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On October 3rd, We Remember: the Lasting Legacy of Mean Girls

TV & Film

November 08, 2024

Growing up in the 2000s, I can confidently say that Mean Girls is one of the most iconic films of all time. Everything from the acting to the style to the message it conveys is so well done that it is still extremely relevant within today's culture. It is one of the best movies of that period and is still just as entertaining to watch today.

Fans of the movie keep its legacy alive every year on October 3rd. This movie is remembered every year on this day as an internet meme. There was this one moment where Cady Heron, the main character says "On October 3rd, he asked me what day it was". Aaron Samuels, Cady's crush, replies, "It's October 3rd". Many of the show's cast, including Lindsay Lohan and Daniel Franzese, have paid tribute to the iconic film on the internet.

The movie starts off by introducing Cady Heron, a girl who was raised in Namibia, Africa. Although her family is originally American, she lived there for the majority of her life due to her parents' work. Because of this, she was homeschooled which caused her to not have the same experiences as the average teenager.

Eventually, her mother said that her family would be relocating back to the United States. This meant that she would have to start high school. There, she met Janis and Damien who she became friends with quickly. When she noticed that the three popular girls or “plastics”- Regina, Gretchen, and Karen, were taking notice of her, Janis told her to become fake friends with the trio and report back to her on what was going on. Cady agreed but quickly became enveloped in all of the drama that came with being associated with the plastics. Her bond with Damien and Janis became extremely weak until they had a falling out. Her crush, Aaron also starts disliking her. And the three plastics notice that she was using them so she loses them too. She notices what she has done wrong and apologizes to Damien and Janis and the three become friends again.

Although I skipped over a lot in this brief description of the movie, it's easy to notice that Cady lost herself for popularity. This is something many of us struggle with- quality versus quantity in friendship. This movie, although comical at the surface level, resonated with many people because of the fact that a lot of high schoolers deal with these issues.

We often distance ourselves from those who make us feel genuinely happy because we think that we’re gaining something more valuable- popularity. But through Cady, it is clear that a higher social status can often cause more problems than it’s worth. In the movie, Cady transforms from a kind-hearted and genuine girl to someone that was not afraid of lying and manipulating others for self-gain. She played everyone around her, including her parents, crush, and friends, and it eventually backfired on her. This teaches us the importance of prioritization and realizing what actually brings value to our lives. This movie also helped me realize that it is important to have set goals and know what you want. The way I see it, Cady lost so much because she didn’t know what it was she exactly wanted. Therefore, she was often forced into situations that contradicted her ideology and made her seem two-faced. For example, she did all she could to make sure the plastics accepted her as much as possible, but she was playing with them the entire time when she agreed to report their gossip to Janis. A single slip-up and she was bound to fail.

These girls served as role models for every teen girl in the 2000s. We all wanted to be as confident as Regina or as adaptable as Cady. But in addition to that, we also all admired their impeccable sense of fashion.

In fact, one of the most iconic aspects of the film is the style. This movie shaped some of the major trends of that time period. Early 2000’s fashion always makes comebacks, even today, in minor ways. The plastics took their fashion very seriously, and the rest of the world seemed to fall in love with what they were wearing. For example, tracksuits were popularized by Regina’s obsession with them. She was often seen wearing a pink Juicy Couture tracksuit. Although they’re not as popular today, they were still incredibly relevant within a couple of years of the movie's release.

“On Wednesdays, we wear pink” -Regina George

The plastics were also seen often sporting chic clothing like tank tops, jeans, skirts, and sweaters. They had specific rules that each member of their group had to follow in regard to fashion. They wore chunky statement jewelry pieces and light, feminine makeup which contributed to their overall aesthetic.

The girls generally wore their hair down and parted to the side as well. Janis Ian, on the other hand, was the opposite of them. She was seen wearing darker clothing and having more bold and defined makeup looks. Her hair is often seen slicked back and styled into geometric and spunky ponytails. Her wardrobe reflected her personality. She was a very vibrant and matter-of-fact character who, unlike the others, was not afraid to speak her mind and let everyone know what she really thought.

It’s clear why this film is so beloved by everyone everywhere: it includes genuine and insightful commentary on our modern-day society in a way that is humorous and easy to understand. The characters are also iconic and relatable. This October 3, I watched Mean Girls to commemorate the amazing movie and remind myself of why it's a timeless classic in the film industry. And hopefully, you did too!

Anvi Mathur
1,000+ pageviews

Writer since Oct, 2023 · 7 published articles

Anvi is a writer for the Teen Magazine. She resides by the eastern coast of the United Stated. She is passionate about knowledge, and enjoys learning about medicine, psychology, cosmology, and philosophy. A member of National Junior Honors Society, she loves giving back. In her free time, she enjoys over-analyzing books and journaling. When she isn't writing, you can find her reading or dancing.

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