Not Fetch: 'Mean Girls' Isn't A Good Movie To Celebrate | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Film

'Mean Girls' Is So NOT Fetch And It Can't Sit With Us

Tell me again why we're celebrating a holiday about traumatizing others? That's not fetch.

47
'Mean Girls' Is So NOT Fetch And It Can't Sit With Us
Paramount Pictures

"You can't sit with us," is the infamous line quoted in "Mean Girls," the cult classic movie of my generation and the ultimate chick flick. This movie is hilariously funny ("Is butter a carb?"), aesthetically pleasing (hello, pink Wednesday's), and still relevant almost twelve years later. But that's the problem: it's still relevant.

According to Wikipedia, "Mean Girls" was partially based on the non-fiction self-help book "Queen Bees and Wannabes," by Rosalind Wiseman. It "focuses on the ways in which girls in high school form cliques, and on patterns of aggressive teen girl behavior and how to deal with them." The movie got the first two parts down to a T: cliques and aggressive teen girl behavior. From the Burn Book to Regina George getting hit by a bus, nobody escapes unscathed. However, it seems like the last part, dealing with bullies, was hardly addressed at all.

This movie seems to normalize and even glorify bullying. October 3rd has literally become "National Mean Girls Day," for fans all across social media. Everyone dresses up in pink and spends all day quoting Regina George's most iconic lines. That seems all fun and games, but where do we draw the line? I don't want to say that this movie caused bullying rates to worsen because no one's done a study on it (yet), but I have noticed growing up that bullying just seems to increase every year. It's "funny" in our culture to make fun of people that are different from us, to ostracize them, to tell them to kill themselves. Just open your Twitter app.

Like the running joke, Regina George literally is "flawless." She has perfect hair, perfect clothes, a perfect boyfriend, the perfect body, the perfect house, perfect friends, a so-called "cool" mom, et cetera. She seems to really have it all. I remember at one point in the movie, the bathroom scene after the talent show, Gretchen Wieners mentions that Regina's parents "totally don't sleep in the same bed anymore." Regina was probably lashing out at everyone in school because her home life was unstable, which isn't really funny when you think about it.

A popular saying in Alcoholics Anonymous is "Hurt people hurt people." I think this was a crucial point that the movie forgot to address. People aren't mean for the sake of being mean, in most cases. It irritated me how the whole plot of the movie was how to get back at Regina George and ruin her life. You can't fight mean with mean. Tons of middle school and high school girls watch this movie, and this is the message it's sending to them.

As someone who was bullied throughout elementary, middle, and high school, I don't feel comfortable with how this movie has become such a cornerstone to the Millennial culture. People have literally told me I can't sit with them, that I'm ugly, that I should drink bleach and die. I'm not trying to be oversensitive, and I find this movie funny, but it seems like society has just taken the whole concept of it and run with it down the wrong path. Sticks and stones can break your bones, but words leave emotional scarring that last a lifetime. Literally. The DSM-5 was updated to include small, cumulative attacks as triggers to PTSD. 77% percent of student have experienced bullying, and every seven minutes a child is bullied, according to "Psychology Today." Tell me again why we're celebrating a holiday about traumatizing others? That's not fetch.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Featured

15 Mind-Bending Riddles

Hopefully they will make you laugh.

189947
 Ilistrated image of the planet and images of questions
StableDiffusion

I've been super busy lately with school work, studying, etc. Besides the fact that I do nothing but AP chemistry and AP economics, I constantly think of stupid questions that are almost impossible to answer. So, maybe you could answer them for me, and if not then we can both wonder what the answers to these 15 questions could be.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Most Epic Aurora Borealis Photos: October 2024

As if May wasn't enough, a truly spectacular Northern Lights show lit up the sky on Oct. 10, 2024

14745
stunning aurora borealis display over a forest of trees and lake
StableDiffusion

From sea to shining sea, the United States was uniquely positioned for an incredible Aurora Borealis display on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, going into Friday, Oct. 11.

It was the second time this year after an historic geomagnetic storm in May 2024. Those Northern Lights were visible in Europe and North America, just like this latest rendition.

Keep Reading...Show less
 silhouette of a woman on the beach at sunrise
StableDiffusion

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of suicide/suicidal thoughts.

When you are feeling down, please know that there are many reasons to keep living.

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

Power of Love Letters

I don't think I say it enough...

457724
Illistrated image of a letter with 2 red hearts
StableDiffusion

To My Loving Boyfriend,

  • Thank you for all that you do for me
  • Thank you for working through disagreements with me
  • Thank you for always supporting me
  • I appreciate you more than words can express
  • You have helped me grow and become a better person
  • I can't wait to see where life takes us next
  • I promise to cherish every moment with you
  • Thank you for being my best friend and confidante
  • I love you and everything you do

To start off, here's something I don't say nearly enough: thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You do so much for me that I can't even put into words how much I appreciate everything you do - and have done - for me over the course of our relationship so far. While every couple has their fair share of tiffs and disagreements, thank you for getting through all of them with me and making us a better couple at the other end. With any argument, we don't just throw in the towel and say we're done, but we work towards a solution that puts us in a greater place each day. Thank you for always working with me and never giving up on us.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

11 Signs You Grew Up In Hauppauge, NY

Because no one ever really leaves.

26561
Map of Hauppauge, New York
Google

Ah, yes, good old Hauppauge. We are that town in the dead center of Long Island that barely anyone knows how to pronounce unless they're from the town itself or live in a nearby area. Hauppauge is home to people of all kinds. We always have new families joining the community but honestly, the majority of the town is filled with people who never leave (high school alumni) and elders who have raised their kids here. Around the town, there are some just some landmarks and places that only the people of Hauppauge will ever understand the importance or even the annoyance of.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments