? Do they have individualism? The patriarchy? Zef invest start changing it with the beck Del Cast. It's a bonus episode of the Bedel Cast. Is a bonus episode of cast. I think we should address what's happening here first, so we released two. This is a Matreon Patreon only episode of the Betel Cast. We were locked and loaded a month in advance with two bonus episodes for this month, and then realized that our doubling down on Titanic, that was the original plan. Maybe someday we'll release some of the moments they hit the cutting room floor, but all together we came to the conclusion that both covering the same movie, particularly covering the same movie well pretty aggressively drunk, was not the premium content that you subscribed to the podcast, right. I went back and listen to that title, the second title, it is a disaster, and that not good. It's okay. Well, just just to give ourselves a pat on the back, we reconvene. We replanned, we both had a bad feeling that we were both two drunk and to saying the exact same things, which is that we Likeditanic over and over, and we've come back with a clear mind and a full heart. I'm sober, although I'm sick. I don't know if you can hear it in my voice, but I do not feel well. I've had two beers. I'm I'm, I'm it's vacation. Jamie has been activated. She hasn't been around for literally a full calendar year. Everyone's going to have to deal with it. But we are. We are fully prepared for today's episode, which is on Legally Blood. We just watched it together. We are in Caitlin's bed. I feel like that's the bonus episode way kind of. Yeah, it's like the audio is always a little worse and we are sitting in my bed recording on my iPhone. It's we shouldn't tell them that. I mean, we have really good equipment. Everywhere we go. We're swamped with the finest of microphone as though. I like the reason that we're in the bed. And then it's like maybe people were like maybe Aristotle is also in the bed. It chased in to the bed. Anyways, all I had to say we are recording and releasing us on a rather tight turned around because we were so prepared that we got drunk and did a bad job. But I feel good about this episode. We both have a wealth of notes. So what is your history with Legally Blonde? Legally Blonde? I believe so this movie came out in No One. I was too young to see this movie when it came out. For sure, I think I saw it at some point. My friend in middle school I think, had a copy of it and we watched it as sleep over, and then I think I saw it again in high school and possibly again. I feel like I've seen this movie maybe three times. Like I'm pretty I know the general beats of it, but there was a lot of details that I forgot. I liked this movie. I remember liking it, and I think like this was one of those viewing experiences that I was like kind of lunching my butt a little bit because I was like, oh, I hope that this movie was as fun as I remember it being, which generally I think it was generally. Yeah. Yes, I went for many, many years without seeing this movie. I didn't see it until I was a grad student at Boston University where I was getting my masters in screenwriting. I don't like to bring it up, but I'll be goddamn classmate of mind did a project on Legally Blonde. I was like, well, I guess I got to see it, and I think I didn't necessarily avoid it for so long, but I didn't actively seek it out because it's the type of movie that doesn't really appeal to my sensibilities. Well, yeah, I've given your his I mean, I'm surprised that I wasn't more into Llegally Blond. I think it was just like I wasn't the right age when it came out. Sure, yeah, because I would. I would have been very intellgally Blond if I had been old enough to see it when it was released. That makes sense. Yeah, Yeah, generally it's a fun movie. I'm trying to think of movies that we have covered. I think Mean Girls as the main one that jumps to mind of Like, I'm very leary of covering movies that, you know, it's like I try try to read sort of what's been written about the movie, especially in regards to gender based topics. But this is one of those movies where there's five million clickbit articles about why Legally Blonde it's a feminist masterpiece. And I'm always extremely leary of movies that have a million listicles written about what a feminist masterpiece it is, because usually that means that there is a fundamental issue, because a lot of quote unquote feminist masterpieces have to do with like this is feminism that's palatable for a wide audience, as opposed to that said, I still think the movie does pretty well. That's I have not read any of those. I've read a lot of them. I mean, mean girls, there's a billion of them. And then there's some about specific characters like Lydia Diets in feministic Beetlejuice, there's a million listicles every fucking Halloween about how she's a feminist icon when she's right and she's not because beetle Juices. Sometimes they pick the only because feminist icon. I know. I was like, dude, why are you not reacting to be amazing shows vacation, Jamie's cards are lowered, her friends operating lower, and you've also you've played it so straight. Yeah, obviously beetle Juices. Beetle Juice is the only feminist icon in the movie. But but all I have to say, listical feminism is stupid. And I'll say for the five trillionth time, even though they'll still write up some of my ship every once in a while, Bustle can kiss my ass. In terms of like corporate palatable feminism funded pie a male's hedge fund, so like, it's a tricky but again, legally blonde most does well. Okay, I'm done, Okay, got it? Shall I do the recap? Let's okay. L Woods is a sorority sister. In her senior year of college, she caught what is it, Delta New or I don't even know what the night I don't know. She she goes to a I think it's like c U l A, which is basically U l Ala. She basically is the U c l A. Yeah, a good school. So she is about to graduate. She has a boyfriend named Warner, who she thinks it's about to propose to her, and she's very excited about it, and all of her sorority sisters are very excited that she's about to be proposed to, but turns out he takes her to dinner to instead break up with her because he's like, I'm going to Harvard Law School. He says something the ef fact that like, I needed Jackie and you're Maryland basically yeah, it's like you're like he views her. He views her, even though we know very early on in the movie she has a four point of g p A at Coula. We don't on how hard that is, but she has one. She has the highest g p A in her sorority. We hear a lot of this, but yeah, he's looking for a convince. He's looking for an East Coast elite, right. He doesn't take her seriously. She's like, you know, I need someone serious, and I just this has been fun, but I cannot take you seriously. So she's devastated, and she decides that in order to earn his love back and prove that she is worthy of his love, she's also going to go to Harvard Law School. We will get into this because Warner, while the worst across the board, has the right to break up with someone, even if it's for a shitty reason. Everyone has the right to break up with anyone else. That is just something that they do not tell you for some reason. That sometimes if someone says I don't want to be in a relationship with you anymore, you have to be like, well, I don't feel great about that, but okay, like anyways, Yes, that is a fun to my till issue with this movie, and so is her behavior after that, where she basically shapes her entire future around essentially stalking him to try to win him back. It's not essentially following him, you know, but we'll get there. So she does. She does put in the work to study Ford and take the l sads and you know, do this video and the video essay is iconic. Directed by a Coppola week later in the movie possibly Sophia, we don't know. I don't know. She would later go on to direct the worst movie I've ever seen, The Big Guy Old, you're being dramatic. But she puts in all the work and she manages to get accepted to Harvard Law School. And so she shows up and on the first day she's like, hi, Warner and he's like, oh, what are you doing here? Again? Totally fair reaction. This movie would have you believe the opposite of like, yeah, of course she's here, Like whatever. Anyways, Well, I mean so many movies depict like a romantic pursuit in the worst possible ways. So just hang around long enough, like yeah, just wear them down until they agree to be in love with you. To wear them down. Narrative is honestly terrible. But sometimes I'm like, maybe there's something to this, but there I guess what, there's not, you know, Okay, Sorry, So she's like, yeah, I'm here, and you know, I'm showing you that I can be taken seriously. But she immediately learned that he over the summer has gotten engaged to Vivian the Jackie that he was looking for Vivian van Hula or whatever. Yeah, Kensington or something like that. Kensington, And she's played by Samma Blair and hot. She's a little be at first, but so a huge be at first, to a comical degree that I would argue does not make narrative sense. Anyways, continued agreed. So then she's like, Okay, well, I will steal him back. Now that's my new plan. But that's not her idea. That's Jennifer Coolidge's idea. Yeah, Jennifer Coolidge is she not French? Right, So there's this whole sequence. So she's like, oh, this is the worst day of my life. My one true love is gotten engaged to someone else. I have to get a manicure. And then Jennifer Coolies like, I did I have a loon? Hi Hiish she's you know, listen, she's a fellow Emerson Lione and I respect, she's one of our she's our God fuck, I fucked that school. I stopped paying their bills. But like, also she is one of the esteemed graduates. Jenifer Coolish, well, she yeah, she gives l the idea that she needs to steal Warner back, so she's like, okay, I'll just do that. So then she starts to like really take her studies seriously and proved to her classmates and her professors that she is smart, because the thing about her is that she's like still this you know bel Air raised, wealthy, blonde white girl who is very privileged and you know, a sorority gal in a very stereotypical way where she's like, oh my god, like getting into Harvard, what's hard? And no one takes her seriously, right, So she's like, I need to do she starts to like really buckle down and prove to everyone that she is intelligent and she is capable, and in so doing, she manages to land an internship with one of her professors, Calahan played by Victor Garber, and then that leads hot to a storyline where she helps with this murder case where one of her former sorority sisters, who like graduated a few year ahead of her, is accused of murdering her husband, Van Taylor. Sorry, yes, every wealthy woman's name is Van Hulu. So because they have this sisterhood L and Brooke bond and she's like, yeah, I'm gonna look out for you. Meanwhile, Callahan, who ends up being a predatory scumbag, is like, I think my client's guilty. I'm barely going