Cardozo Journal of Equal Rights & Social Justice
Abstract
The article argues that popular movies like Legally Blonde and Miss Congeniality perpetuate harmful gender stereotypes by depicting women as needing to conform to traditional notions of femininity or masculinity to succeed in male-dominated professions. These portrayals contradict the protections provided by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employment discrimination based on sex. The article contends that such films send the wrong message by suggesting women must change themselves to fit societal expectations rather than challenging those expectations.
Disciplines
Civil Rights and Discrimination | Communications Law | Labor and Employment Law | Law | Law and Gender | Water Law
Recommended Citation
Anna M. Archer,
From Legally Blonde to Miss Congeniality: The Femininity Conundrum,
13
Cardozo J. Equal Rts. & Soc. Just.
1
(2006).
Available at:
https://larc.cardozo.yu.edu/cardozoersj/vol13/iss1/4
Included in
Civil Rights and Discrimination Commons, Communications Law Commons, Labor and Employment Law Commons, Law and Gender Commons, Water Law Commons