Art Imitating Life: Mean Girls in the Real World

"Evil takes on a human form in Regina George." -Janis Ian, Mean Girls

Mean Girls has beocme a classic film in the eyes of today's adolescents, mainly because of its hilarious and quotable dialogue as well as its unforgettable characters. One such character is Regina George, Queen Bee and alpha female of the movie's North Shore High School. Regina is exactly the sort of snotty and bitchy character that everyone loves to hate, but what some probably don't know is that she was developed based on the real-life mean girls seen in high school and profiled in Queen Bees and Wannabees, the advice book that inspired Mean Girls. That's right, there are girls that act similar to Regina George in reality. So, in a way, art (the film) is merely reiterating what's already seen in life today.

In Mean Girls, the Plastics--headed by Regina and also including Gretchen Weiners and Karen Smith--are a highly powerful and exclusive group. They shun anyone who's the slightest bit different, such as Janis Ian, a former pal of Regina's who is now snarky and unpopular. In addition, the clique's Burn Book is an entire collection of slanderous rumors and gossip.This is not unlike what is going on at schools now; snide remakrs are scribbled inside bathroom stalls and possess of girls snicker about other students behind their backs. Girls have grown more superior based on knocking others down a peg, which isn't cool at all. In fact, Regina George-esque girls should realize, based on how the conflict between the popular kids and everyone else escalated in the movie, that this brand of slander and snobbery is very hurtful and will not make people admire or say positive things about you in the long run.

Sure, Mean Girls is a smartly-written and entertaining comedy, but the underlying message is one that girls should take to heart. Is it really best to be a "mean girl" in order to be thought of as cool and funny? Is popularity woryh acting like other people are lame and beneath you? Should you really make others feel unwelcome because they love comic books or don't have more than a thousand Facebook friends? I'm sure that it is fun to have a wide variety of people to hang out with, but I'm more content with being a nice, unpopular girl with a few close friends than a catty mean girl with tons of associates.

If you still manage to be popular while also bieng kind and non-gossipy, then kudos to you. Perhaps it is possible to have a large number of friends and also be a kind, courteous, and inclusive. However, for the popular girls without those traits, remember this: Regina George got hit by a bus before she started to change her ways. I'm not saying this will happen to you, but it's better to change your ways before karma decides to give you a wake-up call.

Homecoming: A Night to Remember

This isn't a story about the ugly duckling becoming a beautiful white swan, or a sexy black swan. It isn't about the nerdy girl ditching the glasses and becoming the apple of the popular boy's eye. No, homecoming 2011 was simply about me taking a foot outside of my awkward stage and actually having some fun with my classmates.

At first I wasn't even going to go; freshman year I didn't know any friends to go with, and sophomore year I just wasn't feeling it. This year was junior year, though; I had only one year left of high school after this. I couldn't leave high school with regrets in not partaking in activities that would leave me with awesome memories. So I squelched my doubts and awkwardness, endured tedious dress shopping and day-of-the-dance preparations, and actually got excited for this dance. Never mind that I felt weird in anything that wasn't a jeans and T-shirt or pajama ensemble, or that my dancing skills severely paled in comparison to the contestants on So You Think You Can Dance, or even that I'm such an awkward shell when it comes to social interaction with people. I was gonna go and fully enjoy myself on this one night, Saturday, September 17, 2011.

I went with my friends Nicole and Meg (the latter of whom is a senior), and a few of Meg's senior friends. That made me panic a little, because, well, they're seniors. Seniors equaled intimidating and way too cool for a little fish like me. Nevertheless, I learned to relax and be a bit cooler than I am, and discovered that they liked me! And we got along okay, no weird silences or pauses in conversation included. It was nice; I should definitely try to do this more often.

As I already mentioned, the dancing part was one of the things I was most worried about. I shied away from the obviously couples-only slow songs, but for the faster ones I danced with my friends, who would not send me home if I performed less than stellar, because they aren't superb dancers either. (So they say.) As I made my rounds about the cafeteria, dancing and just walking around, I heard tons of compliments about my looks and dress. Sweet. If I couldn't "shake it" without looking like a chicken, at least I could look pretty doing it.

So basically, that was the lesson I learned this month. High school doesn't have to be all stress over tests and grades. It's okay to get dolled up every once in a while and have fun, maybe even make some new friends along the way. :) Onward and upward to October now, where hopefully I will blog more (I'm a terrible updater, I know. Writer's block!), learn more, and take another step on the road to becoming a better person.