Jordan Erickson, Bryce Langerud, and Somer Bucholz

Instructor Kaser
English 120
October 28, 2015
Rhetorical Analysis about the High School Experience in Mean Girls

Overview
On April 30, 2004, Paramount Pictures released one of their most distinguishable films to
2,839 theaters across the U.S. Coming in at number one in Box Office reviews, Mean Girls
overtook theatres from far and wide its opening weekend (Marcel). This movie depicts the end
product of director Mark Waters, screenplay writer and actress, Tina Fey, and producer Lorne
Michaels. The plot consists of protagonist, Cady Heron (Lindsay Lohan), coming from Africa to
a high school for the first time in the United States. One of the first obstacles Cady faces at the
beginning of this film revolves around her minimal teenage social skills and her lack of a high
school experience. Luckily for Cady, she is quickly befriended by the most well-known group of

girls, The Plastics, composed of Regina George (Rachel McAdams), Karen Smith (Amanda
Seyfried), and Gretchen Weiners (Lacey Chabert) (Mean Girls). This popular clique is the focus
of everyone, both students and staff, all around the school. However, as the movie progresses,
Cady begins to realize that there are some consequences associated with popularity. After
stealing Reginas ex-boyfriend, Cady becomes her new target and unfortunate victim. One day
she decides to go against her fear of social annihilation, and plan the ultimate act of revenge.
During Cadys scheme, the role of the Queen Bee quickly shifts from the once prized Regina
George, to the new-girl Cady Heron, and the results are unanticipated as well as hypocritical.
The rapid change in the schools hierarchy causes complete and utter chaos through the halls of
North Shore High School. Though there are plenty of catty scenes throughout the film, there are
also some lessons on friendship, trustworthiness, and dependability that can be examined through
this comical ordeal. This laughable and dramatic film will forever be one of those movies that a
plethora of people can quote word for word and reminisce about over the sequence of scenes.
This rhetorical analysis on the movie, Mean Girls, describes how the filmmakers use a
comical approach to show the struggles a teenager may endure during high school. Throughout
the movie, the writer and producers of this film try to convey the idea that popularity is not the
ultimate goal, and how it does not define who you are as a person. The scenarios displayed in
Mean Girls, address the struggles that combine to form the girl-on-girl crime a teenage girl may
encounter, while setting the audience in a comical atmosphere.
Influences
This film known to the vast majority of the entertainment world depicts an unforgettable
comedy, best remembered for being the epitome of a teenage girls struggle. As Tina Fey wrote
the script for this film, she based her ideas off the New York
Times bestselling book, Queen Bees and Wannabees: Helping
Your Daughter Survive Cliques, Gossip, Boyfriends, and
Other Relatives of Adolescence, written by Rosalind
Wiseman (Zuckerman). After watching Mean Girls, some of
the situations discussed in Wisemans book correlates and is
portrayed by a number of scenes in the movie. For example,
the scandalous costumes worn by teenage girls for Halloween
parties, as well as the concept of cliques forming and the
drama resulting from them (Zuckerman). Feys unique script
also directly influenced the director, Mark Waters, and how
he made her words come to life. In an interview, Waters
describes her sense of dialogue as one of the reasons why I
loved Mean Girls when I first read that script. It made me think, OK. Lets see if we can
bring this to life without having it feel arch and stylized. Thats what inspired me about it.
(Virtel) Throughout the filming of the movie, Waters would continually look to Fey as a beam
of inspiration in order to help convey that aspired comical feel. Together, they performed a lot of

trial and error in order to discover what the audience would find funny and how they would
transmit a deeper meaning behind the comical storyline (Virtel). By using the high school
experience, Fey and Waters created an environment where the main characters were forced to
face the typical teenage struggles.
Issues
In Mean Girls, there are various social issues that are addressed throughout the movie
involving the overall teenagers high school experience. The main topic that this film tries to
convey towards the audience involves the personal struggle a teenager faces in order to fit into
high school. Cady, the main character, as well as the new girl at school, tries to embrace the
intimidating scene of high school. She is forced to learn the ropes of coping with everyday life
and understanding how things work in this new environment. Throughout the film, Cady
experiences the various cliques and their exclusive lunch tables in the cafeteria, the popularity
contest, as well as the never-ending pool of gossip and drama. Another predominant issue that
the movie focuses on is bullying, which has evolved into a reoccurring problem across the U.S.
(Thomas). According to D.A.R.E, Between 1 in 4 and 1 in 3 U.S. students say they have been
bullied at school
(Thomas). This
evidence provides
support for how
significantly bullying
affects the younger
generation. The movie
addresses this social
issue in a key scene that
specifically points out
the type of bullying
portrayed. In a setting
that occurs in a gymnasium, all the junior girls are asked to raise their hand if they have been
victimized by the queen bee, Regina George, and almost every girl admits to being discriminated
by her. They were also asked to raise their hand if they too had been the bully. The producers
chose to create this type of scenario to show the audience the ongoing cycle of bullying, where
the bully becomes the victim, and the victim turns into the bully. Doing so supports the fact that
bullying can change a persons mindset overtime, hopefully towards the good side, but
sometimes it causes a turn for the worse. Another issue portrayed by Mean Girls, is the how the
media affects teenagers today. The types of television shows, websites, and magazines teenagers
look at do influence some of the choices and decisions they make. Girls especially, focus on
what celebrities wear, how they act, as well as the way they present themselves. This in turn
causes females to create a fake image in their mind of how perfection is supposed to look like.
An example of this from the movie is when Regina Georges younger sister copies an
inappropriate dance that she watches on a music video from MTV. Her actions express a desire

