Campus Location
Abilene Campus (Residential)
Date of Award
Spring 5-2017
Document Type
Thesis
Department
Communication
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Committee Chair or Primary Advisor
Kristina Davis
Second Committee Member or Secondary Advisor
Lauren Lemley
Third Committee Member or Committee Reader
Suzie Macaluso
Abstract
Feminism is a work that strikes up many connotations, but has no set definition. Though it might take on different definitions, its overall goal is equality. Feminism has appeared throughout history in various waves, the third-wave is currently in progress. Two artifacts from this wave of feminism include Legally Blonde and How to Get Away With Murder. This thesis utilizes feminist rhetorical criticism to analyze how third-wave feminism appears in each artifact, and what implications that has for the progression of feminism. The research identified two types of feminism, girlie feminism in Legally Blonde and intersectional in How to Get Away With Murder, respectively. The different types of feminism in each artifact lead to the finding that each is distinctive of what third wave feminism was concerned with at the time. Legally Blonde and girlie feminism were geared towards making femininity acceptable in the workplace and compatible with feminism. How to Get Away With Murder and intersectionality are focused on inclusivity in feminism. Despite these differences, both artifacts work for the benefit of feminism, and advancing its ultimate goal of equality.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Moreno, Jazmine M., "From Blonde to Brutal: A Feminist Rhetorical Analysis of Legally Blonde and How to Get Away With Murder" (2017). Digital Commons @ ACU, Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 50.
https://digitalcommons.acu.edu/etd/50