oh, I've seen and I have a lot of opinions! First, I think what makes musical versions of classic movies “acceptable” are the songs that carry the story. We already know the movie, we know exactly how things go, but the songs are the fresh air and it is through them that the same story is told. with Mean Girls they didn't care about telling the story through songs, but rather putting some musical moments and that's it. I felt that they wanted to make the movie a less musical as possible for those who don't like musicals.

22:37 claiming Regina isnt bright based on the idea that she misunderstood the word Lesbian with Lebanese isnt accurate. Thats a fan theory. She didnt like the fact that Janis was in her mind smoothing her. So the conclusion is that hey youre obsessed with me so might just be a lesbian.

I've seen the musical and both movies. In my opinion, the original movie does it the best. I love the musical, but I think that it has many flaws, and the movie musical enhanced many of those flaws. This franchise is so camp, and Tina Fey understood the assignment with the first one. I think that Tina really likes musicals but doing them kind of eludes her. I'm not saying anything bad about Tina Fey, don't get me wrong, she's FRICKEN BRILLIANT and I'm such a fan. As I was saying, the original movie knows that it's camp and leans into it, and that's why we love it so much. The Broadway musical tried to lean into the camp factor, and kinda failed in that regard, it came across as melodramatic camp. The musical is packed full of songs, and it is truly an *adaptation* of the 2004 movie. The 2024 "movie musical" was a remake of the original with a few songs tossed in here and there. I had so much fun seeing the movie, and I thought there were some baller performances and one liners. The 2024 version cut so many songs from the Broadway musical. There were a total of 21 songs in the musical (onstage), and there were 11 songs (not counting the ones that were written specifically for the movie musical). The lack of material made the point of the movie seem paper thin. I'm going to end this comment by saying that I love all the versions of this franchise. There are some things that I found underwhelming about some iterations, but the immense love and respect I have for them outweighs the critiques by 10 fold

@@mlw9195 Thank you MLW. I was just going to mention that. I've watched a bunch of these Mean Girls 2024 reviews, and I can't believe how many of them think that Regina got lesbian and Lebanese mixed up. That happened in an episode of the TV-show The Golden Girls, NOT in Mean Girls 2004. It's a fan-theory that doesn't make any sense because we don't even know that Regina knew that Janis was Lebanese. It's not in the original script, deleted scenes, or anywhere. All we know is that Kevin G found out at the end.

It feels like this movie is embarrassed that it’s a musical. They always try to cater to those who hate musicals and it’s so frustrating :(

Nah, even tho OG Regina is young, she knew what the difference between expensive and trying to look expensive was, she would choose the former, here, it's all so cheap looking.

​@@Momofan69so you agree

@@Momofan69Lmfao the Momo with sapphire makeup werqqq

i can see what they were trying to do for the costume design for this, and the direction they wanted to go with for this regina, but i also see the other side. i haven’t seen the movie, but i think it would be cool if it was a truly modernized version and that would change the way the platixs acted and looked and how caddy and janice acted and looked and had their rises and fall. the way teenage girls and society act and think has changed a lot since the 2000s and i think it would be cool to see how that in a new mean girls. i also just think rene is so hot and that maybe why i like her costume design

Regina never wears a suit. When she meets Cady, she's wearing a sweater over a button-up blouse, which almost looks like a private school uniform.

They’d be in the “desperate wannabes” clique in the original

@@caitlingill truee

I had a weird dream were all the “popular” girls in certain movies fighting over a lunch table . The heathers The 2004 plastics And the modern day plastics, I don’t remember much of the details but I know that the modern plastics got called tryhards Regina (2024) started fighting and the others ran off crying, cut to the blue heather (I forgot her name) and both Cadies were just watching . Occasionally insulting all of them

@@michellethompson2693 "The blue Heather" ....Veronica?

@@michellethompson2693 😭😭i'd kill to witness that

That honestly seems to be the case with a lot of remakes these days. They don't bother with the subtext and characterization that was so integral to the source material because they expect you to have already seen the original and to just fill in the blanks yourself.