to be mature, but her dancing is perceived as both

humorous and disturbing. In addition to idolism,
the social issue of body dysmorphia accompanies
the concept of the perfect image that some high
school girls strive for. Teenagers around that age
begin to worry about what people think and start
comparing themselves to other girls. Young
females specifically diagnosed with body
dysmorphia tend to criticize and fix one or two
areas of their body, until they reach that perfect image (Teen Body Dysmorphic Disorder). In the
film, this problem is depicted when the perfect plastics stare at themselves in the mirror and
openly bash certain body areas such as their shoulder, hips, and thighs. All together, these
various social issues addressed throughout the movie present the viewer with a deeper meaning
behind the scenes of this comedy.
Objective
The filmmakers primary objective for developing this movie was to give its audience a
social commentary. By definition, a social commentary not only points out societys flaws, but
provides ways to prevent them from reoccurring (Wimmer). The movie Mean Girls particularly
highlights the social issues that teenagers face throughout their high school experience. The
producers also point out the consequences that result from popularity and bullying, in hopes that
their audience will not follow in the characters footsteps. The secondary objective that
filmmakers wanted to
accomplish revolved around
entertaining the audience. The
producers and directors were
able to achieve this goal by
creating and delivering a script
that was relatable, with a side of
humor. The witty diction found
in the movie, with the notorious
high school drama, alongside the
interesting and semi-scandalous
apparel combine to devise an original motion picture. The tertiary objective of this movie
informs the viewer about the specific struggles that a teenager encounters throughout high
school. Whether it is dealing with life-changing rumors, dishonest friends, or indecisive boys,
Mean Girls points out the situations a teenager should avoid. For example, making a Burn Book,
that bashes every girl in school, and stealing one of your so-called friends ex-boyfriend, is not
the best idea. Another objective that the producers touch base on is the literary element of
persuasion. Those watching the film are indirectly told to not act like the spoiled, stuck up queen
of the school: Regina George. The film tries to persuade the audience to not follow in her

footsteps, by showing the consequences that her actions have towards the end of the movie.
Throughout the movie, the writer and producers are expressing to the audience that popularity is
not everything, and it does not get you everything you want in life, let alone high school.
Together, the objectives of this script rely on each other to focus on the social issues that
teenagers encounter, and can be examined through the films humorous entertaining styles, lighthearted informative scenes, and interesting persuasive tactics.
Genre
Tina Fey presents the objective of this film by highlighting some social issues, while
entertaining, informing, and persuading her audience. This comedy, turned social commentary,
uses its relatable and comedic approach to address the social issues a teenager may encounter.
Ever since the debut in 2004, it has made an impact on people and the entertainment culture
around the world. Mean Girls hits home on the drama and gossip of the girl world, alongside its
devious actions of sabotaging and revenge, all the way to the desire of being number one in the
popularity contest. Throughout the film, the audience encounters Cady Herons adventure as she
transitions from the comfort of being
home schooled to the unknown
world of a public school. Cady
suddenly realizes the struggles
associated with trying to fit into an
environment that mainly focuses an
individuals status quo. In high
school, a majority of the teenagers
goal is to achieve popularity, and is
willing to do anything and
everything it takes. In this film, the
director, showcases what the stereotype for being the queen bee consists of through Regina
George, whos wealthy, attractive, as well as the undeclared ruler of the school. When Cady gets
sucked in with the popular Plastics, she slowly begins to realize how overrated and controlling
popularity can be. As the story develops, Fey addresses the various social issues that affect the
main characters, as well as the consequences that associate with them, but through a light-hearted
and approachable way of comedy. She is able to find that common ground between her purpose
of this motion picture, and amusing her audience. By utilizing Feys comical influences, Mean
Girls not only entertains its audience, but informs and persuades them about the real life
struggles that teenagers face as they experience high school.
Audience
According to the box office over a 120 million viewers across the world were interested
in this comical storyline (Marcel). The movies audience consists of American teenagers as well
as young adults, including both the female and male population. Although a substantial amount
of young women might find this more entertaining than older males, due to the hormonal girl