to help her. And then, to be fair, she looks pretty fucking guilty for a while. What does guilty look like, Jamie, like standing over her husband's dead body covered in his blood. Sure, but anyways, so the movie ends with like her helping with this case to the point where Brooke fires Callahan after he has like groped L and it's been made clear to her several times that he does not believe her. Brooke is a good character. I like her a lot. Yeah, so she fires Callahan. She hires L, who is still only in her first year of law school, to defend her in this murder case objectively on paper, terrible idea and and and as capable and as pro l woods as I am. Really a lucky break that she wins the case and immediately gets a confession from a Brunette promptly goes to jail. I'm not pro sending Brunette's to jail, but sure, I mean, maybe it's intentional that she's a brunette. Maybe it's just first No, it is for sure, I mean every because there are barely any women of color in this movie. The way that the movie indicates don't root for this one is with brunette hair. That's literally what happened anyways, Sorry, that's true, Jennifer. The characters we are conditioned to root for our obviously l Jennifer, Coolidge, Brooke, those are the three big ones, and they're all blonde, white and Vivian's Arcter who later comes around for Danning. She she has front hair. The killer ends up being Burnett, the poorly handled gay character in it is also well, I guess she's she's got some weird highlights. It's it's unclear what her natural hair colors, but I think she's Burnett. Yeah, she's got darker hair. Basically, she gets a lucky break pretty much, although it's through her like sort of skill and deductive reasoning. But she manages to crack the case. They win, and everything's great, and she has a dumbline where she's like, hair care is essential. Any cosmo girl would know that or something like that, and then yeah, she wins, and then there's like the graduation. At the end, she's like at the top of her class and meanwhile Warner sucks. And now she and Vivian are bfs friends, which this story does go out of its way to be like by the way, they're best friends, and Warner ended up alone, which is exciting. I also didn't mention at all the sort of romantic subplot, although it doesn't really end up being that. Taken to the very end with Luke Wilson's character, it's flourte from the beginning and a star turn by Luke Wilson's middle part. Lots of crazy two one was a big moment for the middle part. Yes, yeah, we've got to take a quick break. We've got some bending and snapping to do, but then we'll come right back. So that's the story, and there is an awful lot to unpack. I have pages and pages of notes. Shall we go by character or topic? God? Well, this is the fun part about the bonus episode. You get to hear part of the process, right, So I kind of want to start just by saying that I think the reason that I'm kind of lukewarm Luke Wilson lukewarm allout to a little middle part. I fall in the middle part. So the first like to act it's really only like an act three of the movie where all of her sort of empowerment happens and she turns around and it goes from her doing everything that she's doing because she's trying to win back her boyfriend and she's entirely motivated by proving herself worthy to a man. Well, let's let's start with that then, because that is and there's two prominent examples that come to mind. I'm sure there's other examples that I'm not thinking of, but in regards to I mean and there's other there's also examples of the opposite of a man chasing a woman in order to prove himself and wear her down. But this weird plot, which at the beginning of the series Crazy Ex Girlfriend duplicates exactly, is like a woman who has been scorned or rejected or is feeling very insecure because of a man, decides to uproot her entire life in order to relocate improve herself to a man, and then in doing so, discovers herself in the process. I do not like this setup at all, and it really frustrates me because I like this movie. But the inciting incident to this movie is just like all I it's I don't know, Like there's a lot of moments in this movie in particular where it's like there are so many seeds for very wrong thinking that is being implanted into young girls heads that I really don't like of just like, you know, the only way to realize your own potential is to first be rejected by a man and then change everything about you, Like it's almost little Little mermaid e like that would be another example of this of like my current forum isn't working, so what have I change? And let's make all the necessary adjustments. And it does like you're saying, like the third act does have l realizing oh I actually am, But logistically she never would have recognized her own potential if Warner hadn't broken up with her, And I don't like that. I think it's so frustrating the same, Yes, I was trying to think of movies where there is a female protagonist who pursues something she something like going to law school and becoming a lawyer, just because she's interested in that already, and not because she's motivated by a man. And I had trouble thinking of examples, well, one, because there are just so few movies with a female protagonist, and the ones that do have a female protagonist, it's often a rom com or something where she is just straight up pursuing a man and that's the main storyline. And to be fair, that's not to say there aren't any examples. I just no, no, no, I know my like six sore throat head, Well, I have any trouble thinking of any Well, I also don't think that like unless there's some sort of like and it's this, The narrative of a woman going to law school because she is interested in law is not a picularly compelling log wine For like, a woman goes to law school because she's interested in the law and is smart is a great thing, but maybe not the most exciting story, so I get. But but again, that does not justify the ends to to this true, But it doesn't even have to. I mean, you know, law going to law school and becoming a lawyer is just an example something some sort of either professional or creative pursuit that a woman just does because that's what she wants to do, and not because she's motivated by proving her worth to a man and even if she meets a romantic partner when she is pursuing that thing, that is a far better president to say. It's like she followed whatever her ambition was and worked hard and happened to me this great person. Like that's the right idea. Chasing a man in order to discover your own potential is just not a good message to be sending, particularly if you're aiming at a younger slash teen audience, which this movie is. Well. It is nice to see a female character like l who has a lot of drive and determination, Like she's extremely driven to the point where she within a matter of maybe a couple of weeks, studies for and does well enough on the lstats to get into Harvard. Although murders eales like Elwoods Is with a lot of flaws, I think a really good character. I think she's great, and part of that is like nostalgia attachment, but I really do like her. I agree. I like that she is extremely driven and active. Her motivation at the beginning and throughout most of the movie is misguided, and it does. It does turn around because by the end that storyline with Warner resolves itself. By he comes around, He's like actually, I just saw you in that case, and you are the woman I've wanted this whole time. I can't take you seriously now. And she's like, She's like, I've been waiting so long for you to hear this. But if I want to be a partner in a law firm by the time I'm thirty, I'm going to need a boyfriend who wasn't such a bone head. And to be honest, Caitlin clapped and I was crying. So however it worked. To me. That's kind of one of those moments where it's like, cool line, cool feminist line. So I think that this more responsibly than a lot of movies of its type, but does play into the like you go girl style of feminism. That and here's what I'm interested in hearing your thoughts on this, because I my notes kind of looped in on themselves on this topic. But so l Wood, there's this whole overarching narrative in this movie of weird, very black and white West Coast East Coast stereotypes of like everyone from the East Coast is mean and not horny at all. Everyone from the West Coast is really hot and rich and like more fun and it's clear like the East Coast is like demonized for the bulk of this movie and all the characters who we meet there, with the exception of the East Coast white trash community, which I appreciate regardless, it's like there's a lot of this movie to me feels like l Wood's reclaiming the pink, reclaiming you know, this feminine appearance in this very visually motivated Oh god, I sound a million years old, but like this like you know, like reclaiming conventional hotness in an intellectual sense, but it feels like kind of a safe, very marketable choice to be like we're going to reclaim hot women, you know, like it's to an extent, is like the good thing about it. And this is where my nose caved in themselves, because like, oh, is she just like reclaiming conventional hotness that's not particularly interesting, Like oh, hot women can be lawyers too, It's like okay, like okay, great, But with the way Ellen her friends on both coasts, who were more traditionally feminine, they do seem to be doing it for themselves. And it's not that I noticed very like that. You don't get those lines of like, well, if I don't do this, A man won't like me if I don't do that. Like it does seem like they do it because they just like they place value on it. But the whole like she's wearing pink in a courtroom and her boobs are big, does not totally track with me. Of like we're going to reclaim Victoria's secret hotness but in that current room, Like it just I don't know it was that supposed to be empowering, you know, like Victoria's secret models who have higher ambitions. It's just a very small group, you know, right. I also had trouble processing this idea of she's a very cartoonish character. Not to say that there aren't some people like that out there. I mean she is, and she's a great great cartoon but so she's, you know, this very stereotypical like loves pink, loves shopping, knows fashion, loves to get her nails done, like feminine, she's smart, right, there is a there is a like, but the twisted Yeah, so she's just like sort of you know, hyper feminine woman. And I think the movie seeks to sort of dismantle this stereotype that pretty blonde sorority girls can also be intelligent and good lawyers, which is true and fair, but who the message that it just seems like a very narrow It's like, who is this for exactly? Not to say that, like stereotypes shouldn't be dismantled, it just seems like a very bizarrely specific, deeply marketable. There were barbies of Elwoods, you know, like there, it's a very marketable stereotype to be dismantling, and it's not even it's not dismantling it in a visual way at