Mean Girls

Having spent much time on foreign platforms like LiveJournal and Tumblr (which are dominated by Western users), I've noticed that even today, they still love using Mean Girls quotes for memes. The most popular one is the "how do I even start to explain Regina George" monologue.

First off, the Chinese title 贱女孩 (Jian Nv Hai) is terrible. The "mean" in Mean Girls means "vicious" or "bitter." The film depicts girls who use cruel words, demean others behind their backs, and fixate on trivial flaws. I think 坏女孩 (Huai Nv Hai, "Bad Girls") is a better translation than "jian," which too easily evokes misogynistic slurs.

I’ve watched the film at least ten times. The first time, it seems like a typical teen movie. But over the years, as countless high school films have come out, Mean Girls still stands out with its unforgettable uniqueness.

The crew is arguably the most star-studded in campus comedies. If you only recognize Lindsay Lohan, you’re missing out on a wealth of talent:

• Screenwriter Tina Fey (who also played math teacher Ms. Norbury) is a renowned comedian and writer from SNL , with multiple Emmys and the 2010 Mark Twain Prize for American Humor (a single annual recipient, unlike the Mao Dun Literature Prize that awards multiple winners at once).
• Director Mark Waters, who previously helmed Freaky Friday , built a great working relationship with Lindsay.
• Producer Lorne Michaels, the SNL producer—Tina still worked at SNL when making this film, so she leveraged many SNL resources.

In the behind-the-scenes, Tina mentioned enjoying collaboration with SNL colleagues. Though she felt old like a maternal figure, it had a familial vibe. Regina’s mom is played by Amy Poehler (another SNL alum, hilariously funny). During the 2008 election, she and Tina paired as Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin—a perfect comedic duo.

• Lindsay’s mom is Ana Gasteyer (also from SNL ), and the principal is Tim Meadows. Anyone who’s watched SNL from a few years back will recognize them.
• FYI, if you’re unfamiliar with SNL ’s clout, just look at its alumni: Sarah Silverman, Chris Rock, Will Ferrell, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Eddie Murphy, Mike Myers, Adam Sandler. Many New York comedians, like Conan O’Brien, started as SNL writers. Al Gore’s daughter currently writes for SNL .

What confuses me is that Mean Girls was produced by Paramount, not NBC/Universal (which owns SNL ). Lorne doesn’t address this in the behind-the-scenes.

• Lindsay’s dad is played by the star of Scrubs and The Middle .
• Regina (Rachel McAdams) was later the lead in The Notebook .
• Karen (Amanda Seyfried), after playing many "dumb girl" roles, found success with Mamma Mia! .

Tina Fey: A Feminist Voice in Comedy

Tina’s characters in Mean Girls , 30 Rock , and Baby Mama are smart, independent, career-driven women (slightly less so in Mean Girls ) whose love lives suffer because they defy gender norms—a satire of patriarchal society. On SNL ’s Weekend Update , she balanced feminist statements with self-deprecating humor about feminism’s awkwardness, mocking women who conform to patriarchy. During the election, she addressed female voters reluctant to back Hillary (seen as a "bitch"—here meaning "tough" rather than "mean"):
"She is [a bitch]. And so am I. Bitches get stuff done. That's why Catholic schools use nuns instead of priests... At the end of the year you hated those bitches, but you knew the capital of Vermont."

The Real-World Roots of Mean Girls

The film originated from Queen Bees and Wannabes , a non-fiction book by Rosalind Wiseman (who appears in the behind-the-scenes). Instead of a novel, it analyzes the social dynamics of American high school girls, offering parenting advice. American media often prioritizes superficial beauty for women, influencing teens deeply. High school girls, in the final phase of adolescence, are highly insecure and sensitive about their identities. They strive to be "queen bees" or Barbie dolls, seeking attention through appearance rather than inner growth.

