- 3 weeks ago
What, like it's hard? Join us as we count down the most hilarious moments from "Legally Blonde" in celebration of its 25th anniversary! From the iconic Bend & Snap to Elle's Harvard Video Essay, we're revisiting every laugh-out-loud scene that made Elle Woods a legend. Which moment do you still quote today?
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00:03Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're celebrating the most hilarious, iconic, and downright
00:09legendary scenes that have kept us laughing for a quarter century.
00:1720. Elle's Friends Come to Court
00:20Normally, courtrooms are all gravitas and gavel-banging, but when Elle's besties show
00:25up to support her, the serious atmosphere gets a hilariously out-of-place dose of Malibu
00:30sunshine.
00:31Oh my god, there she is! Elle! Elle, we came to see your trial! Oh, look how cute! There's
00:38like a judge in everything, and jury people. Vote for Elle!
00:43Their bubbly presence and cheers completely append the stuffy environment, making it feel
00:48more like a pep rally than a murder trial. As Elle finds her footing, we cut to Serena and
00:53Margot watching everything unfold like high-stakes reality TV.
00:57I believe the witness has made it clear that she was in the shower.
01:07Yes, Your Honor.
01:09At one point, Margot even tries to get involved, raising her hand to answer a question that
01:14we guarantee none of the esteemed council could have answered. What, like it's hard? We guess
01:19they don't teach you everything at Harvard.
01:21Chetney, why is it that Tracey Marcinko's curls were ruined when she got hosed down?
01:2719. It's Time to Be Serious
01:29Breakups can be devastating, and this one hits Elle especially hard.
01:34You couldn't. You're a part of me. I love you.
01:42Liar. At the salon, while Serena and Margot happily get their nails done, Elle sits adrift
01:48in a sea of glossy magazines. Her world suddenly off-kilter. Then, fate intervenes in the form
01:55of a magazine headline demonstrating the ultimate transformation from Marilyn to Jackie.
02:07L, ever the optimist, starts plotting her comeback aloud, only to be met with a dose of unfiltered
02:13and brutal realmness from the woman next to her. The stranger's blunt quip is so hilariously
02:18savage that it proves that sometimes the universe steps in with a perfectly manicured slap.
02:3618. Elle Can Handle Anything
02:38So, Elle's had her heart broken. What's a girl to do? If you're Elle, you set your sights
02:44on Harvard Law, obviously.
02:4619. But your major is fashion merchandising. Harvard won't be impressed that you aced
02:53history of polka dots.
02:5419. Setting across from the career's advisor, Elle is back in full force, all sparkle, ambition,
03:00and that signature can-do spirit. The advisor tries to gently lower her expectations, but
03:06Elle's confidence is unshakable.
03:0820. What are your backups?
03:0920. I don't need backups. I'm going to Harvard.
03:12Look, getting into law school and an Ivy League one, no less, is no joke. But that's nothing
03:18to a woman who once presided over a Tidy Whitey contest and lived to tell the tale. If anyone
03:23knows a thing or two about handling briefs, it's Elle.
03:2620. At least a 175 on your LSATs.
03:3120. I once had to judge a Tidy Whitey contest for Lambda Kappa Pi. Trust me, I can handle anything.
03:3717. Old School Insults
03:39By this point, Elle has already proved she's far more than a capable lawyer. She's earned
03:45Brooke's trust, secured her alibi, and started crafting their defense without betraying a
03:50single confidence.
03:5120. To get her alibi.
03:5220. Did you get it?
03:5420. Mm-hmm. It's really good.
03:5620. Well, great. What is it?
03:5820. Oh, I can't tell you.
04:0120. Why the hell not?
04:0220. Because I promised her I'd keep it a secret, and I can't break the bonds of sisterhood.
04:0721. Unfortunately, not everyone is ready to embrace the Elle Woods method just yet.
04:1121. On the drive to visit Chutney's mother, Emmett and Elle clash over strategy, and Elle responds
04:17with perhaps the most devastating legal argument in the history of Elle vs Buttheads.
04:2122. She seems to me like she's hiding something.
04:2422. But maybe it's not what you think.
04:2623. Maybe it's exactly what I think.
04:2923. You know you're really being a butthead.
04:3123. It's childish, gloriously old school, and lands with the force of a closing statement.
04:3623. Emmett's stunned reaction sells the moment perfectly.