drama depicted throughout the

film, everyone is still able to get a
kick out of the scenarios portrayed.
By revolving its storyline around
the inevitable high school
experience, its audience is able to
relate to some similar situations
they once experienced. Ranging
from the unavoidable drama that
most high school girls get
themselves involved in, all the way
to the sex appeal that tend to
intrigue the male population .The
movie Mean Girls takes more of a liberal approach when looking at the language used, how the
characters handle their sexual orientation, as well as sex in general. Depending on the particular
scene, some viewer discretion may be advised for the younger age group, such as the Christmas
talent show scene and some of the outfits worn by the Plastics, and Cady herself. Throughout the
film, mature ears should be listening to the raunchy jokes and suggestive statements, as well as
developed eyes for watching the sexual situations and intended gestures. Overall the producers
and directors of Mean Girls wanted to create a connection with teenagers and young adults,
about the struggles a teenager faces throughout high school, while placing the audience in a
comical atmosphere.
Logos
The prominent message, or theme, that the directors and actors convey to their viewers
depicts the consequences of the girl-on-girl crime that originates within the halls of North Shore
High School (Elan). The crime strives from the concept of being crowned the Queen Bee of
the Plastics, and assuming the role as top of the social food chain. The battle for this social
acceptance begins on Cadys first day of high school, and circulates throughout the film until she
finds the courage to express her true self. When she arrives at North Shore High, Cady is
befriended by two social groups, including those who rule the school, as well as the ones located
more at the bottom of the totem pole. Damian (Daniel Franzese) and Janis Ian (Lizzy Caplan),
who have been alienated by North Shore, are the first ones to show Cady the ropes of high
school, and tell her about the different social cliques, especially the well- known Plastics. To
their surprise, the queen herself, Regina George, and her sidekicks decide to take Cady under
their wing. This situation presents a perfect opportunity for Janis to get some revenge on Regina
for previous events, and fuel the girl-on-girl crime. Together, Janis and Damian use Cady to
develop of plan of attack in order to ruin Reginas reign. The three strategies that they devise in
order to end her popularity include ruining her perfect body look, forcing her sidekicks to turn
their backs against her, and ending her relationship. Once they have accomplished all of these

tasks, Regina slowly loses her crown, while Cady all of a sudden assumes the Queen Bee
position. From this moment on, the girl-on-girl crime occurs between Cady and Regina as they
duke it out for this ultimate identity. This passive-aggressive takedown all of a sudden turns into
an all- out war that in turn affects
the whole female population within
the school (Elan). Tina and Mark
portray this situation as a scene
straight out of Africa, where the
girls act like complete animals and
fight to the death in order to keep
their name and social status safe. As
the movie progresses, the girls relax
and finally realize that creating
drama, rumors, and gossip will not
improve ones social status. Cady also discovers that going with the crowd and being the Queen
bee is not as rewarding as she had envisioned, and returns to her laid back and nerd embracing
self as the movie reaches an end. Fey was
able to develop a storyline that presented a
message to its audience about the girl-on-girl
crime, as well as its consequences, that
originated within the halls of North Shore
High.
Pathos
Tina Fey, along with the directors
and actors, want to connect the movie with their viewers by placing them in a particular mindset.
They want to bring the audience into the halls of a typical high school, and live in the shoes of
this teenage girl, Cady, as she embarks on a new and challenging experience. By using particular
advertisement, colors, stereotypes, dialogue, key scenes, all accompanied by genre enhancing
music, the filmmakers of Mean Girls are able to transport their viewers to North Shore High. The
prominent advertising image that the director portrays on the cover of the DVD foreshadows the
major issue involving Cady and the Plastics. It displays the popular side of Cady, enlarged,
glaring back at the Plastics, who represent the devil resting on her shoulder, watching her every
move. The look of disgust that Cady displays on her face shows how unhappy she has become
after being crowned the Queen Bee, and how she resents worrying about her social status in
high school, and following in the Plastics footsteps. The filmmakers also emphasize the color
pink throughout the movie. They chose this color because it is associated with girls, and
represents the girl-on-girl crime that takes place in the movie. A majority of the advertising for
this film involves the color pink, which represents the Plastics in the previews, and on the DVD
cover. One of the most well- known and adopted phrases by the public after watching the movie
is, On Wednesdays we wear pink. The phrase has become an icon of the movie, and the color

