In Paramount Picture’s movie Mean Girls, released in 2004, gender and sexuality play a big role. In the movie, sexuality is most often seen in a main character, Damian, who is gay. Also, it can be seen in Janis, who is rumored to be a lesbian. Both Janice and Damian are outcasts at their school because of their sexual orientations.
Regina George, “queen bee” of the high school, tells Cady not to hang out with Janice because she believes she is a lesbian. Cady then begins to hide her friendship with Janis in order to stay friends with Regina. The sexual orientations of both Janis and Damian are shown to viewers as “not normal” and make them to be social outcasts. No one wants to be friends with him or her because they are gay and lesbian. This gives viewers the belief that being gay/lesbian is not okay.
Along with sexuality being a big issue in the movie, gender and feminism is also greatly portrayed. Regina George is seen as the “queen bee” of the high school. Her friends are known as the “Plastics”, a group known as the most popular girls in school. Everyone wants to know Regina and her friends and be just like them. They are shown to be perfect. Their hair is always done, they have the best clothes, and the perfect boyfriends.
In the movie, there are many times that show girls trying to become friends with and be like Regina and the “Plastics”. For example, when Janis cuts and tries to sabotage Regina’s tank top, the rest of the girl’s in the school do the same thing the next day. Girls go on to say how if they saw Regina wearing something, they went out and bought it to wear the next day. This clip shows how the other girls at school saw Regina as being absolutely perfect.
This idea of Regina and the “Plastics” being immaculate and flawless shows young girls how they should want to look and act if they want to be popular. The ideas of sexuality and gender are wrongly portrayed to society in the movie Mean Girls.
I have seen this movie and agree with everything you focused on. Movies like this have made it seem like being gay/lesbian makes you an outcast towards everyone else, which isn't right in any sense. You also see the idea of perfection reflected in teenage girls of our time. They will do anything in their power to fit in with everyone, even if it means becoming friends with the wrong type of people. You struck on two very big ideas in our society and this movie did a very good job of portraying both.
ReplyDeleteI have also seen this movie and haven't thought about that way until I read your blog. I completely agree with what your saying. This movie does portray to society that you are not "normal" if you are gay/lesbian. it also portrays that being like someone else is better than being yourself if you want to be popular.
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