Are east coast people really that stuck up and boring? - Legally Blonde (2001) Discussion

[–] johnston.scot 15 years ago

Well, that was sort of the central premise of the movie, I think.

It should be noted that the people depicted in the movie weren't really "East Coast" people, so much as high-academic-achievers. In the movie, as in real life:
- That's a tiny subset of people on the East Coast and the vast majority are nothing like that (see the Jennifer Coolidge character, for example)
- It includes people from places other than the East Coast (I'm almost sure I heard a reference to "Berkeley" in there, which is quite definitely more proximate to the West, than the East, Coast).

Also, while there may be some truth to the premise, it was wildly overblown and exaggerated to create more humor and drama than exists in real life. That's what they do in movies.

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[–] Doc80 9 years ago

They are "old money" people, that's why they are like that. They think their sh!t don't stink because their great-great-great-great-great grandfather made a fortune and they have been lucky enough that someone down the line didn't blow it all and that their family is still rich. They look down on the "nouveau riche" (new rich) like Elle's family because they haven't been rich for generations. As I said, it's just engrained in them that they are "better" then everyone else. Not because of how good they are but because of who their family is.

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[–] toallitas 9 years ago

Probably not.

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[–] dl4060 (58) 5 years ago

That is the way they were represented in the movie.

I know lots of old money people who are NOTHING like you describe. The reason they might look down on new money people is NOT because the money is new, but because the new money people are showy with their wealth. There do exist old money people like that, but having been around both old and new money I would say the new money people were generally more obnoxious and stuck up. Most of the old money people I know are nothing like you describe. They tend to be quiet about their wealth, they look down on stereotypical "new money" people because those types tend to like to show off their wealth, not because the money is new. They don't look down on new money people who are quiet about their wealth, they look down on new money people who have a need to show it off. Most of the old money people I know look down on Elle's family because they are ostentatious and the mom has had lots of plastic surgery, not because the money is new.

I went to a boarding school where there was lots of wealth. The new money types were far more obnoxious than the old money types, and it really was not even close.

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[–] Danomera 14 years ago

I'm a transplant to the New England area, near boston, and yes! people here are weird. I used to think it was just that they were rude, but soon I saw its more "formal" like "don't talk to me until we have been properly introduced" kind of thing. Not how I grew up at all, so they are weird to me, but I'm sure they think I'm nuts too.

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[–] 14 years ago

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[–] archer1267 14 years ago

I live outside of Cambridge and Harvard is NOT a proxy for the Northeast. I've also taken classes at Harvard and many people are down-to-earth and nice...like anywhere else, there are exceptions.

New England IS a bit more reserved than the rest of the country. I don't know what it is. It takes people a while longer to come out of their shells at times, but once they do, they're generally nice, helpful people.

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[–] 14 years ago

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[–] EndorasBox 13 years ago

Not everyone there is, but there's a definite difference between coastal people (INCLUDING the West Coast) and the Midwest and the South. Midwesterners and Southerners are more friendly and laid back. I don't know how that developed, but the difference is palpable.

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[–] EmilyTheDramaQueen 10 years ago

I remember hearing that rich people on the east coast look down on the ones who live in Bel Air and Malibu mainly because a lot of rich people on the West coast are new money and they are old money. Hence a rich family on the East Coast would expect their child to go on and have a career while a West Coast new money family wouldn't mind if their kid lived off their money. Probably why they portrayed Elle's parents being opposed law school

"Just cause you can't beat 'em, don't mean you should join 'em."

Kacey Musgraves

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[–] Brookiee124 9 years ago

You pretty much hit the nail on the head. The east coast is old money that has been passed through generations due to hard work, and the west coast is new money that is earned by more superficial means (revolved around good looks, careers in entertainment, etc). Plus, many people on the east coast have family members that have lived there since settlement and basically started the country, so they do feel superior.

People from New England are just raised differently. I would never talk to a stranger without being introduced, always raise your hand, don't speak unless spoken to, etc. But of course the movie tries to make it seem like the east coasters are boring because Elle needs to be the bright, bubbly ray of sunshine to make her differences and obstacles more apparent.

People from New England aren't boring or mean. I was born and raised in New England but now live in Louisiana, and there are JUST as many rude people here but people still believe in the "southern hospitality" thing.

