I was recently listening to the Mean Girls theme song 'Built This Way' (as one does naturally) and I began to think about how the stereotypical life of a teenage girl is portrayed in both this film and others of its ilk such as ‘Clueless’.
In the realm of teen comedies, few films have had the same impact as Mean Girls. The cult classic remains a cultural touchstone, talking about friendships, relationships, the never-ending crisis of identity and, most importantly, navigating the social dynamics that pollute high school.
At its core, Mean Girls holds up a mirror to the intricacies of human behaviour, inviting viewers to confront their own experiences within the microcosm of high school politics. Whether it's the insecurities of Cady Heron as she learns to handle the treacherous terrain of the Plastics - "the Array of Pinkness" as I like to call them - or Regina George's reign of social terror, comparable to that of Julius Caesar, the characters resonate with audiences on a deeply personal level...right?
The film's enduring relevance lies in its portrayal of a very human yearning for belonging and acceptance. In an age dominated by social media and digital validation, the pressures faced by today's youth are essentially unchanged since 2004, the film's release year. The hunger for popularity, the fear of judgment, and the quest for self-identity are themes that transcend generational boundaries, resonating with audiences young and old.
However, not everyone sees themselves reflected in the halls of North Shore High. Critics argue that the supposed insight into high school life the film offers is hyperbolic and caricaturised; crucially it is one that may alienate certain viewers. Personally, being a really fit mathematician like Cady Heron, I still don't have my Aaron Samuels. Bummer. It's tough out there.
Moreover, we have the issue of representation - the cast is predominately white and upper-middle class, failing to account for the diversity of real high schools. Oh how original! Marginalised backgrounds are not represented!
Mean Girls ends all pretty and tidy, but you and I both know that there are no satisfying conclusions to the challenges adolescents face. It's all very "They lived happily ever after," very "American".
Personally, I don't relate to the Mean Girls universe because it's borderline absurd and over-dramatic. The directors who created these over-the-top characters exemplify the tendency in older generations to see younger generations as "drama queens".
The constant sexualisation of underaged girls is another unspoken truth. We're back in the 19th century when women were objects where the object adheres to any force, strength or touch it is met with. We are supposed to be young and thin and white and hairless. As Andrea Dworkin said, “How can you expect one half of the population to be safe, when the other half films their abuse and puts it into entertainment categories for their pleasure?" If our abuse is their goal for their sexual gratification then, of course, girls are not safe. And I do think it is especially prevalent in pornography and teenage movies. It reinforces gender stereotypes as well as racism. Telling the “actors” to be thin and hairless like little girls is not too far off from an implicit promotion of paedophilia.
To conclude, ‘Mean Girls’ should not be considered relatable even if it thematically handles the struggle of adolescent life. Headlining this movie as "your typical teenage life" is unfathomable and unfair to future generations. We cannot let Weinstein-look-alikes label this film as "feminist" or "real" or anything remotely equatable.