As “Mean Girls” enters its tenth year of life and officially become a classic (at least, it does in my book), let’s take a minute to review the top ten life lessons that we learned from the movie.
10. Don’t play dumb just to get a guy’s attention
Don’t try to change yourself just to get a guy to pay attention to you; it’s never worth it, even if he’s as cute as Aaron Samuels.
9. Don’t call other girls “wh*res”
Ms. Norbury knows what’s up. In what is possibly the most poignant line in the movie, she says, “You all have got to stop calling each other sl*ts and wh*res. It just makes it okay for guys to call you sl*ts and wh*res.” Preach it, girl.
8. Sometimes shopping is the best medicine
There are times when a girl just needs to shop – even if it is with Regina George. Don’t feel guilty if you need to splurge on yourself every once in a while… You probably deserve it!
7. We’ve all felt like a victim before
It’s okay to admit that you’ve felt like a victim; it doesn’t make you less strong, or less of a person. Chances are that you’re probably not as alone as you think.
6. Being able to improvise truly is a talent
You haven’t seen resourcefulness until you’ve seen the Plastics’ rendition of Jingle Bell Rock. In times of crisis (i.e. when the stereo breaks), most people won’t know what to do. Staying levelheaded and having the ability to make do with what you have might just allow you to save the day.
5. If you have sex, you will get pregnant and die
According to the wise words Coach Carr, if you have sex, you’ll get pregnant and die. According to his inappropriate hook-ups, sex feels pretty damn good. Lesson: take his words with a grain (or ten grains) of salt. Yeah, sex can be dangerous; you can get pregnant, and you can get life-threatening diseases… So be careful! However, if you’re careful and consenting, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be able to do it. (Unless of course you’re a teacher and you’re hooking up with a student… ahem, Coach Carr.)
4. Even “nerds” can win Spring Fling Queen
Being a “nerd,” (i.e. Mathlete) and being popular are not mutually exclusive. Ignore the stereotypes and be whoever you want to be! You do you, girl.
3. The limit does not exist!
Okay, maybe this line was said in reference to a calculus problem during the movie, but if you take it out of context, it’s pretty profound. Remember that the possibilities are always endless! Don’t let some preconceived notion of where your limits are confine you; your potential to do all that you want to do and be everything you want to be is through the roof.
2. Confidence is the best accessory
Even if your outfit is less than stellar (because of your own actions, or because a certain angry redhead took some scissors and went to town on it), go ahead and rock it anyway. Confidence is always the best part of an outfit.
1. Sometimes, people are just awesome for no apparent reason
“Four for you Glen Coco. You go, Glen Coco!” We know nothing about him as a person, but we know that he gets four candy canes. Sometimes people are just awesome like that: no need to question it.
Love it or hate it, we can’t deny that “Mean Girls” taught us a lot. As it celebrates its tenth year of existence this week, don’t think about how old it makes you; think about how much more fetch you are because of it.