all. So the visual aspect is kept intact, therefore keeping all the marketable parts of it kept intact. There is a part where, like her costume choices, they change a bit in the middle of the movie where she doesn't dress quite so pink. She has a blue outfit on at one point, but then it's a beanie You're just like she's lost herself. But then towards the end again, when she makes her grand appearance as the new person that Brooke Taylor hired to defend her, she's got this like it is a great I mean, her entrance in that scene. To be fair, they do a full body shot of her, which I usually take issue with, but the outfit is more than the outfit in that scene. To me, that outfit also represents like she's going to be herself and do this as well, which I think is a good message, like represent yourself the way you want to, but your I will. You mentioned like there was a r B of l Woods, and that's why I know, throughout Western cultural history, the beautiful blonde female form has been the most sort of easily digestible feminine form for like Western culture to consume, and like that's sort of been the ideal and we all have to strive for that and da da da, Right, So maybe that's why that choice was made to like represent that type of archetypal stereotypical character in this movie. I mean, okay, now, no not. My mind is kind of changing a little bit, where for sure there are more pervasive, culturally relevant, immediately relevant to people's everyday lives stereotypes to be dismantled in major releases. I think it is sort of a sneaky win on behalf of the of the filmmakers that they're able to make that commentary pretty effectively while keeping all the visual marketing intact. But then I mean now that you when you said, like, you know, the whatever, the sort of playboy ideal of shout out to my former employer, playboy who can truly kiss masks um, but the the you know, like that conventional ideal of the blonde women. I guess it is sort of like where that that trope is very much like. As much as the boobs and the hair are critical to that image, what is equally critical to that image is complacency doing whatever they're told. And the way that women who look like that are are viewed from like just a camera aspect is always in a way that's supposed to be pleasing, and thought is never implied. So now that you said that, I'm like, maybe it is like it it is interesting. I don't think it's the most relevant commentary, but it is interesting. I don't think it doesn't one like there's right now we should have been thinking about a lot of things in two thousand one, and maybe blonde wealthy women were not women the list. But but it is comment They do comment a lot on it. I think by the end it takes a while, but by the end it's effective. I mean there are moments where she does say like you know, no one takes me like I get sort of discriminated against because of my hair color because I'm a blonde. Imagine being in an actually marginalized person saying that I'm like, oh, I'm so fucking sorry that you're so hot and red and you got it. You still got it into Harvard like, well, can we talk ye, let's talk about good segment. Well, I wantn't to just really say quickly that I think that we should, right now, right here, claim the new stereotype for a female character, which is the but the twist is where it's like she's either she's very hot or she's very ugly, but the twist is she's smart or she could be hot. Maybe maybe take off her glasses it right, Yeah, it's like she's hot, but the twist is she's smart or she's smart, and the twist is she's also beautiful. There's a really I have not seen the show, but my my good pal Catherine Cohen in New York does a great one woman show called but the twist is she's gorgeous one of my favorites. Great turn of phrase, and I feel like it's a trope that's used a lot. Yeah, Okay, So the scene with the admissions board at Harvard who are reviewing her video essay and trying to determine whether or not to accept her I think the only all males scene in the movie that I can think of same with more than it's no no. There's a few times where middle Park Wilson and Victor Garber, or as I like to call him, Thomas Andrews Mr Andrews like I'll try, I didn't build stronger, she's oh, and then earlier the mo she's strong and true just like you, dumb fuck Oh, but it's sad when he does and stops the clock. Anyways, But there there are a few I feel like one on one scenes with Luke Wilson and Victor Carbert. But in terms of like this is a scene full of men versus the number of scenes in this movie that are full of women in a way that it's just like, whoa great, this is the only one. Yeah. So in this scene we see around eight six or eight eight old white guys old mostly yeah, mostly older for sure, all white men, basically deliberating on whether or not to except l to Harvard, and they're looking at her essay, which most of the time. She isn't a swimsuit. She's a weird choice. But also I feel like that is like an unabashedly Elwood's choice. That is, for all the implications of it, I do appreciate that she is true to herself in the video. I mean she's playing to her strengths, which is that she was the president of her sorority. Yes, like, that's one of my favorite parts of the movie. It is an iconic the days of our lives, like the evil Stephano and like it's it's great. It's I used to watch the soap operas amas, so basically the whole scene is them. I think there's one guy who's like, I don't know, and then all of the other ones are trying to They have decided they want to accept her, basically because they find her attractive, and they're trying to rationalize why it's an okay decision to let her in, right, because they're like, well, she cares about animals, and she's creative and she likes music because she was in a Ricky Martin video. And it's like, this is a challenging scene because written on paper, nothing that is being vocalized is inaccurate or wrong. Does l Woods necessarily deserve to be at Harvard at the beginning of the movie, and don't really think so. I mean, she has the correct scores and she has good grades, but it just I don't know, Like I I struggle with the fact that she has lit Like, it seems unlikely to me that someone who has a bachelor's degree in fashion management and has no background or previously indicated interest in law would get into Harvard Law School realistically, no matter who you are, that just seems unlikely, especially because Harvard. It's Harvard, probably the hardest school in the US. Ticket you could get into a law school with those qualifications, good els at scores four point oh and whatever you happen to major in Harvard Law School. I don't think so. But we also find out later that Warner also doesn't totally deserve to be there, so because Harvard's a fucking like you know, Harvard is like sort of known for that sort of weird nempotis, Oh, his father gave a call to somebody then he I mean, regardless on paper, that scene would look in theory like they are naming her qualifications, and it ends by saying el Woods Welcome to Harvard. But the tone of that scene is very she's hot, we got a letter, you know. However, it just I feel like it just credits they're protecting this a little bit in a way that's like, well, so there's a whole lot I want to say about that one. I think that is sort of almost a foreshadowing of what happens later on, where she learns that she basically only got that internship because her professor found her attractive, because he makes a pass at her, and then she has this whole thing where she's like, garber crap. Law school was a mistake. I don't even deserve anything I got because we wanted me for my looks and stuff like that, which is a whole thing I want to get into later. So it's I think foreshadowing that. However, I think a lot of people would come to Elwood's defense, and I think it theirs, because the thing is that she is extremely determined, and yes, she does have the resources to pay for a nicely produced video essay that a lot of people would not have the resources to do because like her get We'll get to the class thing too, because her class thing is a major thing in this but like her sort of advocating for herself as a reason that she should be accepted to Harvard in the video essay, are not that compelling of reasons because she's saying I already use lawyer jargon in everyday use because like you see someone cat calling her and then she turns out and she's like, I object another iconic from it. It's great, But I think that her main qualities in the movie that I like her for because I'm not necessarily as on board with Ellwoods as maybe you or bigger fans of the movie. However, I do appreciate her for her determination because she and I think that quality alone, I mean, maybe not alone, but that because later on she she does show a lot of improvement when she first gets to law school. By the end, she one thousand. Like I mean, even at the midpoint in the movie, you're like, Okay, this woman does deserve to be here. She's working really hard. And to clarify, I mean at the time of this scene, sure, I don't think that. It's like by the end, it's like, man, she really coasted, Like she works so fucking hard and does a lot of amazing stuff. I just mean, in regards to this scene, the movie is implying that she is perhaps not being admitted for all the right reasons, regardless of who she is as a person and the fact that she clearly you know, deserves to be there. But this scene kind of nags her in a weird way. Right. There's a part where these group of men who are deliberating about this says something like, oh, well, she's a fashion major, is if like that's the reason why she shouldn't be here? But then another one says, well, we've never had one be for and aren't we always looking for? Diversity is clearly not the type of diversity that like admissions board people should be considering. But I think that's played as a joke. I think so too. Yeah, but I think this scene is a comment on how it's so often a group of rich, old, straight white men making decisions that affect the fate of a whole bunch of different types of people. They end up making the right call for l because she does prove herself eventually, but it's kind of a fluid. But yeah, basically, like I said, they accept her because most of the men in this room have seen this video of her in her bathing suit and been like, yeah, I definitely see her here at Harvard. And the implication is it because I want to see her here at Harvard, Yeah, and not because she necessarily has the qualifications. Because there's one character who keeps me like, well, I don't know what about this thing, and they're like, no, it's she's a friend of the animal. The thing is like that he Okay, not to harbor in the scene too much because this is a small scene in but yeah, I don't mean to demonize el in any way. In that scene. She has no control over how these men are viewing her. I do think that the movie is implying perhaps at the very beginning of the movie, and you could view that as possibly like