In their defense, what the hell is one doing watching the musical version without 1st watching the og? I personally think that the real flaw is them simply marketing it halfway as a musical instead of as a full on parody/musical. I personally never watched either musical but if they wanted to use the music to fill in all the blanks, then they have that right.

On the plastics dynamics: they cut most of the song meet the plastics which has verses on Gretchen and Karen’s personalities or their dynamic. In the movie they only did Regina’s verse probably cause it’s reprised in world burn.

@@cavalrystyles8776 They have that right; it doesn't make it good though. Having a right doesn't mean a thing really. People watched Lindsay Lohan's Parent Trap without watching the original. People watched 2003 Freaky Friday without watching the original. It's possible to watch the musical version without watching the OG. But you can only make a classic memorable fresh-feeling remake if you approach it as if you've never seen the original, but enjoy the concept.

Regina wasn't mean enough, I agree. She was mean to her friends but it didn't show her as queen bee.

this is why they should've committed adapting the broadway musical route if they really want a musical movie (a lot of nuances were erased whis was disappointing)

Maybe in a few months? sometimes when it's fresh and all the promo and commentary is out it can be hard, but I do think it's worth watching

@finchthebird No, I'm just not interested enough. Tbh, I'll probably forget this movie even is a thing in few weeks 😅 I rather watch something else or read something else. Or rewatch the original. I just don't have time to watch mediocre media I don't think I'll even enjoy. That's why reviews are so useful.

you mean the directors, right? because the creator/writer of the movie wrote all three versions of Mean Girls

​@@enie6359lol you'll watch at least a 30min review of a movie you're already not into but not just the actual

Unrealistic is a weird critique. How many high schools actually have a group of hot mean girls running the place like that vs just a random clique that thinks they run it?

@@violett874They mean that it's unrealistic within the laws of the Mean Girls universe, because it defeats the point.

this is soooo true

@@moonsigilI was just about to say the same thing. It seems the fool above you isn’t the only person trying to force this musical to be better than and out due the original when it’s clearly not. If it was why be under a video that’s critical than uplifting?

​@@violett874It's not about whether they actually ruled the school. For me it was always about what it FELT like to people who were actually living through high school. Those popular cliques did feel like they ruled the school and they did seem like celebrities. That's why the movie was so relatable.

@@Ks-101 no?? I’m just annoyed about the one thing? The movie called her a dyke, and the problem was she wasn’t lesbian but Lebanese. The musical changed it to *space dyke*, but despite Barrett saying she played Janis as a lesbian, Janis’ sexuality is not explicitly confirmed or acknowledged within the show itself. Even though I personally agree with her interpretation, if someone asked me if OBC!Janis was gay, I wouldn’t be able to give a definitive answer. This 2024 movie musical has Janis as explicitly queer, so not only is all the power taken away from Regina calling her a lesbian at all, but this Janis can reclaim the specific word they’ve been using this whole time. And they didn’t let her do it. Now she’s a “pyro lez,” with more emphasis on the former than the latter. They changed it so not only does she not do it but now there’s no need. Why didn’t 2018 musical do that in the first place then? It’s not like they had to worry about messing with a rhyme scheme. That’s all.

@@Ks-101 seeing as the comment I made won’t show up (I think I know why) I’ll just reiterate: *no*. I don’t know where you got that impression but the only thing I was annoyed with was what I said in the second paragraph. The first paragraph was an analysis expanding on a comment that was touched upon in the video. That’s all.

