One of the most memorable characters of the 2004 movie, "Mean Girls," is Regina George’s mother. In Tina Fey’s film, Amy Poehler is given the small role of June George. Many people view Mrs. George as a bad parent, but is she really? When dissecting the character, she is shockingly a great role model to her daughter and her daughter’s friends. I believe, that Mrs. George is the best character in the whole film, and everyone can learn important parenting skills from her.
One of the most iconic scene is when Mrs. George offers Cady a drink. Many people believe this is why Mrs. George is a bad mom. She is allowing Regina’s friends to get “wasted.” Actually, Mrs. George did the best thing possible. According to Surgeon General’s Call to Action, “by age 18, more than 70% of teens have had at least one drink.” Considering that fact that Regina’s mother knows Regina to go to house parties, she probably assumes that her daughter and daughter’s friends drink alcohol. Most popular high schoolers try underage drinking at some point in high school.
Instead of banning alcohol completely, she is allowing her daughter and daughter’s friends drink in her supervised house. Mrs. George’s offers to give Cady a little bit of alcohol in the drinks that she made. Mrs. George is controlling where and how much alcohol they are drinking in her presence. This is a fair compromise because teenagers tend to rebel against parents. An iconic teen line is “you can’t tell me what to do,” after all. By watching your children drink, you can teach them how to handle themselves and to teach them their limits. What Mrs. George did in 2004 is a modern approach to the underage drinking problem.
Mrs. George also knows that Regina’s friends should not drive themselves home. Since Regina and her friends are welcome to drink openly in Regina’s house, they do not need to drive themselves home in order to hide. Approximately 2,000 underage drinkers die each year behind the wheel. Many children are scared to call parents for a ride home, because they may get in trouble for underage drinking. Mrs. George or her husband can safely drive Regina’s friends home and protect them.
The next controversial scene is when Mrs. George walks in on Regina making out with a boy. Her response is to offer “some snacks, [or] a condom,” to her daughter. According to one study, 44% of female teens, ages 15-19, have had sex. Also, 46% of male teens, ages 15-19, have had sex. Also, 3 in 10 teen American girls will get pregnant at least once before age 20. That’s nearly 750,000 teen pregnancies every year. Mrs. George is realistic in thinking that her teenage daughter may engage in some kind of sexual activity. Regina is lucky to have a mother that provides condoms. I’ve heard many stories of teenagers that get pregnant because they could not find a condom. Having a child when one is a teenager causes increased risks of dropping out of high school, homelessness, and mental illnesses.
Lastly, Regina’s mother is a kind women. She welcomes Cady right away and offers her a warm hug. Mrs. George is also aware of who Gretchen and Karen are. It’s important for parents to know who their daughters are surrounding themselves with. The first thing Mrs. George says is “Hey, hey, hey. How are my best girlfriends?” That’s very welcoming, and she even makes her daughter and friends drinks for them to enjoy. Mrs. George also takes Regine’s pictures for Halloween, talent show, and prom. She is actively involved with her daughter’s life.
I think Regina’s mother is realistic and is very involved with her daughter’s lives. If I was Regina, I would think I had the best mother in the world! You go June! (June is Regina’s mother’s name in case you forgot!)
