(Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures)This month marks the 10-year anniversary of the cult classic “Mean Girls.” When the movie was released in 2004, Facebook was in its infancy, Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson had their accidental-but-not-really wardrobe malfunction during the Super Bowl halftime show and “Friends” was airing its penultimate episode before signing off the air for good. In the midst of these phenomenons, “Mean Girls” found a permanent spot in pop culture.
The movie features Lindsay Lohan (Cady Harron) pre-arrests and rehab stints, Rachel McAdams (Regina George) still months away from being forever canonized as Allie in “The Notebook,” Amanda Seyfried (Karen Smith) years away from her feature-breakout hit in “Mamma Mia!” and Lacey Chabert (Gretchen Wieners) transitioning from animation voiceovers to acting. Together they made up The Plastics, the ineffable high school clique of mean girls that found satisfaction by destroying others in a burn book. The foursome, most of which were relatively unknown at the time, gave unparalleled performances. But that isn’t the sole reason “Mean Girls” is still comedic gold 10 years later. The screenplay, written by Tina Fey, is pure genius.
The film isn’t only Fey’s magnum opus, but it also established a new landscape for movies targeting girls. Comparing high school and teen girls to the jungle and their animalistic tendencies toward each other wasn’t far-fetched then, and it still holds true today. Now, being out of the cocoon of high school, most of us have figured out that Bowling for Soup said it best with their assertion of “High School Never Ends.”
To celebrate the anniversary, here are the 10 of the best quotes from “Mean Girls”:
10. “Don’t have sex ’cause you will get pregnant ... and die!” - Coach Carr
9. “That’s why her hair is so big. It’s full of secrets.” - Damian
8. “I’m sorry that people are so jealous of me, but I can’t help it that I’m popular.” - Gretchen
7. “You go, Glen Coco!” - Santa (Damian)
6. “Get in, loser, we’re going shopping.” - Regina
5. “You can’t sit with us!” - Gretchen
4. “Irregardless, ex-boyfriends are just off limits to friends. I mean, that’s just, like, the rules of feminism.” - Gretchen
3. “On Wednesdays, we wear pink.” - Karen
2. “Boo, you whore.” - Regina
1. "That's so fetch!” - Gretchen
With the White House lending its efforts to make fetch happen, Gretchen Wieners has officially found vindication.
The “Mean Girls” momentum is still going strong. Fey has announced there is a musical in the works. Her husband, Jeff Richmond, is scoring the production. He has confirmed there will be a “Fetch” song and also a number titled “October 3rd” — the date that has become National Mean Girls Day after Cady mentions it in the film. It will also include the infamous “Jingle Bell Rock” scene.
Netflix has recognized the demand for the classic. It added the movie to instant streaming earlier this month, giving access to The Plastics to what must be a small population of girls who don’t already own the film.
The 10-year anniversary is on April 30, which is a Wednesday. Coincidentally, as every Plastic knows, that is the day we wear pink. Now that is so fetch.
Reach the reporter at jurgiles@asu.edu or follow her on Twitter @MrsMathers94