And no, being called a "Yankee" isn't an insult :)

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[–] IvyTempleton 8 years ago

This is how I see the East Coast. I am from NYC and their is major old money here. I unfortunately am not one of them :P.

But people hate New Yorkers. They think we are rude and sometimes trashy etc. I lived in FL for a while and people come from all over. All the people had their good and bad traits. If not for the different dialects/accents I couldn't tell any difference.

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[–] Fred-333 10 years ago

Yes, many northeastern people think they are all better than us - you didn't know? Come to the middle eastern coast (North Carolina and south to about mid Florida) to meet good people. Get around north Miami is like being in the northeast. People, please understand - I do not favor arrogant Yankees.

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[–] Samuraibro 10 years ago

Uh, no we don't. Also, yankee is hardly an insult. The only one being "rude" here is you.

SIND SIE DAS ESSEN NEIN WIR SIND DER JÄGER

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[–] RvaBread22 8 years ago

I think you mean Virginia to Florida. The only part of Virginia that is like the Northeast is the DC Metro. And even that is in question. But I wonder why people forget that "East Coast" is the entire East Coast and not just that one part.

"Life is like a box of Krispy Kreme donuts".

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[–] IvyTempleton 8 years ago

Yes, many northeastern people think they are all better than us - you didn't know? Come to the middle eastern coast (North Carolina and south to about mid Florida) to meet good people. Get around north Miami is like being in the northeast. People, please understand - I do not favor arrogant Yankees.

This is a prime example of stuck up and boring. Mean is understatement.

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[–] AngelCandice 10 years ago

Stuck up, yes. Boring? Absolutely not.

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[–] ElizaB27 10 years ago

Yes! My dad is originally from New England and he will tell you how snobby they can be. But boring? Not so much. They're always on the move.

All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. -Gandalf the Grey

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[–] chelleb70 8 years ago

The responses here are cracking me up. I was born and raised in CT and no, not everyone in the northeast is boring and stuck up. We're also not all preppies or old money (or much money for that matter). I find true New Englanders may not be as seemingly "friendly" as southerners bc we're more blunt and honest. Most true New Englanders will let you know exactly where you stand rather than being polite to your face, give you a "bless your heart" (which we all know is an insult) then talk crap about you behind your back. People here talk to strangers all the time and are just as nice as anywhere else.

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[–] EmilyTheDramaQueen 8 years ago

Some are, I know not all but some east coast people do act like this. The books to the show Gossip Girl for instance, is pretty accurate coming from the author's real life experience of living and going to school in the same area as the characters.

"I'd rather lose for what I am than win for what I ain't"

Kacey Musgraves "Pageant Material"

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[–] chelleb70 8 years ago

You're basing your opinion of East coasters on Gossip Girl? Please don't be so gullible. Most people on the east coast don't attend elite private schools in posh areas of Manhattan and they aren't fictional characters either. Yes, there are snobs here. There are snobs everywhere. The majority of people are down to earth and normal. Heck, my husband and I were in Maine on vacation and met 2 multi-millionaires (1 a huge "somebody" in corp America) and wouldn't have been able to tell they were extremely wealthy if we didn't know their backstories.

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[–] EmilyTheDramaQueen 8 years ago

No of course not and like I said I'm not saying all but some of the ones who live like the gossip girl characters do and like I said the author based the characters on people she really went to school with since that's how she grew up. In fact she has said Blair the main character was based on a famous heiress she went to school with and the Dan character is based on a scholarship student at the brother school of her old high school. I can't say someone's real life experiences are a lie and you really can't either unless you went to her old high school as well. Just like if I were to write a book about a fictional high school in a small town in Wisconsin and based characters and how they act on how people acted at my old school in the same place, no one can say that's a lie either since even though it's fictional it is taken from real life.

"I'd rather lose for what I am than win for what I ain't"

Kacey Musgraves "Pageant Material"

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[–] RvaBread22 8 years ago

Why do people seem to forget that the East Coast= Maine To Florida. The East Coast covers several Southern states as well, not just the North. Perhaps people need to distinguish . The Northeast mentality ends at Washington, D.C.

"Life is like a box of Krispy Kreme donuts".

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[–] jporter-6 7 years ago

<i>Are east coast people really that stuck up and boring?</i>

Yes. They are.

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