⁠@@Ks-101 it is a musical remake of the original movie whether you like it or not. They literally copy everything from the original movie, from set to costumes.

i agree soooo much, as a lesbian who had mean rumours about my sexuality in school... making janis a lesbian with the original rumour backstory would be such a good way to reclaim that experience and 1) show a very realistic form of homophobia in these feminine middle/high school spaces 2) actually allow a lesbian character to reclaim and deal with that experience, instead of just making it about how straight girls are ashamed of even being associated with lesbianness

@@Carolina-wz2qo exactly! Well said! Like on the one hand, I’m glad Janis is canonically gay and it’s no longer an issue in and of itself. Times change, and it’s for the better. But on the other, I wish they didn’t erase such an important part of her history. Being a lesbian or not wasn’t what made Janis *Janis*, it was her rage. Without it, she’s no longer a Mean Girl. Which goes against the entire point of the OG movie: that *anyone* can be a mean girl. Edit: KZfaq just deleted like... a majority of my comment :/ ugh

I love that song, but I feel like it would’ve made so much more sense to have Gretchen sing it. She spends the entire time trying to be a carbon copy of Regina to win her approval only to fail spectacularly every single time. If she sang this song and decided to just be herself and start acting completely differently, I feel like it would’ve made a lot more sense

LITERALLY.

I've never even thought about that, but that's actually kind of genius.

@@christalcavanaugh I always thought katy should've sung I'd rather be me- but only in the sense when she said "I'm sick of your rules and games, I'd rather sit alone." like Janice has IAN its Katy who has to deal with the eventual fallout when it blows up in her face and in the OG movie it's HER who sits alone in the bathroom.

The original relationship with Janis and Regina was also a classic example of the real life scenario when one girl in a duo grown up faster than the other at about 13 years old and cares more about being cool than being decent. The new story seems farfetched. True there are different attitudes towards homosexuality 20 years later, but they could have tweaked the rumour without deviating from the story.

aw man that fucking sucks! hope they don’t continue that bc this movie moved WAYYY too fast! and this is coming from a person who has a very short attention span!

The pacing is fast because its a musical where half the movie is a song. So you have to give exposition and still tell a story while also having catchy tunes. So based of this alone, the pacing was going to be lightning faster than the original unless they made the movie 3 hours.

@@NinteddyRose but it's the same with most teen media curently. Not just musicals. Also there are plenty of musicals with good pacing out there

Trying to capture trends instead of the generation in general is a huge issue There's really no pop culture references in the og Most pop culture references date so badly so fast

@@MylingCyrus I don't think that's entirely fair. Pop culture refferencing and dating a piece is only bad when it supports bad jokes. Setting a piece in a particular time frame is a way to crystalize the era it was created for the future. The good, the bad and the ugly. Also og Gossip Girl is full of pop culture, history and literature refferences and it still is one of the best teen media to ever exist... regardles ofplot holes and other things. The issue, to me at least, is failing to grasp the timing for things, when to do it and how far you go. The parts simply don't conect in the right way

It's not a sequel nor a reboot, it's a movie adaptation or the Mean Girls: THE MUSICAL.

@@JG-dw6eomajority of it is a nod to the original movie

As someone working in HW, let me tell you it’s hard out here. They’re too scared to take a chance on original work m, especially from new/unestablished writers. 😒

yes!! i am so sick of this trend

At least pick up a bad movie and transforme it into something good smgdh lazy Hollywood.

YES! i wish they leaned more into active wear, everyone wears sweats and active wear to school, they couldve put regina and the plastics into some high end activewear set and put everyone else in pjs or sweat pants or comfy clothes. Thats wouldve been better than the shein, cheap, honestly ugly, outfits they put the girls in.

I thought her outfits were totally what a popular highschooler would wear, maybe we just went to different schools lol

same all the mean girls in my school are fully decked out in lululemon, aritzia, and other high end activewear brands. put her in some tiffany jewelry and a pink lulu zip up jacket- then she'd look like a gen z bully.

@@stargirlabi_111Great idea! They still could have leaned into Regina being a trendsetter like that too. Incorporate some balletcore or cutout workout wear.

No one dressed like the original movie in school either. Rarely do high schoolers in movie and show actually look/dress like actual high schoolers, usually

Yeah, especially if they expect us to pay money for it. If this was free, then you'd possibly have an argument not to take it seriously.