maybe she's not a character of any gender who's randomly like, you know, my ex boyfriend's gonna do this, I'm just gonna go on their exact career path, like they probably wouldn't get into a graduate school of the career path that's the opposite of what they've been doing, just because they decided three weeks before the hell sets that they wanted to whatever. El Woods is still a great character to be. That scene is weird. It's not I don't even think it's bad because I don't I don't want to like be like, oh, they're making you know, they're not saying exactly what I want to be said, and therefore it cannot be a scene in a movie. I think it's a lot of commentary, but I don't like that it negs the main character, even though she overcomes it. Anyways, Yeah, I'm sorry. This is a very complex movie. You know. I just realized how many things we have to talk about. I'm like, I'm ted, And this is Jamie saying that we need to take a quick ad break. But we'll be right back to the year eighteen in just a second, and we're back to Okay. The next thing I want to talk about is while she does have a number of female friends in the beginning of the movie with her two sorority sisters, one we know his name is Margot. I think they both have names. We if the second character of the to her two main friends in California is named Blinking, you would have missed it because we missed it. Yeah. Yeah, I was like trying to pay close attention and I never figured it out. So there's the there's a a blonde woman whose name is Marco. And I hate that I'm reducing women to their hair colors, but because we don't know their names, I don't know how those are the only time. For the most part, there's are the only two types of women we see in this movie are blonde. White blonde and white brunette. Were with a few but mostly yes. Right, so there the woman with like shorter, kind of auburn burnette hair. I don't think we ever actually learned her name on screen. I hope we do. She does have those friendships, and those are two women who support her, except that they're basically supporting l in her pursuit of being proposed to buy Warner and not necessarily her pursuit of going because whenever L' is like, oh, I'm studying for the els ads, I'm gonna go to Harvard Law School, and they're like, why would you do that? And then there's a phone call later on when they again, to be fair, she's never displayed an interest in law. Never Yeah, And then but there's a scene whenever, like she gives them a call and she's like, has he proposed yet? We want you to come back so that you can leave law school. That scenes sucks. At first. I appreciate how her friends in California are supportive of what she's trying. I don't think that they should, like, you know, a real friend would be like, you don't do that, Like you know, like if you were like, hey, I've fallen in love with a carpenter, I need to start working in construction in Indiana tomorrow, I would say, hold the fund. Actually, do not do that. That's a bad idea. However, their support of can't discredit them for that. But then when even when she does go to Harvard and starts to have a vested interest in her own education, that whole scene they don't ask about school at all, and it's like, the whole scene is about the blonde woman's wedding and we miss you, and also we didn't tell you that one of us is getting married before we went wedding dress shopping, but we're friends. Weird. Anyways, that storyline does resolve itself by the two of them showing up in her big case of the end a lot of third magic, But until then, it's just a whole lot of like why are you in law school? Law schools for losers? But she to have her displayed in interesting like, which is as that does make sense, which is part of the problem about a movie where the main character the thing that they're not interested in. Also, it seems like she was very like I mean, even if we go back to that admission scene where she did have all these fashion industry based accomplishments, seems like you were passionate about that and then she and I mean, it's a testament to her intelligence and her character that she's able to make a total switch and still excel at it. But it's like you seemed like you're doing pretty well, like you had a four point oh in this industry that you were already working in. But sure old wait list showed Warrener, you know, throw all that away. Maybe though she gets her law degree and then she ends up working in fashion law. You know that branch of law off I'm sure exists. I mean, like well, I mean, and in terms of like Elwoods character staying always tur which I think is why regardless of all the issues of like she's a rich white lady with limitless means, I think that the reason people connect with this character so strongly is she never abandons her interests and her like the essence of who she is. At the beginning of the movie, we see her grow as a person and grow into herself a little bit, but like she doesn't. There's not that total Princess Diaries style one eighty from I was like this and now I'm the opposite, and it's better where Elwood's remains herself and grows as a person. I think that. I mean, that's why I like her a lot. And even though it's very like God in the Machinery at the in the in the scene where she's able to extract a murder confession from a brunette because of her knowledge of how perms work, which is I think a really well written scene and goofy, you know see, I think I have some problems with that scene, but I mean I think that it's one of those things where for me it's like comes down to like from an entertainment aspect, I feel like the right choice was made of like that is fun to watch, of like she's using her knowledge she's had the whole time in order to accomplish a new goal. I think that that at its core is interesting. I think that on the other hand, having her be like really heteronormative girl knowledge put a brunette in jail. You know, like that not as good because like it would be great to see her definitely use the law to put her as opposed to using perm knowledge. Character Wise, it makes sense to me, right exactly because the movie sets it up that like L is the only one who could have figured this out because of her knowledge of hair care and fashionality, because she's a similar thing happened where a character that she's trying to sort of incriminate the pool boy whose characters they mightn't remember into but salvataere yeah, because he has made the statement that Brook Taylor, the person that they're defending in this case, he and her were lovers. And she's like, hang on a minute, that doesn't check out. And then he says something like yeah, he makes a comment on her like product shoes. She's like, wait a minute, he can't have had an affair with her. He's gay because he knows about product. This movie's queer characters are not treated well before we get there. I think that the movie does make that commentary of L being uniquely qualified to law is made time and time again because and again it's set up plot wise, it very easily. If the plot had gone literally in any other less convenient direction, would not be true and we'd see her struggle more. But when the main legal of the movie is a sorority sister who the East Coast elite have trouble communicating with, L again is the one who's uniquely qualified to communicate with her. So to me, because we had already seen LB positioned as like she is learning and doing very well in law school, and it's like accomplishing and doing all the things she should be doing. But the twist is she is also able to communicate with wealthy blonde women. To me, that tracked through the end of like where her wealthy blonde woman knowledge was able to put a wealthy brunette woman in jail. I don't know. But but even if it is a problematic through line, it is a through line sure. I mean, like I said, the movie does make a point to demonstrate, Yeah, L is the only one that could have won this case because of her knowledge about you know, hair and fashion that no one else had. And she makes all these breakthroughs in this case because her like sisterhood with the client and all that stuff. So it's being like, hey, this type of woman can be an asset in the world. However, Okay, so she does figure out the case by using deductive reasoning and using her intelligence just figuring it out law, but like maybe not the core of it, but her prime skill that makes her figure all this out is like a very stereotypical, hyper feminine thing where it's like, yes, hair and beauty and vanity kind of thing bugged me a little bit, not so much that I still wasn't on board with that whole, but it's just it was just a little frustrating that, like, and the thing that gets her to win the cases marketable, Yeah, like marketable traditionally feminine qualities. Like, yeah, she is a tricky character because it's like it's very easy to see almost everything she does in two very different rice. Again going back to the movie, really doubling down on like l is herself and this is what is the cause of her succeeding, is like sticking to her guns and this sort of I guess that weighs into the East Coast Women and Vivian in particular, is that where she has this very contentious relationship with Vivian for the at least the first half of the movie, it's her being herself by honoring the sisterhood Delta new vows between she and Brooke that wins Vivian's respect. So again, it's like l doing a very l thing that ends up winning the respect of someone you wouldn't expect And I really like that. Yeah, more on that, especially her friendship arc with Vivian and then one of the other notable female characters, Enid. So, as I said many many moons ago, she has a couple of female friendships that are strong and supportive and that's great, and then she has another one in Paulette, which can talk about in a second. But then she has these The movie sort of poises her against these couple other female characters who are classmates of her. So it's basically saying like, oh, well, these, you know, Vivian and l and Enid our classmates, and therefore they're sort of in competition because everyone's going to be vying for the best grades and these coveted internships and and stuff like that. I mean that makes sense, and also that it does. However, Vivian is introduced and immediately their enemies because the first scene you see Vivian is her being like, yes, I agree, professor, she's unprepared kick her out of class, and then the scene right after that is yeah. The scene right after that is L learning that Vivian and Warner are engaged, and then there's a bunch of scenes after that where Vivian like makes a point to flaunt her engagement to Warner in front of L. So basically, even though she's in law school and pursuing alat and like, this is a passion of hers that we are meant to believe throughout her whole life, unlike L, who just decided two months ago, I'm going to go to law school, which is that's another Still, it's a fun Victor Garver's character sucks, but that's a fun line in the movie Wait, which one slightly misogynsts, but it is fun. It's like, I do you think she woke up one day and was like, oh, go to law school? Because that is literally what happened. That is what happened. But so with Vivian, we're meant to believe is this passionate about law person. Yet the movie spends so much time showing her being very petty toward L and basically only caring about her engagement to Warner. I think Vivian is a totally dissonant, underwritten character as a whole. Again, switching to the other side of this, the movie has everyone wanting to be firmly in Elwood's corner the entire movie. The way Vivian reacts to l in the first third to half of the movie is always too much, Like it's always too much, hey's my boyfriend now, and like I want you to leave class because I don't like you, Like it's too much, and they're they're laying it on too thick. Fundamentally, I don't think it's fair to demonize Vivian to have it seem like how ridiculous that she feels like it's weird that her fiance's ex girlfriend uprooted her life to go to the same school as him, Right, that's uncomfortable and they're forced together over and over. The scene where this was clearest to me because there are Vivian, by and large overreacts is too mean, goes too out of her way to make l unhappy, like, and there's the big plot points of like, oh, it's a costing party but it's not actually a cost part and stuff like that. But there is one scene in which it's another just weird bizarrow like okay two thousand one kind of scene where L shows up because she wants to join Warner's study group, and Vivian is clearly uncomfortable, and I don't think the movie wants us on her side, but it's like, yeah, of course, she's like, you don't want this person who objectively would seem perhaps a little unhinged forcing themselves to be ready, like I'm fully on Vivian. Vivian's corner in that scene, and she is not nice about it, but in that particular scene, she's not overly rude about it, and L, to her credit, takes the hint and says, Okay, I'm gonna go, And then this very strange thing happens that she leaves the scene where Enid the only queer female character we see in the movie. I wasn't sure if it's like she had heard a rumor that Ellen said something, or like was just making an assumption about L based on her appearance or what it was, But she was basically saying like whatever, like she saidn't like like maybe there's like a sorority you can join, like making fun of her, like you said, based on her, like the way she presents herself in talks and looks, and then there's a weird like, oh, wouldn't you call me a dyke? And then l makes a very weird choice, after just gracefully exciting a tense situation that she caused, says I don't use that word, but Vivian probably does, and so she's just like, um, I know I can't be in the study group. Vivian hates gay people goodbye, and you're just like that seems of it Like that's because L, again, to that character's credit, does not go after Vivian in as rude and antagonistic away that Vivian goes after her for part of the movie. Granted, it is a major motivation of her to take quote unquote Warner from again, it's it's a lot like Warner's should have been just allowed to break up with L and be an asshole for the rest of his life, but then we wouldn't have the movie. So right, A quick point I want to make about the way that Enid and Vivian, at least in the beginning of the movie, and then Vivian has a like a girlfriend character whose name I don't think we ever learned, but the three of them are all very mean to bitches, right. They mock her the way that she looks, in the way that she talks, which is suggesting that all of these women who are adults and in law school are so petty that they are judging L solely on the way she presents herself, and you know, they're meant to be vilified. And most of these characters come around at the end and say I was wrong to judge you like that, but it's basically saying, like, look how petty these women are for no reason, which was weird to me. And then yeah, definitely that scene where Enid's like, you probably call me a and say something like weird. If you had come to a party, I would have been nice to you, which I believe because that is what we like. A nice character. L reminds me a lot of share from Clueless and even share like chair you know um that share no share from Clueless. Who we see share who is like I think we talked about on the Clueless episode is an example of you know, a rich, blonde white girl who we often see sort of vilified in movies, but as a nice person who's really who sweet and oh that's that's nectually. I didn't even thought of the share parallels in this movie, but there are, especially with the share lels, the sharp share parallels, and the share lels. I accept it um because at the top of the movie, when especially when they're on the West Coast, people can't start talking about how much money they have, where Warner's literally driving beside El in a convertible and she's like, I grew up in bel Air. I'm not white trash, which is like, um triggered, but we are sort of like, oh, you know, L is kind of a rich bitch, which she she's rich, but she's not a bit and that while again it is not the most pressing commentary to be making in a movie, I think is generally positive of like L seems. I mean, she vocalizes several times she is aware of her own privilege, but still works hard and is by and large decent to everyone she comes into contact with. And the main I mean, granted, this is a very white movie, but we do see her come into contact with people who are a different class than she is via Jennifer Coolidge's character Paulette who is sort of like plays into this like white trash New England trope and l never. I mean, there's not even an exchange where any judgment is passed about her class, So you know, again it's like this isn't like we need to be seeing that rich white women can be good people. But if that is the protagonist of the movie, I appreciate that choice. That brings me to a very bizarre scene that happens in the movie, which is the Bendon Snap. I love the Bendon Snap scene and if you've seen I haven't seen it on Broadway because I'm not a millionaire, but I have seen videos of it. The Legally Blond musical is banging. It's really good. The Bendon Snap song rules. The Bendon Snap scene is so weird because it's sort of like, look at l Woods teaching these poor women how to do this weird thing. I love that thing. Well, the context of the scene is like that her teaching these women how to appeal to a man better with something that looks crazy, because it's like the bend over because you drop something and then snap back up and show your perky body and it's like really bizarre. It feels so out of place in the movie. But it is one of the few scenes where you see any women of color, but it's they're all Bendon and snap. It's really bizarre. And then this gay man comes out at the end, or someone who were supposed to perceive as being gay, and he says something like, oh the abndon snap and done. That cuts to the last ten seconds of these scenes. The whole scenes crazy, but the last ten seconds of the scene particularly baffling. It's like a woman like breakdancing after Benson and snapping, and then cutting to game in and like a waiters uniform and Elson bringing something out and being like, oh yeah, it's like, oh, Bendon snap, cut to two dogs panting and the scene its bonkers bananas. I encourage rewatch of that scene. You know, if there is something problematic in that scene, I was too sensory overloaded to recognize it. It was just it's just a weird fucking scene, and to me, one of the best parts of the whole movie because the only time that Bendon is also to the point of like the scene probably should have been cut. The only time the Bendon snap scene is brought back is when Jennifer Coolidge's character tries it and it doesn't work. It fails because she brings we never see a successful bendon sny accomplixed a very long scene of it being introduced to forty people for some reason, and then the one time it's brought back, it breaks someone's nose. But she still manages to quote unquote snag that guy, that the ups guy who she was interested in, which is perhaps a comment on you don't need to do this elaborate movement to attract a mate. You can just, I don't know, talk to someone and see if they might be interested in you too. Well, can we can we tackle the Jennifer Coolish Yeah, because she's there's so many females. I mean, this is a good problem to have, but there's a lot here. Um yeah, wait, let me. We've been recording for about an hour and I still have a lot to say that because there's a whole callahan, I'm exhausted. Um, this is gonna be a two hour episode. It can't be. I literally will pass out, Okay, Jennifer Coolidge, Yes, Jennifer Coolidge is our resident poor person in this movie. Her name is pault. In this movie, L meets her when she has a full body panic because she has you know, she's she needs and I do. I think character wise, she's seeking out something familiar in an unfamiliar place. I do this with eyehop everywhere I go Duncan Donuts exactly, like yeah, like I understand that. She's like, oh, this is somewhere that makes sense to me. It's a character based decision that makes a lot of sense. So she meets Jennifer Cold, who's a nail technician at this place. Paula introduces herself as She's like, I'm a middle aged woman who did not graduate from high school. I dated the same man for eight years and he randomly left me. This is the worst blah blah blah. Like she she clearly finds herself to be a very tragic, irredeemable character. Didn't even get to celebrate my dog's birthday. Yeah right, she and she misses her dog and l at this point in the movie is like, yeah, that's pretty freaking sad. I'm so sorry that this happens. And then Jennifer cools. I mean, her character, I would argue, top to bottom, with the exception of one scene, really does not send the right message at any point where right after being like, you know, she's like one of the only women over forty we've see in this movie. I'm assuming I don't know if she had, but like her character says, she's middle aged. You know, she clearly feels she is a spinster and without a man, even though clearly a crummy man because he randomly left her without a man. She has no prospects or value. L seems to agree with this at first, and then before we even find out the next thing about that character, Jennifer Coolidge says, you know, she finds out about El's predicament and it's like, well, if someone is haw does you can't get a man, there's no hope for the rest of us, which is like that one fucking sucks. And then and then she suggests you've got to steal him from Vivian, and it's just like, well, this character is really derailing anything positive. But she's the only poor person and the only not super young person that we and we have the professor, you know, we have other stuff, but the most main character that is older. The one scene that I would say is really