It’s time to set the record straight. My entire life, I’ve been known to be a girl who’s “bubbly.” My friends will tell you I’m the one who loves to tell dramatic stories, act out the ridiculous thing that happened to me in class earlier that morning or use voices to portray how a conversation went (to differentiate between the characters, obviously). I’ve always loved stereotypically girly things and will always be up for grabbing that Starbucks latte or going shopping. I love meeting new people and will often go out of my way to introduce myself. While I’ve always been this definition of bubbly and outgoing that we’ve all come to accept in society, I’ve also been told in the media and society that this kind of girl isn’t smart and doesn't make decisions.
I, as that person, am here to tell you that that kind of thinking is not only absurd, but it’s also a manifestation of everything that’s wrong in the world when it comes to gender inequality. I vividly remember getting to middle school and feeling extremely uncomfortable being outgoing or speaking my mind. Suddenly, boys were in the picture, and they seemed to always go for the quiet, more soft-spoken girls who never said anything controversial. I’m absolutely not saying that one type of person, male or female, is better than another; I’m simply saying that maybe it’s time to reevaluate how we look at people in our society. Modern day examples are prevalent everywhere, especially in the media, and if you think a little bit more about them, you’ll see how concerning they really are.
Let me further my argument by citing one of my all-time favorite films: "Legally Blonde." Most people have probably seen the iconic Reese Witherspoon motion picture, but I firmly believe the movie has a lot of underlying themes and issues that aren’t necessarily obvious.
We all know that the movie begins with sorority president Elle Woods getting dumped by her douchebag boyfriend, Warner, and and proceeds to apply to Harvard Law School to prove she’s worthy of his time. At the beginning of the movie, Elle is supposed to be seen as ridiculous and stupid. But if you actually pay attention, Witherspoon’s character is smart, driven and perfectly happy living her Malibu life (she has a 4.0!). Yet still, we are led to believe that Elle is dumb. The movie takes an unexpected turn when Elle realizes that Warner actually isn’t a good guy (shocker) and proceeds to single-handedly win her first case and become the valedictorian of her class.
Movies like "Legally Blonde" have a double meaning that is easy to miss if you just take it for what it is: a girl who magically becomes smart and shows her boyfriend she’s too good for him. But if you really look at it, Elle is a hero. She’s a person who isn’t afraid to walk into a courtroom wearing neon pink or carry her dog around in her purse, and still she’s in the top of her class.
My movie rant aside, I strongly believe it is vital that we rethink how our society views girls who are energetic, fun-loving and outgoing. As a person who experiences this — being discounted for my personality I understand how frustrating it can be. Since when was it decided that someone can’t be bubbly and be a leader at the same time? Gender issues are hot topics right now, and while we are having dialogue about equality, we need to remember that that goes for all types of women. Some stereotypes are more recognizable than others, but we all need to remember that someone who may live differently than we do isn’t wrong or stupid for doing so.