Yet only a few can reach the top. American high schools typically have "perfect" girls who wield social power, envied and resented by others. Even "queen bees" have insecurities. Wiseman and Fey argue that "mean girls" badmouth others to divert attention from their own flaws and feel superior. The film aims to show that belittling others doesn’t elevate oneself—ruining others’ lives brings no personal gain.

Fascinating Behind-the-Scenes Trivia

• Censorship for rating : The film was nearly rated R for profanity but became PG-13. The Burn Book originally described a girl "masturbating with a hot dog" (changed to "made out"). A scene where Cady撞见 (catches) Gretchen and Jason was originally an oral sex scene (no explicit shots).
• Regina’s name : Means "queen" in Latin.
• Age gap : Amy Poehler (Regina’s mom) is only 6–7 years older than Rachel McAdams (who was 25 during filming). Lindsay was 8 years younger than Rachel.
• Casting choices : Lindsay wanted to play Regina but chose Cady for her public image and younger sister. Amanda Seyfried (Karen) was a Cady finalist until Lorne saw her as a "dumb girl"—she admits asking naive questions.
• Injuries and rewrites : Tim (the principal) broke his hand before filming, so a line explaining his cast was added.
• Musical moments : Tina and Amy coached the Indian math student’s rap in the Christmas party scene.
• Easter eggs : Cady’s mom works at Northwestern University, Ana’s alma mater. Tina chose Jonathan Bennett (Aaron) partly because he resembled her SNL partner Jimmy Fallon.
• Symbolic costumes : The Plastics’ red plastic dresses in "Jingle Bell Rock" represent their superficiality.
• Norbury’s name : Tina’s high school German teacher.
• Cameo connections : Ashley Tisdale (from High School Musical ) auditioned for Karen. Janis Ian’s name honors the 1970s singer (an SNL premiere musical guest and out lesbian).
• Wig and music : Rachel’s blonde hair was a wig. The final dance song, Built This Way , is by DJ Samantha Ronson, Lindsay’s later partner.
• Cady’s name : Inspired by 18th-century feminist Elizabeth Cady Stanton (Tina gives characters meaningful names).

According to Xinhua News Agency, the estimated box office for the new movie Mean Girls , which reflects the lives of American high school students, was $25 million for its first three days, making it the top-grossing film of the weekend in North America.

Cady, a girl who grew up in Africa with a homeschooling background and lived alongside animals, returns to the big city. Struggling to adjust to this unfamiliar environment, her first day at school is a disaster. She has no friends, and everyone looks at her suspiciously. However, by the second day, she makes two strange friends and, in order to help them gather insider information, she joins a girl group called "The Plastics." The girls in this group are the focus of the entire school. They are beautiful, confident, and fashionable. But their confidence turns into arrogance, and their arrogance makes them sharp-tongued. They believe everyone likes them, but in reality, they harm others. In public, their smiles don’t mean they are happy, and their praise doesn’t mean they admire anyone. Behind the scenes, they spread rumors, using the most vicious language to attack everyone and keep records of it. Cady and her two friends begin a step-by-step revenge plan against Regina, the leader of the Plastics. However, when Regina is brought down, Cady also changes, becoming a version of Regina herself—just as unlikeable. When all the pranks are revealed, Regina goes mad, rushes home, grabs the book that had attacked everyone around her, writes her own name in it, and, portraying herself as the victim, hands it over to the teacher. She also makes copies of it and spreads it throughout the school. The girls in the school go crazy, and everyone becomes concerned with how they are perceived. When they discover how they are described in the book, they all become angry.

At this point, it made me, as a girl, feel ashamed. Perhaps girls, because of face concerns, are reluctant to directly accuse others, instead harboring resentment and sometimes even distorting the facts behind their backs. But dissatisfaction with someone should not be expressed in this way. As Cady later says, "Laughing at someone’s weight doesn’t make you thinner, laughing at someone’s intelligence doesn’t make you smarter." Maliciously hurting someone behind their back will not bring happiness nor solve any problems between people. If we express our feelings directly, we will not bottle up anger and will give others a chance to explain or correct their behavior.

