Was Elle Woods Offensive or Empowering?

I admit witty Meme’s are kinda my thing. If you’ve been following my feed for a while, you’ll regularly see me post an eye catching pop culture photo, along with my attempt at an insiders industry joke to draw people to my latest job advert.  I’ve built my personal brand around my personal quirky sense of humor, and what I always intend to be a tasteful image.  

Recently I received a message from an established Supply Chain professional regarding my latest post.  While she understood the message was supposed to be comical and meant to advertise the position, she felt the image was demeaning, and downplayed the level of intelligence needed to be successful in supply chain.  Associating Procurement with simply “Shopping” that was downright offensive.  And she was concerned it may have portrayed the role as only for women, and might even deter men from applying.  

This was the image: 

Let me start by saying I have nothing but the greatest respect for Supply Chain and Procurement professionals. I’ve seen the industry mature through my career and witnessed how the department’s worked hard to earn its seat at the executive table. I recognize the original perception of supply chain in many organizations has shifted from being considered a cost center, to a department that delivers more than its fair share of value. The caliber and intelligence of supply chain professionals is one of the many reasons I’ve focused my recruitment career on their roles, and why many of my posts have images like this one: 

I have to admit I was surprised. Not because I didn’t understand or agree with her perception, but because up until that point I hadn’t considered being offended by the image myself. I started to wonder if perhaps I should have been.   

So this message made me ask myself the question; Was Elle Woods demeaning or empowering?  

Obviously, my original meme was not Elle Woods but of a similar archetype.  

You remember the Elle Woods character from Legally Blonde. She was that over the top “girly” character that goes from sorority girl to Harvard Law School success story.   She wore all pink, had an unparalleled level of confidence, and even ridiculously “bent and snapped”.  She was overtly stereo-typically feminine.  So was she friend or foe to feminism?  Did she strengthen the cliched pattern of thinking about women, or did she inspire a generation of lip gloss toting ladies to change what they thought was possible for themselves?

If there’s one thing 7 years of interviews has taught me it’s that people are complex and diverse.  Being inarguably unique is what makes humans the best show in town, and you don’t even need a ticket.  Some people naturally reinforce stereotypes, and some rail against them.  But stereotypical or not, shouldn’t they both be considered for the same opportunities if they have the same skills?  

 The position I advertised with this post was a Procurement Manager for a construction company.  If anything, the image I associated with that advert fought against what might have been typically expected.  I’m curious, if I had posted the below image instead, shouldn’t we be just as offended?  

As expected I received plenty of qualified applicant's for this position very quickly. A majority of them were male. 80% to be exact. This is not an usual ratio for these types of male dominated industries like construction, and sadly not surprising in senior leadership positions.

In a world where we're exploring the narrative around pay equality, gender norms, and confirmation bias in the workplace, our belief systems can be subconscious and unexamined. Often we many not even recognize or question our assumptions unless they are pointed out to us. But that is exactly how change happens in our society. Small shifts in perception and beliefs. That's how we change the world.

My question to you is, isn't it time we start to consider embracing an overtly feminine stereotype as empowering?  Why does femininity have to be suppressed to be considered capable? Shouldn’t the two be considered mutually exclusive?  

Wasn’t the point of characters like Elle Woods in pop culture to challenge our personal bias about people based on their appearance and gender?  Trust me, I do understand and recognize the validity of the readers concerns, and certainly do not want to encourage the idea that procurement is for woman only or is simplistic in any way.  I am better for her feedback and will be more conscious in the future.  If the image I put out offended you, please know it was not my intention to do so.  But if so, I challenge you to ask yourself why that image evokes those feelings in you.

The point of feminism was not to make us the same. It was to give us the freedom to celebrate our differences.  

Maybe encouraging the idea of a spunky, high heeled, confident woman to feel just as bold in her choice of career, as her wardrobe, is allowing her to be unapologetically herself.  

I say, you go girl. High heels or flats. You do you.  

Do you agree? Disagree?  

Offended or empowered?  

Please share your thoughts and this article.   

And one more... Just because Miss Piggy has always been a great feminist.