04:4024. The verdict is immediate. Case closed, council roasted, gavel drop.
04:4425. I can't believe you just called me a butthead. I mean, no one's called me a butthead since about
04:47the ninth grade.
04:4926. Maybe not to your face.
04:5226. So you think she woke up one morning and said…
04:5626. A key part of Elle's journey is learning that staying true to yourself never goes out of style.
05:0127. What's that?
05:0227. It's her resume.
05:0427. It smells good.
05:0628. Even Callahan fleetingly comes around to that way of thinking when impressed by Elle's thinking,
05:1128. asks if she'll apply for his internship.
05:1329. She hilariously hands over a pink-scented resume.
05:1729. Hey, it's not like she's done anything by the book so far, so why start now?
05:2129. It's pink.
05:2230. Oh, and it's scented. I think it gives it a little something extra, don't you think?
05:2630. Okay, well, see you next class.
05:3030. What truly makes the scene so memorable, though, is Callahan's comment to Emmett as Elle walks away.
05:36For once, the man who has surprisingly poor instincts for a top lawyer actually sees the star in front of
05:42him,
05:42even if he doesn't know it.
05:4430. You think she just woke up one morning and said…
05:4630. I think I'll go to law school today.
05:4931. Don't ask.
05:51We'll talk about the costume party itself later, but for now, let's talk about what happens after.
05:5631. Come on, you're never going to get the grace to qualify for one of those spots.
06:0031. You're not smart enough, sweetie.
06:0331. Wait, am I on glue, or did we not get into the same law school, Warner?
06:0831. Elle realizes that no matter how many times she proves herself, Warner will always see her as a Marilyn,
06:14and the bunny costume just makes him more boneheaded.
06:1731. With a new resolve, she heads straight to the Harvard store to gear up to get ahead in class.
06:2132. Just forget it.
06:2332. I'll show you how valuable Elle Woods can be.
06:2833. Still dressed as a playboy bunny.
06:30Emmett steps in line behind her, takes one look, and doesn't say a word.
06:34But we can see what he's thinking.
06:36There aren't many words exchanged, but that's fine.
06:39Emmett's face says more than any dialogue could.
06:4233. Don't ask.
06:4334. Wasn't gonna.
06:4434. But I'll prove that I can't conquer anything.
06:4834. The breakup.
06:5234. Elle heads into her big date with Warner expecting a proposal,
06:55only to get blindsided instead when he proposes that they break up.
07:0035. So you're breaking up with me because I'm too… blonde?
07:0335. No, that's not entirely true.
07:0636. Then what? My boobs are too big?
07:0836. No, no, no. Your boobs are fine.
07:1136. As the reality sets in, Elle's heartbreak explodes from stunned disbelief to full-on emotional fireworks,
07:18turning their restaurant table into the night's main event.
07:2137. Probably not what Warner had in mind when he chose the public setting.
07:2537. Bad salad.
07:3837. Her high-pitched cries are probably not the ambiance that other diners were expecting that night either.
07:4537. Elle storms out with Warner trailing behind in his car.
07:4837. She may have lost her dream future, but she's not about to lose a perfectly good pair of heels.
07:5337. Honestly, it's the least Warner can do.
07:5637. You're gonna ruin your shoes.
08:0338. Okay.
08:0438. Okay.
08:0639. Okay.
08:0839. Okay.
08:0939. You picked the wrong girl.
08:1339. Okay.
08:1339. This scene is a triumphant moment for Elle, showcasing her intelligence in a way that completely subverts expectations and
08:20delivers a fantastic comedic punch.
08:2239. I don't understand why you're completely disregarding your signature color.
08:2539. He's proposing. I can't look like I would on any other date. This is the date.
08:3039. The night I'll always remember.
08:3240. While shopping for what she thinks will be her engagement dress, a condescending shop assistant tries to scam her.
08:38assuming Elle is an easy mark.
08:40At first, Elle plays along,
08:42letting the assistant believe she's about to score a quick sale.
08:45Did you see this one? We just got it in yesterday.
08:48Oh, is this low-viscosity rayon?
08:51Uh, yes, of course.
08:53With a half-loop topstitching on the hem?
08:56Absolutely. It's one of a kind.
08:58But then Elle yanks the last-season snag-hemmed rug right out from under her.