I love The Birdcage!! My fav movie😍

@@kendrickdinger Phenomenal movie. I want to rewatch it now. 😂

There was probably a lack of 20 year old fashion girlies in the costume crew

What's weird is that they nailed this look on Renee Rapp in The Sex Lives of College Girls. She basically was Regina George in the first few episodes of that

I honestly feel like the original movie portrayed the plastics with a sort of old money aesthetic, so I think it would've been a great choice to use the modern version of the trend when designing costumes for this new version. It feels like the movie was trying too hard to make the plastics seem normal, and instead they just ended up generic

​@@mossballroll lol were you even alive then? Old money girls were not wearing that back then.

​@@violett874I feel like Gretchen has kind of an old money feel to her look.

YES like for gretchen it would’ve made so much sense because she’s so obsessed with regina and it’s obvious. She wants to do everything for regina even at the cost of her own happiness. Karens feelings about Regina are never really candidly mentioned. I think a good twist could be Regina is straight, (cuz she is, dumba##) and Gretchen wants her but can’t have her and Regina is totally clueless

@@anastasia.noelleomgggg this would be so good

Both Gretchen and Karen would've made such good queer characters! Gretchen being a closeted lesbian, obsessed with Regina and intentionally going after Jason as the guy who can never like her back so that she never has to actually be in a relationship with him! Karen being poly and really owning her sexuality similarly to the original by happily flirting with everyone, regardless of gender! I also honestly don't know why they didn't make the reason Regina hates Janice that she thinks she's a lesbian? I know someone said it's cause homophobia isn't really around anymore, but... it is? That's still a totally realistic reason instead of the confused pyromaniac thing?

I got strong “Gretchen is in love with Regina but also deserves better” vibes

and they missed the whole joke about it

literally no they weren't, you just prefer them because they had the original cast.

@@DANIELGORMANNI’m saying this fr - these people are actually just salty. Like I 110% LOVED the commercials and binged every single one of them (they’re a cool nostalgia trip and worldbuild), but the new movie isn’t downright atrocious 😭 apart from the memes it’s a silly turn-off-your-brain movie to watch with your friends.

@@DANIELGORMANNyes they were why are you so upset.

@@DANIELGORMANN literally yes they were.

@@Ryanmichaelmac how

This!!

They had the same issue in mean girls 2. They introduce Regina as a bitch. Why would the protagonist be taken in by her when she is outright mean? Why would anyone seek her approval when she never gives it?

100% relational aggression is a huge deal in the Queen Bees book & OG film. Cady was smart enough in the OG film to quickly recognize how the rules of girl world/ teen human behavior operated compared to what she saw when observing the animals interacting in Africa. She admits "in girl world, fighting had to be sneaky" pretty early into the film. In the musical & musical adaptation, she seems rather dumb in everything other than math instead of a bright girl (with exceptional math skills) who is merely ignorant of high school dynamics in the US.

Idk, the backstory in the movie is already pretty brutal. It's still Regina outing Janis before she's ready but in a really horrible way and dragging out the bullying for months.

But why take it out? Because it’s a nasty reminder of reality? It happens every day in the news, even more with women teachers and male students (maybe not more but it certainly gets more attention when it’s this dynamic). The fact that audiences laughed was a way of holding a mirror up to people and reminding them that teenagers still need guidance, because there are predatory adults even in environments that are supposed to be safe. It’s subversively thought provoking imo. Things shouldn’t be removed because they are ugly and realistic. If it was ugly and totally unbelievable I’d agree.

