The Evolution of Mean Girls
Get in, loser. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re exploring the evolution of “Mean Girls,” from book, to film, to musical, to movie musical.
Transcript
00:00 "Sit down. Seriously, sit down."
00:05 Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're exploring the evolution of Mean Girls,
00:10 from book to film to musical to movie musical.
00:13 "Don't look her in the eye!"
00:15 "You could be really hot if you changed, like, everything."
00:20 Queen Bees and Wannabes
00:22 Mean Girls is such an iconic film that people are often surprised to learn
00:26 that it's based on a book.
00:28 It's more, a non-fiction book that only vaguely resembles the film.
00:32 "You let it out, honey. Put it in the book."
00:38 Author Rosalind Wiseman spent nearly ten years working with thousands of girls
00:42 who opened up about their sexuality, cliques, insecurities, and other issues.
00:47 Wiseman also found that many parents struggled to understand
00:49 what their daughters were going through.
00:51 "Oh, it's a rite of passage. It's no big deal.
00:52 You know, people treating you like dirt every day.
00:54 It's not a big deal. Don't worry about it.
00:55 You'll get through it. You'll be fine. No problem.
00:58 You won't even remember.
00:59 Well, the problem is that it actually is a big deal,
01:02 because it teaches you really important things."
01:05 This inspired Wiseman to write a book to help parents and teenage girls
01:08 navigate through the realities of adolescence.
01:10 Published in 2002, Queen Bees and Wannabes caught the attention
01:14 of several individuals who expressed interest in the movie rites,
01:17 including Tina Fey.
01:19 She brought the project to Lorne Michaels,
01:21 who convinced Paramount to buy the rights.
01:23 "There was never any point at which we thought it wasn't going to be a comedy.
01:26 It's a very rich subject matter, and I think there was more and more talk
01:30 about this subject, and so it seemed very much in the air,
01:33 and also I knew that she'd have a smart take on it."
01:36 Homeschooled.
01:37 Fey took it upon herself to adapt the book to film.
01:40 Given its nonfiction nature, though,
01:42 Fey would have to expand the material drastically.
01:44 "I really sat down and read Rosalind's book, and I'm like,
01:46 'Ah, this is nonfiction, non-narrative book.
01:49 There's no story in this book.'"
01:51 Where parents were the target demographic for Wiseman's book,
01:54 Fey's screenplay was told from a teenager's perspective.
01:57 Protagonist Katie would get her name from Katie Gary,
02:00 Fey's college roommate.
02:01 Damien was based on Fey's high school friend Damien Holbrook.
02:04 Janice was a compilation of different people, including Fey,
02:08 although her name derived from singer Janice Ian,
02:10 who performed on the SNL pilot.
02:12 Ian's "At 17" was appropriately worked into the film.
02:16 "We all play the game,
02:19 and when we dare to cheat ourselves,
02:23 it's solitary."
02:25 Fey even borrowed the name Glen Coco from real life,
02:28 remembering a friend of her brother's.
02:30 Beyond the characters, the film's plot and one-liners
02:32 largely stemmed from Fey.
02:34 "Fall for you, Glen Coco.
02:36 You go, Glen Coco."
02:38 Reading Queen Bees and Wannabes,
02:39 you'll find familiar phrases like "girl world."
02:42 Wiseman's book also explores several concepts in Fey's script,
02:45 such as girls dressing sexy on Halloween.
02:47 "What are you?"
02:49 "I'm a mouse.
02:50 Duh."
02:51 Yet you won't find any references to cheese fries,
02:56 burn books, or Jingle Bell Rock in the book.
02:58 Even "fetch," arguably the film's most famous line,
03:01 came from Fey, who discovered the word
03:03 while talking with neighborhood teens.
03:05 "What is fetch?"
03:06 "Oh, it's like slang from England."
03:09 Wiseman inspired Fey in other ways.
03:11 While hanging out, Wiseman compared young people
03:13 to animals at a watering hole.
03:15 To Wiseman's surprise, Fey included this in her screenplay.
03:19 Mrs. Norbury, played by Fey, could be seen as a surrogate for Wiseman,
03:23 who has conducted similar self-esteem workshops for girls.
03:27 Wiseman doesn't do dress twirls, however.
03:28 "Oh my God.
03:29 Oh geez.
03:30 Okay, walk it off.
03:31 Walk it off."
03:32 "Okay.
03:33 Is that alright?"
03:34 "They're okay."
03:36 While Wiseman's book provided the basis,
03:39 the film would be vastly different.
03:41 As such, the movie received a new title,
03:44 "Homeschooled," which was later changed to "Mean Girls."
03:47 "Shut up.
03:48 I didn't say anything."
03:52 "Homeschooled.
03:53 That's really interesting."
03:55 Discussing the film ten years after its release,
03:58 Wiseman said, quote, "I wouldn't change anything,"
04:00 praising Fey as a collaborator.
04:02 In 2023, though, Wiseman said that she contemplated
04:05 pursuing legal action against Fey and Paramount.
04:07 "We often have people in positions of respect
04:10 who use that position of respect and the authority they get
04:14 because of the position to take away the power of other people."
04:17 Wiseman received $400,000 for the movie rights
04:20 along with net profits from the film.
04:22 However, Mean Girls exploded in popularity,
04:26 having a life well beyond the 2004 picture.
04:28 In addition to receiving a made-for-television sequel
04:31 that only Tim Meadows returned for,
04:33 the film inspired a Broadway musical.
04:36 According to Wiseman, her name was credited in the playbill,
04:39 but quote, "there was no payment."
04:41 "I'm not being superficial.
04:42 I'm not being, this is not a silly thing that's happening
04:45 that I'm being ousted out of.
04:47 My dignity is being, someone's trying to take away my dignity,
04:51 my essential worth, and that is not okay."
04:53 Get in, loser, we're going to Broadway.
04:56 Fey further solidified herself as the face of Mean Girls
04:59 with its 2017 stage musical adaptation,
05:02 returning to scribe the book.
05:03 "Guys, isn't this so fun?
05:05 Clearly, they're just super excited."
05:09 The music would be written by Fey's husband, Jeff Richmond,
05:12 while Nell Benjamin of the Legally Blonde musical
05:14 contributed the lyrics.
05:15 The Mean Girls musical follows virtually the same plot
05:18 as the 2004 film, but with a few updates.
05:21 The narrator role shifts from Katie to Janice and Damien.
05:24 "We're not exactly joiners, but we'll be good friends to you."
05:30 Problematic subplots, such as Coach Carr's relationship
05:33 with underage girls, are inevitably cut.
05:36 Most notably, the technology is brought into the social media era,
05:39 trading in landline phones for smartphones.
05:41 "Exploding confetti emoji, happy face emoji,
05:45 Canadian flag emoji, send."
05:48 "Why the Canadian flag?"
05:51 "Side eye emoji."
05:53 Honestly, even in 2004, you'd think that the plastics
05:56 would be exclusively communicating through cell phones.
05:59 Technology aside, little about the 2004 film is dated.
06:03 With the addition of songs and a longer runtime, though,
06:06 the musical was able to delve deeper into certain characters.
06:09 Gretchen's self-esteem is explored through songs
06:12 like "What's Wrong With Me."
06:13 Karen is given more wit while still being dim.
06:16 "My name is Karen, I may not be smart."
06:22 "That's it."
06:23 "Thanks, Karen."
06:24 The musical restores a deleted scene from the film,
06:27 where Katie and Regina reconcile in the bathroom at the Spring Fling.
06:30 The scene helps to humanize Regina, providing the closure
06:33 between her and Katie that always felt like it was missing before.
06:36 "I feel like it's all my fault."
06:37 "Stop trying to make this about you, I'm the one that got hit by the bus."
06:41 "Well, I'm sorry about all the other stuff, too."
06:44 "Okay, I'm going to forgive you, because I'm a very zen person,
06:50 and I'm also on a lot of pain medication right now."
06:54 Where most musicals based on movies are DOA,
06:57 Mean Girls captured the spirit of its predecessor
06:59 while elevating the material in some respects,
07:01 receiving 12 Tony nominations.
07:04 Would the trek back to film be as successful, though?
07:07 "I can do it."
07:09 "Okay, let's rock this bitch."
07:11 Back to school.
07:13 Coinciding with the original film's 20th anniversary,
07:16 the stage musical got the cinematic treatment in 2024.
07:19 The filmmakers strive to find a balance between the stage show
07:22 and the 2004 movie.
07:23 "This is its own thing, its own comedy, and its own tone."
07:29 Trimming down the runtime, 14 songs were removed,
07:33 with "What Ifs" being written as a replacement for "It Roars."
07:36 Faye and Meadows reprise their roles,
07:38 the theater fans will recognize a few other faces.
07:41 Ashley Park, who originated the role of Gretchen on Broadway,
07:45 appears as a French teacher.
07:47 Renee Rapp, who took over as Regina on Broadway,
07:50 once again reigns as the Queen Bee.