09:03She expertly points out every flaw in the so-called discounted dress,
09:07dismantling the assistant's smug attitude
09:09until she's left slinking away last season's designer tale between her legs.
09:14It's impossible to use a half-loop topstitching on low-viscosity rayon.
09:18It would snag the fabric.
09:19And you didn't just get it in.
09:21I saw it in the June Vogue a year ago.
09:23So if you're trying to sell it to me for full price,
09:25you picked the wrong girl.
09:26Number 12. Reckless Abandonment
09:29What separates a good lawyer from a great one?
09:32Creative quick-on-your-feet thinking.
09:33And Elle has it in spades.
09:35Although Mr. Huntington makes an excellent point,
09:38I have to wonder if the defendant kept a thorough record
09:41of every sperm emission made throughout his life.
09:44So during a case study in class,
09:46while Warner delivers the predictable answer,
09:49Elle swoops in with her signature-outside-the-box logic,
09:51presenting her case with such earnest conviction,
09:54you'd swear she'd lifted her argument straight out of a Harvard Law textbook.
09:59Unless the defendant attempted to contact every single one-night stand
10:02to determine if a child resulted in those unions,
10:05he has no parental claim over this child whatsoever.
10:08Why now? Why this sperm?
10:10It's the way her confidence builds with every word in her earnestness
10:13as she states her argument that makes this moment unforgettable.
10:17All her classmates might think she's a joke,
10:19but the real joke is on them.
10:21Some lessons, it turns out, aren't in the syllabus.
10:24Even at Harvard.
10:25And for that matter,
10:27all masturbatory emissions where his sperm was clearly not seeking an egg
10:30could be termed reckless abandonment.
10:33I believe you've just won your case.
10:36Number 11. Last Season Prada Shoes
10:39In a high-stakes courtroom,
10:41Elle once again demonstrates her unconventional genius
10:44by solving a critical piece of the puzzle.
10:46Don't stomp your little last-season Prada shoes at me, honey.
10:52For last season?
10:56Enrique's first misstep was pushing in front of her at the water fountain.
11:00The second was accidentally handing Elle the keys to his undoing,
11:04which she's ready to drop like a pair of last-season Prada pumps.
11:08Of course, Elle's squad needs a little extra persuasion,
11:11cue Warner, who finally manages to contribute something useful.
11:14Warner, what kind of shoes are these?
11:16Ah, ah, I've had a black ones.
11:19See?
11:19What are you talking about?
11:21He's gay. He is a Brooks lover. He's making it up.
11:24Thankfully, Emmett is always in Elle's corner,
11:27ready to volley her setup into a perfect takedown.
11:30As for Enrique and Chuck,
11:31well, we wouldn't be surprised if Emmett received their couple's therapy bill.
11:35And your boyfriend's name is Chuck.
11:37Right.
11:39Oh, pardon me, pardon me.
11:43Silence!
11:44Silence!
11:45Pardon me, pardon me.
11:45Yes, Mr. Salvatore.
11:47I was, uh, I was confused.
11:48You see, I thought you said friend.
11:50Chuck is just a friend.
11:51Oh, okay.
11:52You bitch!
11:55Number 10, Wingwoman.
11:57I was thinking maybe we could go out sometime.
11:59No, you're a dork.
12:01I'm in law school.
12:04Elle may have initially enrolled in Harvard to win Warner back,
12:07but she soon realizes that actually,
12:09she has a strong drive to help others.
12:11It's what eventually drives her toward the realization that law is her true calling.
12:16Some aromatherapy candles,
12:18a loofah,
12:19oh,
12:21and the Bible.
12:23You're an angel.
12:25But helping people can also take different forms.
12:28When she sees her colleague being turned down in an almost cartoonishly brutal way,
12:33she becomes the ultimate wing person.
12:35I'm sorry?
12:36Sorry for what?
12:37For breaking my heart or for giving me the greatest pleasure I've ever known,
12:40and then just taking it away.
12:42Using her quick thinking and skills for drama,
12:44she helps make him look like he's God's gift to women.
12:48Watching all those soap operas really paid off.
12:51Is there an improv troupe at Harvard?
12:53Number 9.
12:54This is so much better than that!
12:56When Elle lands a prestigious internship with her professor,
13:00it proves that she's every bit as good as, if not better, than her peers.
