Title
From Legally Blonde to Miss Congeniality: The Femininity Conundrum
Abstract
Modern movies contribute to the perpetuation of gender stereotypes regarding the extent to which career women should or should not display their femininity at work. The movies Legally Blonde and Miss Congeniality provide cogent examples of the challenges career women face when their degree of femininity becomes an issue at work. Though the two movies present heroines at opposite ends of the femininity spectrum, both movies ultimately send the same message: career women should change to conform to their employers’ expectations about how feminine they should be. In reality, women should not have to change. Title VII prohibits employers from making employment decisions based on sex, but most movies make no mention of the legal remedies available when employers discriminate. This problem amplifies the inequality women in modern society continue to face because life mirrors movies. Moviemakers should stop contributing to the perpetuation of inequality in the workforce and instead use their power to educate about the legal remedies available when employers expect women to become more or less feminine.
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