At the young age of 24 years old, Renee Rapp already has a resume to impress. Rapp won The National High School Theatre Award (the ‘Jimmy Awards’) in 2018, for her role of Sandra Bloom in ‘Big Fish’. Shortly after winning this award, Renee scored her first Broadway role as Regina George in ‘Mean Girls: The Musical”, and she continued in that role until Broadway shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Theatre kids everywhere (me) had found Renee Rapp and they were HOOKED! (Her opt up in ‘World Burn’ CHANGED LIVES!)
Fast forward about six years later, and Renee’s resume is stacked with her role of Leighton in ‘The Sex Lives of College Girls,’ and her own personal music career, with her EP titled ‘Everything to Everyone’ and her debut album, ‘Snow Angel’. Most recently, Rapp reprised her role of Regina George in the movie adaptation of ‘Mean Girls: The Musical,’ and was the musical guest on ‘Saturday Night Live,’ with current white boy of the month, Jacob Elordi as the host.
Rapp made an appearance in one of Elordi’s skits, where her “lack of media training,” is brought up and worked into a joke. Rapp’s “lack of media training” has been a popular topic on the internet lately, after interview clips for the promotion of ‘Mean Girls’ started going viral on apps like TikTok and Instagram.
One notable case of this virality is an interview clip featuring Renee Rapp and Chris Briney, ‘Mean Girls’ co-star and ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ star. In this clip, Rapp and Briney are asked if there is anyone or anything they would put in their own “burn book.” The ‘burn book’ is from the original ‘Mean Girls’ film, which then followed into both future adaptations. The book is a place where the plastics write all the mean, bad things they think about the girls in their grade. This book later leads to the climax of the film.
Rapp almost immediately comes up with someone to put in her ‘burn book.’ Buddy, who owns a bus touring company Rapp had utilized. To quote the queen herself,
“He was so disrespectful to my friends, Priscilla and Bella, who I work with, and to my mother. If you’re watching this, I can’t stand you, and I hope your business burns. You are so disrespectful and so misogynistic. I hate you. Fuck you, Buddy.”
– Reneé Rapp
From this moment on, people commented on her lack of media training, but not many meant this as an insult. Rapp’s ability to speak her mind provided more entertaining interviews than viewers have seen in a while. As viewers, this breath of fresh air is something we want to cling to and see more of.
This openness and “look into Renee’s life” also helps Rapp’s fans feel closer to her, because she doesn’t seem to hold many thoughts or emotion back. She treats each interview as though she’s talking to a friend, referring to co-stars and interview conductors as “babe” or constantly telling people “love you/love that,” and telling stories in a way you would talk to your best friend, not the press/media.
A “PR nightmare” would not have this same, positive effect to the media. Rapp has gained fans and become more well known because of her ability to go off the script and share her opinions. In some cases, this can cause someone to become “cancelled” or be out of the media until they’ve been taken by a PR company and trained to spit out the same, basic, responses.
This is not the case in Rapp’s case, which could be for multiple people. Most of Rapp’s takes and opinions are personal, and don’t really affect anyone outside of herself (…other than her being ageist, which was a joke!). People can’t get too mad or cancel Rapp over simply the drama in her personal life or the opinions she has in crazy situations.
Rapp also possess a sort of charm that can truly capture an audience. With an infectious smile and laugh, people can’t help but want to smile and laugh along. This can help “win over” some people who may say her lack of media training is unprofessional.
Rapp’s ability to be herself and show full honesty without regret makes her lack of media training the opposite of a ‘PR nightmare,’ but the breath of fresh air we all needed in celebrity interviews.