Everyone Has Those Bridesmaids
It’s been well over a year now since the movie Bridesmaids debuted in May of 2011, yet we still find ourselves quoting it and using it as our go-to movie for a night in with the girls. What is it about Bridesmaids that we just cannot seem to get enough of? While some may relate to Annie’s failed “climb of shame” over the gate from Ted’s house, I would like to think that there is more to it. Perhaps it is the fact that we see a little bit, or a lot-a-bit, of these awkward, wonderfully unique and hilarious women in our various friends here at DePauw…
Rita: We all know a Rita; she is likely the easiest to identify in your circle of girls. She’s the abrasively honest, sometimes crude, sarcastic one you spend Sunday morning at brunch with to talk about your escapades from the night before. Without an ounce of judgment for whatever embarrassing mishap you might have experienced, Rita puts you at ease with a “that’s what your slutty college years are for” line, laughs it off, and continues sipping her mimosa (or in our case, Green Mountain Coffee).
Becca: The Becca in your group of friends is also pretty easy to pick out; she is the sweet, innocent, adorable, Disney princess-hopeful that you just can’t help but love. She still blushes when she tells you about the first time her crush kissed her last week and is always there to remind you that “you have a face like sunshine” when you’re feeling down. She likely skips through the halls of the GCPA smiling and giggling, which you want to roll your eyes at, but simply can’t. Occasionally, you secretly wish you could live in happy-happy-la-la-land right alongside her.
Helen: “Oh, Helen knows the owner.” She’s the friend who really does know the owner, and is still telling stories about her amazing winter term internship last year. She’s the one who is spoiled and not ashamed of it; she struts to class in head-to-toe designer clothes. Some people, aka most people, perceive her as arrogant and wonder why you’re friends with her, but you know her well enough to know that she truly does mean well. Besides, she has a great closet to borrow from (a closet of clothes, one for shoes, and one full of networking knowledge). Even better, you’ve seen her cry, and it was not pretty.
Megan: Possibly the majority of audiences’ (both male and female) favorite character in the movie, Megan, is your audacious, absurdly strange, yet undeniably wonderful friend here at DePauw. She doesn’t hesitate to shout out, in the middle of The Hub, some embarrassing details that you just whispered to her. She’s even likely to be the one to talk you into your first Boulder Run. You may be leery of sharing the close quarters of a study room at Roy O. with her since she’s rarely shy about farting or burping around people, but you take the risk anyway. Despite the fact that she occasionally grosses you out, you often find yourself admiring her unwavering boldness and self-assuredness.
Annie and Lillian: Obviously these two characters are distinctly different, but together they are you and your best friend. Perhaps you are the Annie to your Lillian, or the Lillian to your Annie. Either way, your counterpart has been the one by your side when you need someone to share your late-night Marvin’s with so you don’t feel as guilty, or the one in your passenger seat for those trips to Plainfield when you just need to get away for a day. She is the one you can act completely yourself around, no matter how weird that may be at times. You may have some arguments, but you will always find a way to work through them. She has been a part – the biggest part – of your most treasured memories at DePauw thus far, and will be for those to come, including after graduation. She is your Maid of Honor.
Bridesmaids has remained a hit because these various characters embody, in the most exaggerated, hilarious form, the women in our lives here at DePauw, who will likely become our very own bridesmaids one day.