good that she's in is there's one scene focus on her character where she and L go to the trailer of her loser ex boyfriend, who looks and sounds like a loser, clearly irredeemable. And I remember that scene clearly, And I forgot a lot about this movie, but I remember that scene because of how Paula's character behaves in that scene. Really, I don't know, like hurt my heart a little bit because it felt real in a movie that does not very often feel real. She's like psyching herself up to go and talk to her ex boyfriend. She's like, this time, I'm gonna you know, I'm gonna get what I want and blah blah blah, and he opens the door immediately is obviously dismissive, an asshole, calls her ugly, basically saying like, oh, let's see what I'm not missing out on, and it crushes her and she's like clearly very affected by it and starts to back down, and you know, like she's clearly planned this big confrontation and it sort of like devolves into these mumbles, and that was, like, I think it was like a beautiful character moment that was very sad, and unfortunately L's there and spews out a bunch of granted made up, but like we're you know, scares him enough that you know their friendship is solidified, and that L is able to get Paulette her dog back. I like that sounds a great scene to me too, because one you see L empowering Paulett and sort of uppresting another female character, and it's the first time you see L being super lawyery, where there are a few scenes before that where she like says the right answer in class. That's beginning to see her kind of like, oh, she does have a knack for this laughing. And then this is a scene where you're like, oh, I do see her potential and she's kizing herself because even though she wings it, she manages to convince this guy and what she's saying is not total nonsense, almost makes total sec right, Yeah, it's clitches. She seemed very lawyery in the moment, and we're like it still looked like at once while doing it, which is great. I loved I loved that scene. I think that that's the peak of Paulett's character, and I feel like they sell her out later by you know, she has a crush on this UPS guy, which do they say Ups like, is that product placement? I think they do yea so weird. But anyways, she you know, ends up. She has a crush on this ups guy. She breaks his nose with the bend and snap, but they still end up together. That I think, you know, like that is not a negative thing. I just don't like that. It's like, Paul, it's clearly in a lot of pain from this really bad relationship. She confronts him, she gets what she wants, and now she can use all this new empowerment to be in a relationship with another man. And I just I felt like her character was sold out a little bit because that one scene with her and Hell was so great for both of them that I would have preferred her to. I would have preferred to see her finish her high school degree, you know, like something like that. That wasn't just like now she does right, which maybe she did, but like, that's not your attention is called to Oh gosh, she broke her nose, but it is her boyfriend now, which is funny. But I just like she's a b character, but I think she deserved better. I agree, And that's a rap on Jennifer Bold. The next character I want to talk about is Professor Callahan a k a. Victor Garber, and how he is a total scumbag. We start to get a clue of this because at first he seems like he believes in L and that he you know, he sees potential in her because she she speaks up in his class and he's like, oh, yeah, she's got some good opinions. You and I value her and she's intelligent. But then you get some hints that he's maybe not so great because he takes on this case of with this this Brook Taylor murdering her husband, possibly case that he is the defense attorney for, and the whole time he's no, I'm pretty sure she killed him. I think she's guilty, and like, basically, I think we can take away that he does not respect or trust his client because she's a young and attractive woman, one who married an older man, but not for his money, basically because she says flat out, because he's got a good d right, but he's just like, well, she's a woman and she's young and beautiful. Therefore cannot be taken seriously. Because later there's the scene where he makes a pass at L but under the pretense of like here, let let's discuss your future in your career. What a what a relevant scene? What a weirdly relevant scene and in otherwise not super relevant. Yes, he's telling her these things, and at first he's like, Oh, he's going to hire her to be a part of his law firm or something, or you know, he sees potential in her as a as a lawyer. But then he puts his hand on her knee, which I would argue is the equivalent of a surprise kiss. It's not a kiss, it's it's a group but it it's unsolicited, it is non consensual. And this movie does a great job of treating how this type of act should be treated, which is, don't touch me. I did not invite you to touch me. And in the moment that what she says, she says funk off and is clearly like and even vocalizes, oh, so you didn't mean anything you just said to me about my What I forgot about this sequence that also feels just as relevant is that we see the immediate that prompts a crisis of faith in herself. That makes a lot of sense of like, she is capable. We know that we've been watching her develop and do very well, but hearing, you know, just for the sake of this guy's fucking disgusting inability to respect a woman like she doubts everything positive she knows about herself, and it prompts her to, I mean, I think, for the sake of the plot, immediately abandon any hope of being Alwert. And and at that point we're like, well, this is a loss for everybody. Like it's just like that was who that was like kind of a devastating sequence to Yeah, it's sort of very closely parallels a lot of things that are happening, you know, in different industries today, where it's not unsimilar to all the women who quit comedy because Louis c. K jerked off in front of them in a hotel room, right, and all the women that like left journalism because of people like Matt Lowery and Mark Halbert, like all the women who did not go into directing and producing because of Halvedy fucking wines, you know, every industry. And in this case, it's law, and I feel pretty certain that it probably does happen in the law community, which any of those industry that men are a part of. It happened, which is all industries and therefore and they're usually in charge of them too, and and seeing that play out is like really hard. And then the other thing I forgot that happens is and Luke Wilson's character. You know, he's a good character. He's a good like Emmett, middle part Emmett, feminist icon loves L is good at his job, pretty across the board, both a effective, hot and uninteresting character. The thing I thought was really cool, if from a plot sense, did not make a lot of sense, was that L goes to the nail salon to say goodbye, to pull it and say like I love you whatever, but this is too much. I have to go home because I don't believe I can be a lawyer anymore. And somehow we haven't talked about this character yet because she's really only in two scenes doing very different things. But there is an older female law professor who at first is very hard on L in a way that is like what But she picks her out of her class because she didn't read an assignment that L didn't know she had, which which I can see happening. What I can't see happening is her being like Vivian other character we need to meet at some point, should L be forced to leave? And Vivian says, yes, I think she should. I was like, well, that would never happen in a class. Why would you ask another student for consent to dismiss your own stiff? I can see L getting kicked out like whatever. That was bizarre. So so we're taught to think, oh, she's very stern, and that didn't seem like even a gendered comment because all the law professors we see are very stern. But the second time we see her, she somehow goes to the white trash nail salon. That seems a little bit out of the way as well. She's in the background. I was like, okay, sure, but at least they make the most of that sort of baffling reveal of remember that weird scene from earlier. She's back and she has that great line of like if you're letting this, what if you're gonna let one stupid prick rue in your life? You're not the woman I thought you were, which that powers L to be like, you're right, I'm going to go back, and that's that's the sort of catalyst that makes her return to Brooke and finish the Yeah, Brooke hires her to be her defense attorney, and then the whole sequence plays out where she solved the case and wins. And I think that that was like a really cool choice because at that point we've already seen Luke Wilson say no, you're great, you should you should stay, and he's right. But I think that that is like kind of in the interest cassos of how a situation like this plays out. Hearing another man say you're great, you should stay, It makes sense to me that L would be like, thank you, I appreciate that, but it doesn't carry the same weight of a successful female lawyer saying no, you should be here, And so that I got a choked up. I thought was such a cool moment. If even if the fact that Professor strongwill high powered lawyer goes to the same white trash nails ang L what stumbles into I'm assuming in malden By accident makes no fucking sense. That was like one of my favorite moments in the whole movie. Yes, I do like that. Also, not to give any male characters any credit for anything, but the sequence plays out where Callahan surprise touches l. She has the reaction that we're always hoping to see, which is like, oh, are you hitting on me bad? Immediately yeah, because he said something like what, I'm just a man who knows what he wants. And she responds with and I'm a law student who just realized her professor is a pathetic asshole. And she gets up, she runs, and then she runs into Luke Wilson and tells her like, this whole thing was a mistake. Me coming to law school was a mistake. And he's like, what are you talking about? What? And then she tells him Callahan just hit on me. And he believes her immediately, and it's like clearly upset by the news, but does not doubt her. And then in turn, and this was like a good character moment for again, I think the not super well written Vivian character where Vivian another lots of fun convenient moments taking place in the late second into the third act of this movie. But just as Elwoods is surprised touched by Victor Garber, Vivian sees that touch happened, does not see what happens immediately after, which is l making it clear that that is unwelcome. So Vivian there's this moment where she's like, she confronts l and an elevator and it's like, oh, so you almost had me fooled. I almost thought you were, you know, a good, capable lawyer, but it turns out, you know, it looks like you're fucking the professor. And that's another sort of wrench thrown