How ‘Mean Girls’ Went From a Teen Movie to a Pop-Culture Mainstay

When Mean Girls came out, Tina Fey’s involvement in its creation drew many people to the theaters. It was due to her rise to fame on Saturday Night Live‘s Weekend Update. There, she showed her refreshing blend of intelligence, humor, and fearlessness in her brilliant comedy, mixed with embracing womanhood. The movie also came out when society’s fascination with teen-centric content was at its peak. So why is Mean Girls still so popular?

Mean Girls Is Still a Household Title

Audiences found themselves warming the unique brand of humor that Mean Girls had and how it dared to let its female characters be bad. It wasn’t something common in movies at the time and sparked a trend that endured. Even the good girl character in the movie took a turn toward her dark side, marking a departure from the sweet, girly portrayals audiences were used to.

The success of Mean Girls was responsible for a string of compelling movies that the millennial generation grew up with. Some of those cult titles include Legally Blonde, 13 Going on 30, and Bring It On. Despite these films coming out around the same time, they had a distinct common thread of humor and toughness. Bring It On even managed to break the stereotypes around cheerleading while offering genuine drama without mocking the cheerleader archetype.

Mean Girls Was an Inspiration for Many

Mean Girls and other titles of the same era stood out because they presented flawed but compelling heroines. Meanwhile, the role of romance wasn’t abandoned but was no longer the sole focus of the plot. In Mean Girls, in particular, it was very much secondary to the complex dynamics between the girls, and was even used by the characters for manipulation and intrigue.

The influence of titles like Mean Girls helped Hollywood experience a transformation in the portrayal of teen heroines and the acceptance of humor in female characters. The process was gradual, but the results were enduring. This fact is evident in the enthusiasm with which teens are discovering and enjoying the movie two decades after it came out.

Searching for a Modern Counterpart

It is notable and rather sad that despite many female-centered productions today, there is a notable absence of a contemporary counterpart to Mean Girls and the movies it inspired for the current generation. While the flick is still there for people to see, and its universal appeal shows in its continued popularity, there seems to be a noticeable void that needs to be filled by a new and authentic narrative.

There is a need for originality, and if and when a successor to this classic emerges, it should have a fresh perspective, carrying the spirit of the times and the unique voice of a new writer. Perhaps the new and renewed Mean Girls film will fill that role for the newer generations.