13:06After being disregarded for the way she spoke and dressed,
13:09this accomplishment finally showed off her sincere dedication to the law.
13:14Her way of throwing it in Warner's face is to remind him about their four amazing hours in a hot
13:19tub together,
13:19and assure him that this feeling is so much better.
13:23Do you remember when we spent those four amazing hours in the hot tub after Winter Formal?
13:28Yeah, no.
13:31This is so much better than that!
13:34The boast doubles as a blow to her rival, Warner's stuck-up fiancé.
13:37The moment was turned into a hilarious song for the stage musical,
13:41but it's hard to beat this iconic original scene.
13:44It's like making love with you all night!
13:47Now we can feel so much better!
13:49And love much better!
13:51It's so much better!
13:51It's so much better!
13:54Number 8.
13:54The Costume Party
13:55The visual of Elle's frilly pink bunny outfit against a sea of neutral and dark colors
14:01is the perfect representation of how much she stands out from her Harvard colleagues.
14:06How you doing?
14:07Warner, Warner!
14:08The English language, it is all about subliminal domination!
14:11Her outfit choice may be the result of a cruel trick played on her,
14:14but her reaction is a real lesson in how to give Grace under fire.
14:20Thanks for inviting me, girls!
14:22This party is super fun!
14:23Watching her realize she's been set up is actually kind of heartbreaking
14:27in spite of the funny juxtaposition.
14:29All she wants to do is have a good time.
14:31But thankfully, she's ready,
14:33with a well-timed and absolutely devastating return fire to Vivian's snide remarks.
14:38Nice outfit!
14:40Oh, I like your outfit, too,
14:42except when I dress up as a frigid bitch,
14:44I try not to look so constipated.
14:46Number 7.
14:47Elle's First Day
14:48Culture shock doesn't even begin to describe Elle Woods' first day at Harvard.
14:52Hey, Brad, check out Malibu Barbie.
14:55Where's the beach, honey?
14:58Here you go.
15:00Good boy.
15:01Clearly not used to being the odd girl out,
15:04she does her best to ingratiate herself with her fellow incoming law students.
15:08Their achievements and resumes are obnoxiously outstanding.
15:11And it's been suggested that Stephen Hawking stole his brief history of time
15:17from my fourth grade paper.
15:18Undeterred, Elle gushes about her and her dog's zodiac sign,
15:22her bachelor's in fashion,
15:23and her presidency of the Delta New sorority.
15:26While it doesn't do much to endear her to her very serious classmates,
15:30her line about Orange not being the new pink
15:32does give us an idea for a new Netflix series.
15:34Whoever said Orange is the new pink was seriously disturbed.
15:40Number 6.
15:42Elle Rejects Warner
15:43Warner needed a fiancé who was serious
15:46if he was going to be a senator by the age of 30.
15:49If I'm going to be a senator by the time I'm 30,
15:52I need to stop dicking around.
15:54By the end, though,
15:55he should probably be worrying if anyone,
15:57serious or otherwise, would even want to marry him.
16:00Only once Elle wins her case
16:02does Warner see her as good enough to be his future wife.
16:05I just wanted to say that you were so brilliant in there
16:10and that I was wrong.
16:12Unfortunately, he's never really asked
16:14whether he was good enough for anyone, really.
16:17His brutal and humiliating breakup
16:19may have jump-started Elle's journey of self-discovery as a lawyer,
16:23but she now realizes she doesn't need him.
16:26Warner's own words being used against him
16:28make this scene all the more gratifying.
16:31But if I'm going to be a partner in a law firm
16:32by the time I'm 30,
16:33I need a boyfriend who's not such a complete bonehead.
16:36Number 5.
16:37Getting Paulette's Dog Back
16:39Hapless manicurist Paulette Bonifonte,
16:42Jennifer Coolidge provides some of the movie's biggest laughs.
16:45Do we kept the trailer and my precious baby Rufus?
16:51I didn't even get to throw him a birthday party.
16:54When she and Elle visit her ex,
16:56it's the first time Elle sees the good she can do in the legal field.
16:59She throws some mostly nonsensical jargon in the guy's face
17:02to make him hand over Paulette's bulldog.
17:05Do you understand what subject matter jurisdiction is?
17:08No.
17:09I didn't think so.