into their friendship that was developing at that point. So like that's, you know whatever, that's a plot point to Vivian's character's credit. Later in the movie, when Brooke finds out l quit, Luke wilson middle part just his part is just oiled and shining, just a beam of light is coming out of Luke Wilson's middle part in every scene he appears in. But he says, you know, she quit and the main reason she quit, which again is like credit to that character, The main reason she quit is because Victor Garber hit on her and she wanted no part of it. And immediately Vivian says, oh my god, I didn't realize that I've made literally arrested developments out. I've made a huge mistake, which is good and again tracks with the character of L who even when the logline of this movie is not good. She is an honest character through, like she doesn't lie to anybody ever, and that's like sort of the part of like, that's part of her core. So it makes sense that, like, of course she would believe her because Victor Garber's character is notoriously fucking sus as hell, you know, like yeah, Earlier in the movie, Vivian even makes a condiment at one point where she's like, do you ever notice how Calahan will make you get him coffee but he never makes any of the male interns get And then I have a conversation about how men are useless, and this is sort of the spark of the beginning of their friendship because they kind over like Warner being an idiot, men being useless and her being a little weightless bit yeah, I love. Then the catalyst that gets Vivian to turn around from like hating L is that she sees L sort of protecting the client because you know, there's the whole thing with her alibi and like, I can't reveal what my albi is because it would ruin my career. And I was like, sure, I will. I will keep your secret as safe as I can, and Vivian's like that was actually pretty classy, so that makes her respect l and opens the channel for that like made me feel great. I've had not to be like this is like my fucking life right now, but I've had experiences like that tour. It's like you just get off on the wrong foot with someone, usually because of a man, and then later like realized that perhaps the man is the big fucking idiot, and it is good and we can be friends even though we're different. That scene really did it for me. Loved that scene and was a good moment for Vivian. I just Vivian at the beginning of this movie, just like she. I feel like her character is exploited to set up fun scenes. I don't think that it is something that tracks with her character to be like it's a costume party, see you there. I mean that from a studio notes standpoint, is because people want to see Reese Weather's been dressed up like a bunny. That is why they managed to fit it into the plot. But sort of at the expensive Vivian's character in that moment. I think there's a few other clues that so this is I think it's worth noting that this movie was written by two women, Karen McCullough and Astin Smith, and it's based on a novel written by another woman, Amanda Brown. However, it was directed by a man, Robert Luke Headick or something, and I think there are clues sprinkled throughout the movie that it was in fact directed by a man. Basically, the opening montage of the movie is this whole thing where people are signing a card for L, which is basically just like congrats on probably getting engaged tonight, which doesn't end up happening. And um, there's all these shots of her sorority sisters and sometimes they're wearing next to nothing and they're in a steamy bathroom getting showers or they're like exercise. They're just like sexualized and their shots and the like, Yeah, the whole visual medium, like the way women, the way the sorority girls are framed is very exactly how you think the sorority girls will be framed. Nothing is subverted, which is weird because I think the whole point of the movie is to sort of try to subvert the stereotype of you know, a on sorority. Yeah that that L's character is, Yeah, but they're like, but actually all these other sorority girls, they're still all white head her own ormies who are hot and blonde, and we're going to frame them like they're basically pieces of meat wearing bikinis. Speaking of bikinis, there's another scene where l is like outside sunbathing in what's probably like September October in Boston, which is not appropriate weather to be sunbathing in, but she's got this k babe, but can be. I don't know, it's just but like I advocate, the point is she's outside, she's wearing like a sequin bikini or something. It's basically to like show Warner what he's missing out on because he's playing football with like all these other dude bros outside and they all just like basically stopped playing football and just leer at her for a good twenty seconds, and she just gives this smile like, Yeah, I'm glad that you're all leering at me. And it's like a weird choice. I just did the most cursory amount of research on this director possible and found out some truly insane information. If you don't like so. Director Robert Luketic was first of all, was when this movie came out the first major director, young director. He was given this opportunity because of a short film he had that went to Sundance. Which what an exciting male experience to do one fucking thing and then be given a massive opportunity. Wow, what an amazing thing. That will never happen to us. But the movie that he debuted at Sundance and other places was called titsian A Booberini. Just again here what I said the first time. At age three, Robert Lukendick made an eleven minute movie cop Titsiana Booberini. And people saw Titsiana Booberini and he said, this guy's going place give him off features losing my money, Titsiana Booberini. And so I was like, well, what could Titsiana Booberini be about? And it's not what you think it's about, but it's still bad. It's about shaming women for a different part of their body than the title Titsiana Booberini. Would wouldn't fly this. This sounds fucking crazy. It won Best Film at Aspen Shorts Fest. It won all these awards, and without Titsiana Booberini, we don't have legally blonde crazy, which you know, maybe was an original working title Bouberini to Okay. It's a musical comedy with the story focusing on Titsiana, an Italian checkout girl at a suburban supermarket who is ridiculed by her fellow employees for her stute upper lip, meaning she has a dark she has like a light mustache, as do I let us vote right. So so it's about a girl with a dark upper lip. The resolution to this eleven minute film, Titsiana, is that it's a weird Italian joke Titsiana Booberini. There, Titsiana gains new confidence and acceptance when she discovers a hair removal treatment, and so she it's sorry, that was the most insane Google experience life, Titsiana Booberini. What else is there to say? We wouldn't have this, so we cannot possibly consider legally Blonde a feminist masterpieces Bustle dot com would lead us to believe, because it wouldn't exist without Titsie on a Booberini, I can't. He also directed Monster in Law, which is a j Lo romcom, which is my ship. Also, Jane Fonda shines in that movie. It's not a good movie. I haven't seen it. But it wouldn't happen with that, TITSI. No, I cannot believe that. Okay, okay, we're good. Hey yeah, its officially on the movie officially longer than definitely because the movie is only an hour and thirty six minutes, which I appreciate. Keep it tight, I love a short movie. Keep those TITSI on a booberies nice and tight and hairless. But what the fun? That's crazy, Titsian. Just a few final thoughts. Yeah, blond, I know it's so late and we're dying. I wanted to say that Aristotle gets mentioned. Yeah, that was exciting, but we were like Aristotle, shout out to our producer Aristotle. Also, I we touched on this before. But there's only really three main male characters, Warner Emmett, which is Luke Wilson's character, and Callahan Victor Garber. The rest of the characters with speaking roles, of which there are many many many are women, which is great. But I would say before we call this a women's movie, we have to call it a white woman's movie. Yes. Absolutely. The only really notable woman of color in the movie is the judge, which is great. Yes, that is great. There were However, many opportunities for other characters to be women of color, other students in law school, women in her sorority women anywhere else in the movie. There. Fortunately, there's no lack of women in this movie, no excuse for them to not be women of all shape sides, of colors and in that van. And we've already touched on this too, but there are two notable queer characters in the movie, and neither of them really get fair treatment. The movie is really subscribing to, like some pretty problematic stereotypes in the way that they portray the lesbian character Enid, and the gay guy's name is Salvator, right, um, because like, the gay guy knows about fashion and that's what incriminates him, and the lesbian is like this shrewy woman studies male hating feminists perfectly right where especially Enid character falls into I mean, both of these characters are literally handicapped by their own queerness by the plot where Salvator is not able to pull off his little scheme because of his queerness. In a scene that I do think it's very funny, where Luke Wilson's like bla blah blah blah blah, blah, what was your boyfriend's name? And then he's like, whatever is the Chuck? Chuck? And then Chuck is there there, He's like what the hell. It's like, Chuck, why are you because why are you playing party to this? Chuck? You deserve better than this Chuck. Salvatore is a little sneak, but because he says something like I misunderstood. He's just a friend of mine. And then and then Chuck stands up. He's like, you bitch. It's like, wow, Chuck is drawn aline in the which Chuck deserves better obviously, we also Chuck, why are you there, buddy? Like is it a money thing? That's the only thing that you're thinking? But his Salvatore is literally handicapped by his own queerness. Bad Enid. She does not fail in the movie. Isn't quite in the spectacular fun way that Salvator fails, but you really don't see her speak in a scene where she just she can't stop talking about the fact that she's a lesbian, like she's just like it's a cartoon character. Although I did I enjoy the moment where she's talking to Luke Wilson, who is I guess at this I think the movie tricks you into thinking that he's a law student, and then later there's this reveal it's like, no, he's actually an associate at this No, he's just hanging out with a bunch of law kids. A whole anyway, So he's in with a bunch of students and you know, it is talking to him and she's like, oh, the whole semester is a male term. I'm gonna petition for them to be called oh Vester's from now on. And I was like, that's the type of thing that I would probably say, so I get it, or I would at least tweet as a joke. But anyway, Um, the very few people of color in this movie, the very few queer characters