Under the teacher's guidance, all the girls apologize to the friends they’ve hurt. If the apology is accepted, they should extend their hands to catch the one jumping from a high place. After Gretchen, one of the proud members of the Plastics, gave her "apology," no one was willing to reach out to catch her. Sincerely apologizing is not a shameful act; it’s losing friends due to hurtful actions that should be regretted.

The uproar caused by the book that recorded the insults continues. After the gym teacher was accused of molesting a student, it was confirmed. The math teacher’s involvement in drug dealing, as recorded in the book, is still under investigation. Someone needs to step forward to take responsibility and clarify the truth. Cady, regretting the rumors she created, finally stands up to address them, even though she didn't write the entire book herself.

Everything seems to return to the way it was when Cady first arrived at the school—she has no friends. However, this time, the difference is that others no longer find her curious but rather dislike her. Even her mother, who once loved her dearly, no longer believes her.

Becoming prom queen is the dream of every girl, but it can only belong to one person. This year, the honor goes to Cady. But Cady breaks the crown, the symbol of that honor, saying "It’s just plastic." Everyone dresses up for the prom, everyone looks beautiful. Why not share it and let more people enjoy it?

This movie depicts many of the flaws in girls, but it also witnesses the growth process of a girl—from innocence to being the center of attention, then to being ostracized, and ultimately returning to normal.

Since it’s a kid’s world, the conflicts are usually straightforward, so there’s no need for exaggerated sorrow or anguish. That’s why the director made this film a comedy, always throwing in a punchline at the most touching moments, leaving you unsure whether to laugh or cry, entirely under the director’s control.

Children also have another feature: they are full of imagination. They can picture scenes in their minds, and the director inserts these imagined scenes into the story. The difference between imagination and reality is sometimes huge. Regina deliberately flirts with Cady’s crush in front of her, and Cady imagines what the animals in Africa would do. In reality, she simply agrees with Regina, saying "Yes."

The film vividly portrays characters’ inner thoughts. When Cady becomes unlikeable, her contradictory nature is perfectly expressed through psychological monologues.

Overall, it’s a very entertaining comedy film. Why do I say this? Because my friend and I both ended up liking it, which is not easy at all. Haha. According to statistics from Paramount, 75% of the audience watching the film were women, and half of them were under 18. How embarrassing.

Watching the movie late at night really moved me, so I thought I’d write a little bit.

As someone who was once a "mean girl" and also a "wannabe," I want to say that I’ve also been bullied. Although these are two different stages in my life, it may sound unbelievable, but the environment really does affect people. When I was a "mean girl," my best friend was the queen bee of our circle, and she had many bad habits. She made me believe that bullying others was fun, and honestly, it was really satisfying. I could genuinely feel how my actions could ruin someone's mood. But these actions left me with constant regret as I grew up, and every time I think about it, I feel ashamed. She, too, was wrong. The main person we bullied was a boy who secretly liked me. She made me believe that he was a loser and a fool, and used his affection for me to benefit us. Looking back, I see that it was more about her using me to gain what she wanted. But at that time, how could I understand? I was so naive, but I wouldn’t say I was innocent. I knew I was wrong, but I kept doing it. I even had a little bit of affection for that boy, but I didn’t want to upset my queen bee, because if I admitted I had feelings for him, I would also become a failure in her eyes. That’s how people’s minds work. Someone you want to be like can make you willing to do anything to get their approval. I was that stupid one. (This is why I think the mentality of Gretchen and Regina’s followers in the film makes sense. I hope this helps everyone understand.)