pink hints about the girl dominance to its viewers. The high school aspect in this movie is
introduced to the audience through the music, dialogue, and different social classes. Throughout
the movie, the producers chose background music that intrigued teenagers in the early 2000s,
including the songs, Dancing with Myself, Milkshake, as well as One Way or Another
(Original). This type of music purposefully puts the audience in the mindset of a typical high
schooler of that decade.
The unique style of
dialogue expressed in the
movie also indicates a
prominent use of teenage
vocabulary and slang. One of
the main examples that support
this claim is the fact that
throughout the movie,
Gretchen tries to make the
word fetch the new thing to
say. She tries to make this lingo
become the current thing to say by the whole school, but unfortunately Reginas power and
contradictive opinion forces this to not happen. The whole concept of the popularity contest is
first presented to Cady when Damian and Janis show her around during her first week of school.
One of the first things she encounters
are
the various cliques, and their
specifically assigned lunch tables in the
cafeteria. This reminds the audience
how exclusive teenagers in high school
can be, as well as how hard it is being
the
new kid and trying to find a place to fit
in
amongst the jocks, nerds,
underachievers, and the Plastics.
Speaking of the Plastics, the
filmmakers portray them as the ultimate
competition at North Shore High, who
every girl admires. By creating the
concept of the new and sheltered girl Cady, alongside the conceited Plastics, Tina tries to make a
connection with the female audience. She emphasizes the struggle of always comparing yourself
to another girl, and not accepting who you are as an individual. In the movie, Cady gets caught
up in this problem as she changes from the cute and innocent math girl, into this fake and
arrogant teenager over the course of the movie. The idea that Cady fell into this trap of
popularity, corresponds to how real teenagers spend too much time trying to be popular. At some

point they need to realize that once high school ends, and people step into the real world, no one
cares about an individuals popularity status.
Ethos
The directors and writers of this movie knew from the very beginning that in order to
make this a success, they would have to entice their audience through universal advertising, and
a relatable storyline with familiar faces. The production company responsible for bringing Tina
Feys comical script
to life is Paramount
Studios. The iconic
logo of the sky high
mountain
surrounded by a ring
of stars, has
appeared on multiple
movie previews for many years. Before the debut of Mean Girls, Paramount Pictures was also
responsible for the productions of other famous films that viewers enjoyed such as Forrest
Gump, The Godfather, and Titanic (Movies). Though the genres vary with these movies, the
same creative people were the brains behind the whole operation. However, Tina Fey is the one
responsible for creating this unforgettable storyline, based on the book about the typical high
school experience, Queen Bees and Wannabees:
Helping Your Daughter Survive Cliques, Gossip,
Boyfriends, and Other Relatives of Adolescence.
By developing a scenario based around the high
school experience, Fey was able to give her
audience the opportunity to connect and compare
their real life
experiences with
the ones
presented in the
movie. This ranges from the way media influences teenager
decisions, all the way to the inevitable girl drama. The directors
of this film decided to choose two of the most well- known
actresses, Lindsay Lohan and Rachel McAdams, to star in this
girl-on-girl crime. Combining Lohans and McAdams skills and
accomplishments from previous movies, serves as a reliable and
consistent source for viewer entertainment. Advertising the faces
of these movie stars on billboards and commercials grabs the
attention of previous fans, and encourages them to view yet
another piece of their promising work. All together the

collaborators of this movie thought of multiple ways to entice their audience, and present a
credible source in the movie industry.
Analysis Summary
Mean Girls will forever remain an iconic early 21st century movie known for its witty
and sarcastic phrases, humorous and unexpected plot twists, and the cast that paraded throughout
the various scenes. Other than having big time actresses such as Tina Fey, Rachel McAdams, and
Lindsay Lohan, this movie has drama trailed through the scenes providing an interesting
attention getter that focuses on popular social topics such as in school bullying, the popularity
contest, as well as how the media influences teenagers. The focal point of this movie surrounds
the typical high school experience involving the consequences and lessons learned from a girlon-girl crime between the main characters. The scenarios portrayed are aimed at getting the
attention of the audience's laughter, as well as relating them to their own high school encounters.
Whether it was because of the girl on girl crime advertised, or the underlying meaning behind
the storyline, Paramount Pictures was able to deliver and give the young female and male adult
population the entertainment they demand.

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