you see, are not done justice at all by the movie. I will say that I enjoy that there are several female characters and most of them are white, who are law professors at the most prestigious school in America. The prosecuting attorney in the courtroom scenes is a woman. The courtroom as with most interesting But it's like, you know, it's not necessarily like a statement to have a male salon with a lot of female characters that are certainly not a statement to have a sort already full of a lot of female characters. The courtroom thing felt like, oh cool, yeah, she's a woman, and the prosecuting attorney who does most and granted she's clearly poisoned. This character who does not, like many of the characters in the movie, take l seriously and whenever she's like, yeah, let this first year law student, but trying to defend her to find that kind of point L's outfit, you know, it's like, it makes sense, it makes it's not an illogical Okay, do we have anything else to say before it passes the Bechtel test? Obviously? In fact, I stopped. There are many scenes where women are talking where they are talking about any number of male characters, oftentimes Warner and some other people. But I stopped. I stop being able to even keep track of the scenes where women are interacting and saying things that passed the Bechtel tests, which is because there are so many. My only criticism is that this movie has trouble. I can't I don't even know if it's like the issues, They're just not enough male characters to have this be an issue for them as well. But the movie is like not great at naming their characters, but there are so many, so it takes a while for it to pass our version of the test because there story sisters don't have names, But it passes handily, although there are several times where two women are talking to each other but they're being really mean to each other, which like, I don't like that. But there's like one see in particular where like Vivian says to L, nice outfit when she shows up in the bunny costume, and then L says, thanks, you too, accept that when I dress up as a frigid bitch, I try to not to look so constipated, and it's like, wow, feminism. And then and then the last line is you have the ring. You're just like, oh, how does this scene? The other thing I did want to say about that is that I really I feel like we were robbed of a scene where L and Vivian kind of reconciled because it leaves off where Vivian realizes she's made a huge mistake because she misinterprets what she saw happening between Callahan and L. But then we don't really get to see any sort of apology or reconciliation there kind a minute out of the forty five bended snap sequence and give us that. Yeah, I also would have speaking to let's write Vivian a little bit better. I would have liked to see Vivian confront Warner as well, because because clearly there's a lot to unpacked there, and we found out midway through the movie that Vivian doesn't take Warner seriously either. Shall we write the movie, Bob, Yeah, I'm gonna give it. I'm gonna say this is like a three nipple or like a lost blood. I've also lot of blood this week. My larynx is literally torn to shreds. Anyway, Okay, so I'm gonna give this movie three nipples. Um, it might deserve higher and might deserve lower. I'm not really sure. To me, it's still like it's a movie in which the character in the third act is very empowered and she ends up realizing the thing that she was pursuing for the wrong reasons is her calling and that she is good at it and that she is passionate about it, and that's great. However, the whole first very long chunk of the movie is her pursuing something for the very wrong reasons. So that's a little frustrating to watch. Also, we had the whole discussion about a movie that's kind of trying to like dismantle and subvert the tropes and the stereotypes of a blonde, hot sorority girl, which she's also but because the movie is just so fucking pink to me, it almost reads is like those like big brand pens that were like these are for women because they're pink, and it's like, there's a movie for women because look how pink it. There is a level ref feinism to this movie that isn't as egregious as it could be, but it's present. It's there, The product placement is there. I'm with you, you're both having a stroke. Um, so, yeah, there's certainly some problems. I do like the third act of the movie, when basically there's the whole turn of her coming into her own but not necessarily abandoning who she is as a person. But she's empowered and she's found her calling accidentally slashed by stalking her ex boyfriend. But it works out, so that's good, I guess. Yeah. So three nipples, one of them belongs to Bruiser, the dog love Bruiser. I usually hate movie dogs, as you know. I mean, I think Bruiser should have been a cat, in which case I would have given the movie eight nipples, and all of them would have been to the bruiser of the cat in cat facts or whatever whatever I usually say. But one of them goes to Bruiser and the other two one to pull it, And I'm going to give one to Professor Stromwell, the strong independent woman who empowers l at the end to not quit law school and to be the lawyer she was meant to be. Yes, Queen, Queen, Yes, we love it. I'm so tired. Okay, So what do I have left? What do I have left? We're so close to the end. Do I have left in my body that it's stolen from me? At this point I think I decid my having crises. Okay, I have to give this movie two and a half nipples. As much as I do genuinely like it and think it's generally it is coming from the right place, I would be lying if I said that, Oh God, what is the name of the movie again? Legally blond No, no, no, no, the movie You just forgot what we've been talking about. I've been bullshit. No, the iconic film that came before it, uh Titsiana boober I would be lying if I said that the reveal that Titsiana Booberrelli led to this movie The Man didn't impact my general view of it. I hope in affectors do. That's a pretty horrifying rug to have pulled out from underneath you. It's like finding out that like Moanna wouldn't have been made if there wasn't like Dick Rangers. For like the director of Dick Rangers four hadn't made a snapchat video that had won an award It's Sundance. I just it's upsetting. My main issue with this movie for all the little stuff we picked apart which is valid, not to make our job sound useless. That Sagan bitching we just did moment one. I don't like the message this communicates to its very young audience that an appropriate way to deal with a breakup as a young person is to not accept a breakup. That is such a horrible idea. And I embarrassingly did this exact thing in high school because I'd seen movies like this where it works out for me. I took a bus to Connecticut. It did not work out. It was deeply embarrassing. I think about it easily once a day there. But I mean, like speaking to that larger thing, I am not alone in having done something like that because of movies like this that convey the message just basically empowering unhealthy behaviors. And even though it is positive, obviously the el's plan to win warnerback does not work out, and does not work out for the right reasons. The fact that she still does have this new, fulfilling life because of this deeply flawed, problematic plan is just not a good message to be sending to children who don't know anything. Just remember, they will believe what hot people tell them. Like that's just how children very easily influenced. And the reason we do this podcast is because movies do have a significant impact on our the way that we yeah. So the fact that so many movies portray romantic relationships is like or breakups is like, well, the know, the way I'm going to win him or her back is to stock them for a long time. And sometimes in movies that works and it's like it happened, And I can't think of an example top of dumb, but there are a lot of examples of men doing this to women in movies as well, probably more. It's just not good. It's like right up there with my least favorite movie setups, right up there with the let me kidnap and re educate a woman and then we'll be in love. They're just I just don't like the foundation of this movie. To me, along with Tensiana, Boobarella is deeply flawed. I can't deal with it. L Woods, I think it's an awesome character. Most of the female characters have elements of great characters but are not fully fleshed out, possibly because the narrative is a little saturated with a lot of characters. Anyways, I like the movie. I'm so tired two and a half nipples. I've given one to Elwoods. She fucking earned it. I'll give a nippy to pull it as well, because she deserved better. And I'll give my last half nip to Vivian. No no inspired awards here, just giving it to people who are in them. Well. Also, I wanted to known I literally had a physical response to you, says, so that's our way, way, way, way too long, and I'm sorrnest I not sorry. You, just so you know, this is a far better product than we were originally delivering, which is us drunkenly slowly about how we like Titanic. Yeah, so for maybe a half hour, and you're welcome that you're not listening to that garbage, physically winded, just like, yeah, we got to go to bed time. I hope you enjoyed this. I think you should. You you fucking should. That was a lot of nuances we did. We didn't. In fact, I feel like if we had cut it any shorter, we would have left out some valuable discourse. So here we are giving it to you straight, to all you, marian. We'll try not to make all their episodes this long, but hey, they don't care. Who knows what will happen? Do you love it to it? They're sick? All right? Well, yes, I hope you're not too tired. Happy, happy New Years and good time tidings to you, good job wah and a happy bality. So that was our unlocked Matron episode, available now on the main feed on the film legally Blonde, And we don't get used to it. Don't get used to it. All the other ones are. They're staying there, they're they're locked in the Disney vault, except the Bechtel the Bechtel Vault. But yes, thank you for listening. We hope you enjoyed it. It was fun for us to revisit as well. Um and just like there's no better like legally it's a good time to watch legally Blonde, and now in history's darkest hour, it's a fun time to watch legally Blonde. Indeed, so thank you for listening. Uh. You can find us online in all the normal places. You can find us on Instagram and Twitter at Bechtel Cast. You can of course join the damn Matreon Patreon dot com slash Becktel Cast. There's other stuff. I just remembered another theme we did, Revenge bur Oh yeah, every every title. The titles are horrific. I love them so much. There's but we've done a lot and then and then we'll also do like annual Oscar roundups and stuff like that, so a little a little more niche fun stuff going on over there. Um, So I hope you enjoyed this, And you can also get our merchant t public dot com slash the Bechdel Cast, and we'll see you next week. Gang ye