Before shows like Mean Girls.From Janis Ian exclaiming "your mom's chest hair" to teenagers letting petty rivalries fuel bullying and sabotage, the film resonated with audiences through its reliability and great use of comedy. Even today, fans celebrate the evergreen film in a manner that suits it best, memes.
Norbury And Duvall
Cady's math teacher, Ms.Norbury, and principal, Mr. Duvall, are two of the most ed secondary characters from the film. The two are seen as trying their best for the North Shore students, especially after everything starts to go awry after Regina exposes the Burn Book.
Despite their good intentions, the two adults are defined by specific actions, especially during their introductions on Cady's first day. Mr. Duvall is shown to obviously be into Ms. Norbury. In contrast, she is shown to be much less interested and wallowing in her recent divorce, as aptly summarized in this Twitter post.
The Real Villain
Although the resolved ending makes Mean Girls one of the most popular feel-good "chick flicks," most of the film's narrative focuses on high school rivalries, grudges, and cliques before reaching its happy ending.
However, while the film posits Regina George as the villain, audiences have concluded that the real villain is Janis Ian, as shown in this post. While Regina may be a bully at times, Janis' plan to intentionally infiltrate and manipulate her clique via Cady substantially outweighs Regina's toxicity, proving the film's message about gray morals and how everyone can choose whether to be a mean girl or not.
Damian And Janis
Damian and Janis are two of the film's central characters, and also a more healthy example of best friends. Their friendship works partly because of how well they complement one another; Janis is jagged, straightforward, and confrontational while Damian is kinder, more dramatic, and calm.
As noted in this meme posted by a Reddit , the two share many similarities with another dynamic duo, Mikey and Spinelli from Disney's Recess. Along with their personalities, Damian and Janis also share a similar appearance and build, with Damian even having Mikey's great vocal skills as well.
Cady's Priorities
When Cady is the confused newcomer to North Shore High School, Janis and Damian are the first to take her under their wings. However, soon after the Plastics also seek to befriend Cady and integrate her into their exclusive group.
As shown in this meme, Cady soon begins to ditch her old friends for the new and empowering group of socialites, causing later tension between her, Damian, and Janis as she diverts all her attention and efforts into maintaining her Plastic identity.
Cady's Math Skills
Cady is shown from the start as being great at math and loving the subject since it's "the same in every language." Unfortunately, she soon decides that being good at math is not as important to her as winning over one of the film's best ing characters, Aaron Samuels.
Even though Aaron himself is not as great at math, Cady is determined to be even worse in hopes of getting to spend more time together with him as her tutor. This large plot of the film is accurately displayed in this meme, highlighting how ridiculous and childish Cady's plan was.
Janis' Surprise
Most of the North Shore community knows about Regina and Janis' failed friendship, a result of Regina starting a rumor that Janis had a crush on her. Because of that incident, Janis grew apart from Regina and began to despise her and her new clique.
Her surprise when the Plastics are welcoming Cady is not at all hidden and is encapsulated hilariously well in the meme. Janis' disbelief quickly turns into revenge planning and plotting, charting the course for the film and Cady's development.
Karen
Not only are the Plastics at the top of their high school pyramid, but they are also some of the most fashionable movie mean girls, envied for their looks and hottest styles while being influential and idolized trendsetters.
However, despite their social status, each Plastics member has their own flaws. The one most emphasized by the film, in typical early 2000s fashion, is Karen's oblivious and naive nature, highlighted in this meme. While Karen has many redeeming qualities, her lack of awareness is something the film capitalizes on, giving some of its best moments and lines.
Regina's Chaos
Viewers of the film will not be surprised that Regina George ranks highest among the film's meanest main characters. From starting nasty rumors to abusing her powers as the school's Queen Bee, Regina is the epitome of a high school bully that feeds off the misery and unpopularity of others.
She also enjoys starting trouble and watching the school burn in the aftermath of her actions, as adeptly shown in the meme. After releasing the pages of their Burn Book, Regina sits back and feigns innocence as she watches the school go up in flames over the book's contents.
The Argument
Although it was initially Janis' plan to have Cady destroy the Plastics from within, Cady soon finds herself succumbing to the powers that come with popularity and being a part of North Shore's elite clique. Unfortunately, she becomes so preoccupied with the Plastics that she doesn't realize she has become one herself.
While this meme shared on Reddit refers to the Broadway adaptation, it still accurately portrays Janis' hurt and disappointment in Cady in the original film as well, as both her and Cady realize how far their charade has come and what it has cost.
Pop-Cultural Significance
Mean Girls has transcended from typical film status to an iconic cult classic. Even today, fans refer to the movie throughout the year, thanks to its universally applicable and incredibly quotable lines like "that's so fetch" and "she doesn't even go here!" Not to mention the holiday references, whether it be Cady's Halloween fiasco or the Jingle Bell Rock performance.
The film has proven its continuous pop culture significance and continues its legacy not only through new adaptations and parodies but mainly through its adoring fans who celebrate its plethora of meme-able content, as showcased in this meme.
