Remember 2004? Flip phones, low-rise jeans, and Regina George reigning supreme with her Burn Book in hand. That was the year “Mean Girls” took the world by storm, and we haven’t looked back since. But for the film’s mastermind, Tina Fey, it’s been a wild ride going from a sharp screenwriter to a pop culture icon on Wednesdays. Let’s take a trip down memory lane with Ms. Norbury (aka Queen Fey) and see how things have changed, but how some things stay fetch forever.
Back in the Plastics Days:
Back then, Fey was a Saturday Night Live veteran with fire in her pen and a hunger for fresh stories. “Mean Girls” wasn’t just a teenage comedy; it was a hilarious dissection of high school’s social jungle, filled with quotable lines, iconic characters, and enough pink to make Elle Woods swoon. Remember “On Wednesdays we wear pink”? That wasn’t just a line, it was a rallying cry for individuality and girl power.
Fey, drawing inspiration from Rosalind Wiseman’s book “Queen Bees and Wannabes,” created a world where popularity trumped grades, and cliques ruled the lunchroom. She gave us Cady Heron, the wide-eyed newbie navigating the Plastics’ treacherous waters, Janis Ian, the punk rock truth-teller, and of course, Regina George, the queen bee with a plastic smile and a Burn Book full of secrets.
“Mean Girls” wasn’t just funny; it was real. It captured the insecurity, the awkwardness, and the desperate desire to fit in that we all felt (or still feel!) in high school. And Fey did it with wit, heart, and a sprinkle of sass that made the film an instant classic.
From Script to Stage and Screen:
But “Mean Girls” wasn’t a one-hit wonder. Fey brought the Plastics back in 2017, this time to Broadway, in a raucous, toe-tapping musical that had everyone singing “Jingle Bell Rock” in December. The stage version stayed true to the film’s spirit, but added new layers of depth and dimension to the characters. It proved that “Mean Girls” wasn’t just a fleeting fad; it had timeless themes that resonated with audiences of all ages.
And now, in 2024, the Plastics are back again! A movie adaptation of the Broadway musical is in the works, with Fey returning as Ms. Norbury (she can wear sweatpants to school all she wants, she’s earned it!). It’s a whole new generation getting ready to fetch, burn, and repeat, which begs the question:
Does “Mean Girls” Still Matter?
Absolutely! In a world where social media reigns supreme and online bullying runs rampant, the film’s message of self-acceptance and standing up to bullies is more relevant than ever. It reminds us that being kind, even in the face of cruelty, is always the coolest thing you can do. And it shows us that, even decades later, wearing pink on Wednesdays will never truly go out of style.
“Mean Girls” may have started as a teen comedy, but it’s grown into something much bigger. It’s a cultural touchstone, a feminist manifesto in pink glitter, and a hilarious reminder that we all have a little Janis Ian and Regina George inside us. So next time you see someone wearing pink on a Wednesday, don’t just say “fetch,” give them a high five. “Mean Girls” gave us more than just laughs; it gave us a language, a community, and a reminder that even in the plastic jungle, true friends and good hearts always stay strong.
And to Tina Fey, the queen of all things fetch, we say this: thank you for giving us “Mean Girls,” for making us laugh, think, and sing along. You may not be a high school math teacher anymore, but you’ll always be our Ms. Norbury, reminding us to wear pink, be kind, and never let anyone dull our spark.