Later, I distanced myself from that mean girl friend and moved to a new environment, meeting new people. Because I posed a threat to the new queen bee, I was bullied for a short time (she felt my appearance was a threat to hers. I’m not boasting, I always thought she was prettier than me, but she was still jealous of me). How do I know this? Because she mainly spoke ill of my appearance in front of the boys, saying I wasn’t as pretty as her, but she never said the same about other girls. (Note: she only said I wasn’t as pretty as her, not that I was ugly, which indirectly proves she felt threatened by me.) There was even a time when I faced physical harm (she also tried to make me be her sidekick, but I didn’t let her control me. After going through the “mean girl” life, all I wanted was a simple life because that was the real me. I was led astray before, but that wasn’t my true nature). However, all the people who saw it just stood there, watching the situation unfold. Even my new good friends did nothing. I can’t say I was completely blameless, but at that time, I deeply realized something: those who are silent are also perpetrators. The worst part is, they’re never criticized because everyone only focuses on the abuser and the victim. The silent bystanders are the majority in life.

Back to me. Now, the girl who once bullied others is being bullied herself. I guess that’s the ending everyone expects to see. Although the bullying I experienced was much milder than what’s depicted in the movie, I’ve always had an optimistic nature, and I wasn’t broken. I’ve kept a positive mindset and never had depression or suicidal thoughts. In fact, I exploded in anger and made that person realize that I wasn’t a helpless sheep. (I can explain this in more detail. All my previous “mean girl” actions were based on what my friends made me do, and they subtly influenced me to become like them. I accepted it because I wanted the queen bee to like me. At that time, I was someone who desperately wanted to be popular and have a lot of friends. I thought that was great because I was young… After I distanced myself from them, I realized I wasn’t that kind of girl. I used to be like Cady, mimicking their behavior because in our circle, it wasn’t strange to do those things, and it made me feel like what I was doing was normal.) Some people might see me as a former bully in the “mean girl” group and think I deserve it. Yeah, maybe that’s true. My guilt is real, otherwise, why would I write all this to express my regret? Why not just throw away those bad memories, forget them, and pretend my teenage years weren’t full of mistakes? Every time I think of what I did to them, even though it wasn’t as severe, I know I hurt their hearts. The feeling makes me think of them and then remember what I did. So, well-meaning wannabees and even queen bees live in regret, not emotional numbness. I’m not trying to whitewash my actions. What’s done is done, and nothing can cover it up. Just like how I can’t forget my own bullying experience, it made me realize how foolish my past behavior was.

I feel strange. How many people can experience both sides of this? I’ve lived both, so now I find myself understanding the motivations of the “mean girls” and the mindset of the “losers.” God, this is so weird.

Also, never believe that women don’t have the kind of aggression depicted in movies. Believe me, it’s just that you haven’t become a threat to them yet.

Regina is a shrewd and fortunate egoist. With her narrow and arrogant mindset, she becomes the pinnacle of her domain, using this as a standard for evaluation and achieving individual dominance within the collective.

In both the animal world and the world of girls, all conflicts occur in the shadows, but they still take place in the same jungle. Early maturity leads to a blend of politics and the social dynamics of high school. In this regard, boys are lucky. By the time they realize the subtle power plays, they’ve already moved past the high school environment.

The excessive influence of sex in life gives leading girls almost absolute power. However, it also becomes a curse for women in a distorted society. If they conform to the trends, they end up hiding all qualities other than their appearance; if they oppose the trend, they are excluded by the mainstream society and labeled as sluts or whores.

Regina is a terrifying but unstable dictator. Her reign is built upon an anti-patriarchal system, where she exercises class-based rule through maternal traits. Meanwhile, Katie enters the male-dominated central power structure via her academic prowess, leveraging her gendered advantages as a woman to become a subordinate in the patriarchal system.

The rule of the left is bound to be terrifying, but if the right takes control, it results in an even more rigid system. Due to the sexually conservative societal atmosphere, a feminist Queen Bee is nearly impossible to find in elite schools in China and the US. However, a male-dominated Queen Bee in these environments can maintain gender-based privileges while still pursuing academic success in a right-wing atmosphere. A person's aggressiveness will be worn down through repeated setbacks, and the male-dominated Queen Bee minimizes the risks of development.