07:52 It's the newcomers who inject this Mean Girls with a fresh voice, however.
07:56 "You really feel everything through what she's expressing."
07:59 "You're really going to get noticed around here."
08:01 Reflecting the changing times,
08:03 the cast is more diverse, with Ali'i Cravalho of Moana as Janice,
08:07 Tony winner Jaquel Spivey as Damian,
08:09 and dancer Avantika Vandenappu as Karen.
08:12 It goes to show that anyone can be these characters,
08:15 regardless of race and ethnicity.
08:17 Of course, Katie remains an American white girl from Africa,
08:20 this time played by N'Gauri Rice.
08:22 "I like your shirt."
08:23 "Thanks. It smells like sausage from the last time I wore it."
08:28 Directors Samantha Jane and Arturo Perez Jr.
08:31 are also able to play with social media in ways that the stage show couldn't,
08:35 presenting multiple scenes through an iPhone lens.
08:38 As for the narrative, those who know this story like the back of their hand
08:41 won't find many surprises, but there are some additions.
08:45 "New joke."
08:45 "I can't even see it."
08:48 "Like a face breast."
08:49 Ms. Herron is now a single mom, played by Jenna Fisher.
08:53 We're just going to assume Katie's father looked like John Krasinski
08:56 and that he sacrificed himself to save his daughter from noise-sensitive aliens.
08:59 Janice is a loud and proud lesbian,
09:02 which adds another layer to the song "I'd Rather Be Me."
09:05 "I'd rather be me, I'd rather be me than be with you."
09:10 Ms. Norbury and Principal Duval Shippers will be delighted to learn
09:15 that they're in a committed relationship.
09:17 The movie musical otherwise doesn't stray too far
09:20 from the mean girls we know and love.
09:22 At this point, though, why change perfection?
09:24 "You look awesome."
09:28 "I know, right?"
09:29 Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel
09:32 and ring the bell to get notified about our latest videos.
09:36 You have the option to be notified for occasional videos or all of them.
09:40 If you're on your phone, make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications.
09:45 Forever Fetch
09:46 When Mean Girls came out in 2004, it was a solid financial and critical success,
09:52 but few are describing it as perfect.
09:54 Maybe that's because no film can be considered perfect from the get-go.
09:58 "My hairline is so weird."
09:59 "My pores are huge."
10:01 "My nail beds suck."
10:02 "I have really bad breath in the morning."
10:07 The best movies aren't always the ones that top the box office or win big at the Oscars.
10:12 Endurance is the true mark of Artsworth,
10:15 and few films from 2004 have dominated pop culture like Mean Girls.
10:19 "If the limit never approaches anything, the limit does not exist.
10:22 The limit does not exist!"
10:25 Even the most quotable movies usually only have a handful of memorable lines.
10:29 With Mean Girls, we could make a top 20 list of lines we still use in everyday conversations.
10:35 One line, October 3rd, would be dubbed "Mean Girls Day" with fans naturally wearing pink.
10:40 "Okay, that was so fetch."
10:43 It isn't just the dialogue that holds up, it's how the film depicts high school.
10:47 Technology and certain cliques may change,
10:50 but the insecurities and social dynamics that Wiseman discussed in her book remain the same.
10:55 "Why was it so important to have a boyfriend, no matter how he treated you?
10:58 Why was it so important to put up with your friends, no matter how badly they treated you?
11:01 Was there a connection between the two?"
11:03 Faye captured those themes with a mix of honesty and humor,
11:06 speaking to multiple generations over the past two decades.
11:09 Other films have tried to replicate the success of Mean Girls,
11:12 but they're all wannabes compared to the Queen Bee.
11:15 "She doesn't even go here!"
11:16 "Do you even go to this school?"
11:19 "No, I just have a lot of feelings."
11:24 "Okay, go home."
11:25 While the material has evolved across film, stage, and film again,
11:30 Mean Girls is truly a testament to how little the teenage experience has changed.
11:34 Be it 2004 or 2024, there will always be high school royalty,
11:39 artsy outsiders, and people trying to make fetch happen.
11:43 "Gretchen, stop trying to make fetch happen. It's not going to happen."
11:47 How has Mean Girls shaped your adolescence and adulthood?
11:50 Leave us a gruel comment below.
11:52 "I don't send them, I just get them. So, you better send me one, Biatch. Love ya."
11:57 Do you agree with our picks? Check out this other recent clip from Ms. Mojo.
12:03 And be sure to subscribe and ring the bell to be notified about our latest videos.
12:08 [outro music]