In my eyes, "Mean Girls" is the greatest movie of the 2000s. It has been 12 years and people are still quoting it almost every day. Many don't realize the underlying lessons that "Mean Girls" have taught girls that watched the movie. After watching it probably 100 times myself, the underlying messages are pretty clear.
1. Being smart is actually pretty attractive.
The old days of air heads and the stereotypical 'blonde' days are over. Girls shouldn't be afraid to be smart and funny at the same time. Guys like a girl who knows her way around the books while still being funny and cool at the same time. While it may seem like a good idea to fail a class to get a guy to tutor you so he starts to like you, it may not seem like such a good idea when he goes back to his ex girlfriend and you're left failing a class. So if you want to join the mathletes, then do it! The limit does not exist to the options you have when you study hard.
2. Getting revenge isn't always the best thing, and when you try to get revenge, it can backfire.
There will always be people in life that try to bring you down and make you feel less than you are. The prime example is the Burn Book. Originally, the book is just between the four girls; however, Regina tries to get revenge on the other three and releases it to the whole school. It causes such chaos that makes everyone think: "Was that really worth it?" Now this revenge plot did resolve in the end, but a lot of times, these plans can backfire. So it's better to brush something off or have a casual conversation and try to resolve things.
3. The Regina George of your life isn't all they are cracked up to be.
Just because someone seems to have it all on the outside, doesn't mean they are perfect on the inside. Everyone has their quirks and everyone has their faults, that's life. The idolization of the it girl has, for the most part, gone away. Everyone is different and it takes some time to get to know them.
4. Even the popular kids eat cheese fries.
We live in a society that idolizes an ideal body. Well, if Regina George can eat cheese fries, so can I. If eating it makes you happy, go for it. Just because someone is supper skinny, doesn't mean they don't indulge in a nice basket of cheese fries now and again. Always remember the wise words Cady Heron once said, "Calling somebody else fat won't make you any skinnier."
5. Always do the right thing, it feels better.
So you are elected to Spring Fling Queen because you pushed Regina in front of the bus. Do you (A) accept it and rub it in everyones faces or (B) share it? If you chose B, you're like Cady. It's common to get caught up in the moment and think about yourself, but it's very important in life to look back and do things for others. Deep down, it's a better feeling and will be more satisfying.
6. Always be yourself, don't try to turn into something you're not.
What happened to little Cady Heron from Africa? She used to ride elephants, wear cargo pants, flannels and her cheerios bracelet. The girl who was smart and really good at math started failing for a boy to like her. By the end she's wearing skintight dresses and low cut tops and of course, pink on Wednesdays. Cady is the classic example of someone who changed herself to fit into a group. Now yes, in the beginning it was a plot put together by Damian and Janis to infiltrate the plastics and destroy them (again revenge that backfired from when Regina called Janis a lesbian at a pool party when they were kids), but by the end, Cady had become totally brainwashed and one of the plastics. She lost herself. Never lose yourself. It's not worth it.
7. Its not worth it to be mean, always be nice.
The main message in "Mean Girls" is to always be nice because being nice gets you further in life. Regina doesn't have true friends. She only has the girls around her because she seems to have popularity. You see that almost everyone hates Regina, they are scared of her but would never say anything for fear of being ostracized. Those who are kind will be surrounded with people who truly care about them. If its one friend or a thousand, it doesn't matter, as long as you are a nice person.
8. Everything, and I mean everything, can relate back to "Mean Girls."
The classic story about the high school un-popular crowd overthrowing the populars. I've been out of high school for some time now, but I am assuming this still happens on the daily. Even in my college classes, my professor relates things to "Mean Girls."
