Mean Girls Missed the Mark

I want to start this off by saying that I LOVE "Mean Girls". It is possibly one of the funniest, and most quotable movies in existence. I watch it every time I see it on TV. I mean how many times can you set through the entire thing before it stops being entertaining and hilarious?

The answer: "the limit does not exist"

Come on, we all knew that was coming.

Anyway, I have watched enough times that I remember almost every line of dialog. I do have a knack for that anyway but the point is, I've watched it countless times, because I really love it.

BUT the things that I like about it, and the things that most people love about it, were way off base considering the intention of the movie.

Tina Fey wrote this movie with an intended moral message, which is noble and I applaud her effort. She had very good intentions. But what we get in the finale product of the movie is a very entertaining, and satirical view of the things she was trying to condemn. That's not to say that the movie made the problem she was addressing, worse. Plus, the message was still there woven throughout. However, a lot of the main point was just somewhat of an afterthought to the humor and "love story" that seemed to have most of the focus.

Now most of her social commentary in this movie isn't done by telling us directly what it is she is condemning but through highlighting and satirizing the elements. It was a good effort, as I said, but the message seemed to take a backseat to the entertainment value of the film. Nothing about this movie or the things I'm about to criticize really offends me or makes me angry, it's just honesty. Like I said, I'm one of the biggest fans of this movie. It is well written in such a way that it is very enjoyable to watch and it isn't so offensive that it harms our society. But it's just that the message she was trying to get across did not stick with the audience.

She did a great job of making an entertaining and funny movie, and it's relatable... but where did she go wrong?

First of all Regina, how many people actually can't stand Regina? Maybe it's just me, but I see what they are trying to do with the character, it's just not happening. Of course most of her behavior is looked down upon. I don't like most of the things she does, however, I never grew to really despise her. It's just like I knew that I was supposed to feel anger towards Regina, but that moment never came. It wasn't that I was rooting for her, or that I really liked her, it's just that there was never a point where I felt like "Argh, she is so awful, someone do something bad to her". I knew where the points were where I was supposed to feel that way, but I didn't. Maybe it's because Rachel McAdams looks so likable and has a sweet face? Or that we never see a horrible impact she actually had on someone. Of course she was awful to Janis, and Gretchen. But neither of them seemed really "ruined" by her. We like Janis, if it weren't for Regina, Janis wouldn't be the cool, sarcastic character that we meet and love. (more on her later)

And Gretchen seems to stand up for herself semi-quickly, once she starts realizing how mean Regina is. She is the one that shouts "YOU CAN'T SIT WITH US!" because Regina has gained weight and needs to wear sweatpants. Subconsciously, we sort of realize that Regina doesn't have as much control as it seemed at the beginning. She does bad things, but we don't see any one person truly suffering because of her.

At the end of the movie, there are all sorts of problems, The problem with Regina's resolution, is that it's not true to her character. We never got the clear message that she was a "mean girl" due to her being angry. Mostly what we see is that Regina has been spoiled by her parents, that they aren't in a loving marriage and that she is insecure. Someone clearly didn't do a lot of research about what the root cause of most bullying is. The main reason is insecurity, people bully to gain a false sense of control, and because they aren't confident. These are both clearly demonstrated by Regina throughout the movie. She's smart- not wise, but clever. And there is no reason to think she'd want to be athletic. And after getting hit by a bus, it's unlikely that she'd be capable of aggressive sports. (that part always bothered me, I keep thinking she's going to hurt her back in that lacrosse pile up) and we are never told that she necessarily changed, herself. Cady says "regina learned to channel her anger... and the jock girls weren't afraid of her" this is not right on a lot of levels. It implies that she's still mean and that it just doesn't work on the jocks because they aren't scared. Well Regina was never physically aggressive to begin with, so even if the "athletic" girls were physically tough, that has nothing to do with the ways Regina was scary. She was verbally and socially abusive, and manipulative. She wasn't beating people up for lunch money.

There are several turning points in this movie but the thing that causes Cady's downward spiral, is her party. We see her looking great, then Aaron comes over and sneaks into her room while hiding from Regina. Then he sees a picture of her with the "plastics" and scoffs. Then behind it is a picture of Cady alone on an elephant. Much of this relationship bothers me. For one, he so quickly believed Regina that Cady was obsessed with him, if he was so wise (as we are lead to believe) why did he not know Regina was lying or that she does things like that. And he just took her back so quickly, and he barely knew Cady, besides the part of her that was always with Regina. So how did he like her "africa" personality best? idk that's sort of off topic but there are problems with that.

And then he sees that she is acting like Regina and that gross part happens, so he leaves. And then Damian and Janis show up and Janis tells Cady off, which is somewhat deserved, but she says "at least me and Regina know we're mean" ... wait... what? When is Janis mean? I know she is sassy and sarcastic. But aside from that whole "revenge plot" against Regina that she started, we don't really see Janis being "mean" to people. She befriends Cady on her second day and actually tries to help her, she didn't just become her friend to use her for revenge on Regina, she didn't know they'd invite her to be a plastic. She gives the only realistic and good speech in the movie about bullying. Plus, she was nice to Kevin, who was kind of a dork and then ended up dating him. So I don't understand her saying this, Janis isn't mean... so it's just confusing.