Drexhevic believes that a talent-centered mentality limits people's understanding of education, leading them to measure the value of education in terms of short-term returns or narrow utilitarianism. The core of the Queen Bee model of development is extreme and simplified training, a blind self-confidence that comes from "new money" thinking they can raise their children into the next success story.

What stands out about Mean Girls is its ending, which rationalizes the downfall of the Queen Bee and exposes the absurdity behind it, rather than simply attributing it to morality.

Yesterday, I typed for a long time, and then my phone froze. Everything was lost. This time, I’m just writing it on Douban, hoping for some good luck, haha.

Summer vacation is my peak drama-watching time. I watch dramas in the morning, afternoon, and evening after meals, lounging on the couch. Sometimes, I even drag my mom into watching with me, and we both enjoy it together, making the time pass by. Dramas are like dream-makers, right? Whether or not they truly change anything is uncertain, or perhaps not completely certain.

When I was a child, I became obsessed with teen films. Set in high school, with handsome boys and beautiful girls falling in love, partying: a song playing, everyone dancing together. It was really nice!

Now, having reached this stage in life, when I watch a teen film, I no longer see it as a dream but more like an inevitable reality.

I had known about Mean Girls when I was younger and had always wanted to watch it. However, all the major video platforms required a fee, so I had watched only the first five minutes years ago. That part remained in my mind. Unfortunately, I didn’t know about Baidu Cloud back then, and it’s only now that I’ve finally watched the entire film.

Yeah, it is such a drama~ Watching the typical girl-on-girl wars is indeed what the movie is about, but what’s different is that Ms. Norbury tells the girls not to slut-shame each other. That’s a big step forward.

Looking at all the girls, whether they are tall or short, fat or thin, beautiful or plain, they are all absurdly described in a Burn Book. Watching their faces, these are the girls labeled as “sluts” and “whores.” So girls, let go of the harsh judgments others place on you. If we can stop this cycle here, gender equality won’t be so far off.

If I had watched this when I was younger, I probably wouldn’t have understood as much as I do now. Maybe by the end, I would have just learned not to treat others badly and that girls should learn math to be cool.

It’s not the best teen film, but it’s the image of youth that I’ve always had in my heart from childhood to now. Throwing a party with all the cool kids when my parents weren’t home; kissing my boyfriend at the school dance or just being affectionate on the lawn in plain view of everyone; buying makeup and clothes while still remembering to get good grades; sitting with my friends at lunch being the happiest. I know this is really unrealistic in my world, but I’ve always believed in it. When I lift my head in the boring English class and glance at the clock on the wall, I still long for that kind of youth.

I’ve realized some old movies are really great, from Grease to Clueless and now Mean Girls . The outfits in them are really beautiful. Now, when I dress for school, I always feel like I’m never really satisfied with the clothes I choose. I’m now willing to spend time watching teen films from the years before I was born. Actually, I’m a bit confused. When did so many good films come out after I was born that I didn’t know about? Why didn’t anyone ever remind me to watch them? Oh my God, what did I miss? Let’s watch them slowly now, haha.

At last, let’s talk about the actors in the drama. Tina Fey, who both wrote the script and played Ms. Norbury, is the coolest feminist—independent, wise, and exuding sensuality. Amanda played the silly girl, but I really love her looks. Those eyes and bright red lips often make me mix her up with Dakota Fanning. Both are stunning beauties. The girl who played Regina, I’ve seen her in Midnight in Paris and Doctor Who . I have to say, she’s really a charming actress.

And in the end, Lindsay Lohan is no longer the African girl Cady from Mean Girls , but that was her choice for her own life. And I won’t forget her character in Mean Girls .