17:10Yeah, maybe pretending to be a lawyer
17:12when you're barely a first-year law student
17:14is unethical and grounds for expulsion in real life.
17:17But this isn't real life.
17:19It's the movies.
17:20And in the movies,
17:21it's icon behavior.
17:23We did it!
17:25Ah!
17:29Get here.
17:29Number 4.
17:30Harvard Video Essay
17:32My name is Elle Woods.
17:33And for my admissions essay,
17:35I'm going to tell all of you at Harvard
17:37why I'm going to make an amazing lawyer.
17:40One of Legally Blonde's main theme
17:42is that knowledge is not the same thing as intelligence.
17:45Her application video essay
17:47is directed by a coppola,
17:49which is pretty insane in itself.
17:51I worked so hard to get into law school.
17:54I blew off great grief to study for the LSATs.
17:56I even hired a coppola to direct my admissions video.
17:59But it's the video's unique,
18:01real-world-style presentation of Elle's qualifications
18:04that draws the Harvard admissions board in.
18:06While her examples may not be exactly
18:08what the department is used to seeing,
18:10she does make a pretty strong case.
18:12I feel comfortable using legal jargon in everyday life.
18:19It might not be up there with
18:21The Godfather or Lost in Translation,
18:23but it's very memorable.
18:25Number 3.
18:27Endorphins
18:28Compared to her colleagues,
18:29Elle Woods has some unique areas of expertise.
18:32Because isn't it the first cardinal rule of perm maintenance
18:35that you're forbidden to wet your hair
18:36for at least 24 hours after getting a perm,
18:38at the risk of deactivating the ammonium thyglocolate?
18:42One of her most memorable observations
18:44occurs during her internship
18:46when she's defending an exercise guru charged with murder.
18:49Elle's knowledge of fitness
18:50seems somewhat trivial to a room of very serious attorneys,
18:53and her view of humanity may be a little naive.
18:56But in all fairness,
18:58she does turn out to be right.
18:59I just don't think Brooke could have done this.
19:02Exercise gives you endorphins.
19:04Endorphins make you happy.
19:06Happy people just don't shoot their husbands.
19:07The topics most familiar to Elle
19:09are radically different from those of her peers and professors.
19:12But she knows what she knows,
19:13and they could learn a lot from her point of view.
19:15Are you one of my lawyers?
19:17Yeah, sort of.
19:19Well, thank God one of you has a brain.
19:21Number 2.
19:22Bend and Snap
19:23If there's anyone who has the energy of an aerobics instructor,
19:27it's Elle Woods.
19:28Some of Legally Blonde's best scenes
19:30involve a subplot
19:31where she plays love doctor to Paulette.
19:33That's great, Paulette.
19:35Is this the only interaction you two have ever had?
19:37No.
19:39Sometimes I say okay instead of fine.
19:41It starts as a short instruction
19:43on how to get a man's attention,
19:44courtesy of her mother's advice,
19:46but quickly turns into a jazzy little early aughts montage,
19:50with Elle leading the salon in an impromptu class.
19:53A little attitude, please.
19:55Yes, good.
19:55Now everybody smile.
19:57That's very important.
19:58The bend and snap works every time,
20:00except those times you break the guy's nose.
20:03I got it.
20:05But even that can get results.
20:18Before we continue,
20:20check out this single from Sound Mojo's album current,
20:22EDM Transformed.
20:24Check out the full track and album below.
20:41Number 1.
20:42What, like it's hard?
20:44After the massive effort Elle Woods puts into getting accepted to law school,
20:48when she finally does see her ex for the first time,
20:50she plays it cool.
20:52Of course, she's at Harvard.
20:54Why wouldn't she be?
20:55Elle?
20:58Warner?
20:59I totally forgot you go here.
21:01It's just one of the best and most prestigious law schools in the country.
21:05No big deal.
21:06It's kind of hard to tell how much of this iconic line is her rubbing it in,
21:10trying to play up her airheadedness,
21:12or just being genuinely unaware of this world of academic elitism.
21:16You got into Harvard Law?
21:19What, like it's hard?
21:20But it's definitely the movie's best trailer soundbite.
21:23No other line so accurately sums up the character's ditzy air and irresistible confidence.
21:29What are your backups?
21:30I don't need backups.
21:32I'm going to Harvard.
21:33Which Legally Blonde moment do you still quote today?
21:36State your case in the comments.
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