After the party, the next day, Regina gets revenge on Cady (and basically blows a gasket) by spreading around the burn book. Which let's be honest, that was a clever move, and kind of hardcore. She is standing there with her arms folded like the "queen of mean" and she looks awesome. She was supposedly "fat" but literally "where?"

The girls gone wild bit ensues and everyone is going nuts. I guess this is the only part that shows how bad things can get from being a "mean girl" but it's kind of bland if you ask me, because it's not realistic. And the problems these girls are addressing are nonsense.

And then they all go to the gym and have their little seminar. I think this part bothers me almost the most because absolutely NOTHING Mrs. Norbury said or did was helpful. They all knew they talked about each other, and then she says the dumbest thing, "when you call each other sluts and whores, that just makes it okay for guys to call you sluts and whores"

a) that was never a particular issue at any point in this movie... if it had been about a girl destroyed by a rumor that she was a slut, maybe... but that didn't happen. I mean the only person called a slut and whore was Karen, and that wasn't even that big of an issue. And we don't see any guys using Karen. No one called Gretchen a slut and she was the only person in the movie getting treated poorly by a guy.

b) Why is it worse for a guy to call a girl those things than for girls to call each other that? How about, don't call each other mean things because it's rude. Not because how it effects GUYS, like that part almost upsets me.

c) does it? If girls call each other things, DOES IT make it okay for guys to do it? Umm no! like her whole speech made 0 sense.

Okay after all those pointless things, Janis (as I said earlier) says the only things that actually makes things progress in a positive manner. She is just honest and tells Regina everything and at least she makes some sense (with sarcasm) and is essentially making fun of Regina for thinking everyone is obsessed with her. This leads to Cady and Regina's argument and Regina getting hit by a bus.

Then Cady's dad grounds her for failing math, and she sneaks out to go to the mathletes competition in her ugly clothes and ponytail. And this bothers me because, she was ALWAYS good at math. Even when she was dressed cute. She doesn't have to start dressing terrible to be smart. And plus this is putting her in a bad light. Less people will want to be like her when she looks bad. I know that's shallow but it's how the world works. AND it's especially accurate for the type of people this movie's message is trying to reach and change. If you are wanting to teach "mean girls" that are mainly teenagers that being mean isn't beneficial and that being nice and smart is the better option, DON'T make the character look a lot better when she's being mean, and then awful when she's being herself. I'm sorry if that sounds shallow of me, or them, but people don't even have to be aware that they are influenced by this, but they are. Even if you deny it, you're not being honest or you aren't aware of it within yourself, but it is happening. And the main point should be behavior, not clothing. I mean you can be nice and smart and still dress like Barbie. (this stereotype is something we seriously need to get over)

And then this even worse dressed girl comes out and Cady gives this little speech about how calling other people names won't make you better. But it's just too little, too late... I mean we are all concerned with all these characters, like Regina and Aaron and if Cady is going to the Spring Fling or not. It's just slipped in there too randomly and too forcefully. And then she of course goes to the dance and wins "spring fling queen" because she is the main character of the movie. And then she does the thing where she breaks the crown. And I am glad she gave a piece to Regina, but what I don't like is that she gives those random compliments to random people. Those people aren't even people we know. For all we know, they could be mean. Like that's just so generic. And that speech was also lacking. And then Cady gets the guy.

Then we have the character resolutions... I already gave my opinion on Regina.

Karen has a fairly good resolution, she's still stupid but is somehow friends with Jessica Lopez (the girl in the wheelchair, yes I know her name from memory)

Cady is still friends with Janis and Damian, which is good. But then regina just isn't friends with any of them? That's weird because she has been friends with Karen and Gretchen for what we are lead to assume is three years AT LEAST... so why would they suddenly not be friends? Cady and Janis made up... why couldn't the former plastics still be friends? but like nicer? And apparently Regina and Janis were best friends in middle school so wouldn't it have been a way better "full circle" resolution for them to start being friends again?

And Gretchen... oh gosh! She got treated the worst by Regina, out of everyone... and by her love interest.... and she fell on the floor on top of Karen... yet, she had the WORST of resolutions, in that she didn't have one at all. She just found a new queen bee, meaning the clique problem wasn't resolved throughout the school, just for the plastics. So Gretchen is just stuck in the same old problem except now she has to speak a different language and she doesn't get to be friends with anyone she was friends with originally. That doesn't make any sense, and we don't know if she is with Jason or not. They just glossed over her, as if she wasn't one of the most important characters in the movie (she was/also the prettiest, let's be honest)

She was basically the link that held Cady and Regina together, she was the main glue holding the plastics together. If she hadn't given Cady the list of rules for being in the plastics, she'd have broken them all in the first day. And then she was the main person who made Cady and Janis' plan work. And she was essentially the person who enforced the rules on Regina and then appointed Cady as the new queen bee... pretty much everything to do with the plastics was dependant on Gretchen, if you really think about it. But at the end, while they are passing out great futures and new personalities and resolutions they were like:

"And NONE for Gretchen Weiners, BYE!"