Mean Girls

In my second year of teaching film, a student was trying to make a short film in which a Girl A is talking on the phone to Girl B while Girl C is secretly listening. Girl A extracted a comment from Girl B about Girl C. After Girl B says the mean comment, Girl C pipes up, letting her know she heard that. I didn't understand what was happening and the kids all said, "oh it's obvious, it's just like that scene in Mean Girls." That was the first of many references to Mean Girls. I started to feel that I knew the plot without ever having seen the film (not a difficult thing to do if you've seen Heathers, Clueless, and a dozen others). About a month ago a student was listing films that she has on DVD, I confessed that I hadn't seen Mean Girls or The Devil Wears Prada. Both were delivered into my hands promptly at the start of class the next day.

There are certain films that my film kids don't preface with "have you seen…?" and Mean Girls is one of them – it is common cultural currency for them, and as a teacher – especially a film teacher – it was assumed to be a part of our common language. A salient point for me is the need to be conversant in the culture that my students share with each other. Since watching that film, I have been able to use it several times to clarify a topic using parts of the film, as an example that I know students will understand, and that is relevant. It's certainly better than trying to use "Billy Jack" as an example of bullying.

One point of interest is the film itself. It's a humorous and slightly dark look at A-list girl cliques and the politics of being in or out. Like Heathers, only slightly less explosive, the mean girls get their comeuppance. It's always satisfying to see the bully get a mud pie. From my point of view, I don't see any clique at the school where I teach that resembles "The Plastics" (the A-list clique). That is because Mean Girls' caricature of popularity is far less subtle than the reality of girl cruelty. This is not to diminish the brutality girls are capable of – I still see plenty of it. It's just that the girls aren't as pretty, well-dressed, rich, and slow motion when they sway their long blonde hair. You have to really pay attention to what is being said to catch the insults. And the girls who are being constantly picked on might be able to keep a smile of their face, while they develop a compulsive eating problem, or skillfully hide other manifestations of their low self-esteem and depression.

I told one of my students that I had to write a short reaction paper to a media experience that was geared towards teenagers. I said that I was going to use Mean Girls. She said she didn't think I should – that it wasn't stupid enough. That I should look at something more like, Norbit – the bad film that Eddie Murphy just released where he plays an obese woman and "mild-mannered guy." I'm not convinced that Mean Girls isn't stupid in its own way. There is plenty of slapstick quality humor, the head Plastic ends up in traction, and fat jokes abound (fat people are still fair game in a story that is meant to show how hierarchy undoes everyone). I'm not sure where the line is between stupid-aimed-at-teenagers and Mean Girls, but my student seemed to think that the message was not dumbed down enough. On the other hand, this particular student, as a viewer of media, is as sharp as a tack and keenly aware of the strategies used to garner her attention as an audience and a consumer. It does make me wonder if that awareness makes viewing any less manipulative or simply renders her a cynical but willing participant. I'll have to ask her, I'm sure she's thought that out already.