@@BB-ed4omgood point, i agree

@@BB-ed4om​​⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠ I’m sure they took it out because 1) the teacher/underage students thing was mostly a joke and 2) the students were written as Asian stereotypes. It was probably easier to just not touch that plot for the ‘24 version, especially in a post-MeToo world and with a cast that now has AAPI actors in lead roles. That said, in the ‘04 version the Plastics write about Coach Carr being with the Cool Asians in the Burn Book, and after that rumor was proven to be true post-Book Reveal, THAT’S when they investigate Ms. Norbury for the rumor that Cady wrote, which leads to Cady owning up to her mistakes. In the ‘24 version, that plot was removed and wasn’t… replaced with anything? So Ms. Norbury being investigated feels kinda random? And that (along with the removal of her voiceover) kinda cheapens Cady’s moment of growth. It’s kind of similar to a lot of the other changes to “update” the plot, where instead of being clever and actually subversive and thought-provoking they opted to either something watered down or just not addressing it and hoping no one notices. Like Janis not being ostracized for being (seemingly) gay, or the Plastics not being as mean or fashionably intimidating, or the characters not going to the mall. It’s more respectful and “realistic”, but since they don’t add anything to fill those pieces it feels smaller and watered down??? Not saying that Mean Girls 2024 needed the same problematic stuff as the ‘04 one, but since it didn’t do anything interesting with it (like Coach Carr just being there to say his abstinence joke) the movie feels empty. Hell, even an actual moment where they pause the goofiness and singing to seriously address the Coach Carr issue with care and sincerity for the young people watching would’ve, I don’t know, be SOMETHING memorable.

I have to wonder if anyone asked Sadie Sink because she would’ve been a great Cady

@@treefish008don’t think they asked anyone with red hair cause they seem to really wanted to make that dumb “firecrotch” joke about lindsay

@@treefish008 yes I would have loved her too

@@miraza.that really pissed me off. how are you gunna hate on lindsay in a movie partly based on the movie that SHE MADE. Lohan in 2004 was the reason people went and saw it and was the heart of the movie. Mean girls 2004 was had star power from all the cast. This one not so much. Maybe 1/2 the cast.

Sabrina would have been sooooo good

100% this. Cady single-handedly saved the performance by turning a lame dance number they'd seen a hundred times already into an accapella cover that got everyone reinvested after witnessing the routine implode. She proved her value to the group and justified why Regina should both keep her around AND keep an eye on her. She is popular now. She's even more of a threat. But instead of that, we get someone who lingered in the background just being praised for doing absolutely nothing and stumbling her way to the top.

This is a thing that is a direct result of following the Broadway version too closely. In live theater, the actor's voices tell the story. While, in film you see the story happen. This convention is a basic rule when it comes to storytelling within these mediums, so I have no idea what happened here.

Regina *should* be cancelable. I don't know what utopia people live in, but this past year I worked with a lot of Gen-Zers, and they openly say some of the most controversial stuff I've ever heard, and I'm from a time when all the -isms and the -phobias were the norm. I agree with everything you said, btw. I'm just tired of this narrative of "this character who's supposed to be an absolute f*ing a*hole said something politically incorrect!!!1" like, yes? that's the point?? Sociopaths don't care about anyone's feelings?? Also, let's face it, the reason why this movie doesn't address the toxic femininity of the first, is because it doesn't pander to the current narrative of men and the patriarchy being responsible for everything that's wrong with the world, another trope that's becoming exhausting.

@miaferrari958 ya the whole conversation in the bathroom was unnecessary when she brought up "what'd I be called if I was a man" lol but good thing it was a joke But still confused

​@@jessicanoelle2012jp The worst part is in the musical, the line actually makes sense. The issue is Tina Fey decided to cut any trace of slut shaming from the girls (which completely kills the message of the first movie which was don't slut shame women because it encourages men to do it, too, but I digress) and the line was supposed to be a dig at how women get called bitches for being strong and men just get called by their first names. BUT because the context was neutered, the line doesn't hit the way it should.

The fact is people are still homophobic nowadays. They are especially Transphobic. And no one gets canceled. Look at Dave Chapelle. Regina could have made a lie about Janis looking at and touching girls in the locker room inappropriately. Not only would homophobes use that to justify their homophobia but they would also use it to ostracize Janis "correctly" if she did actually touch a girl in the locker room (just not inappropriately). And people are still fatphobic. Look at how they treat Lizzo. And to be honest, the most popular Tik Tok stars are White, pretty, and skinny, girls that can pull off crop tops. People haven't changed, they just parrot modern talking points while subconsciously following tradition.

i think she couldve totally been done like do revenge did it, she couldve been very problematic, and made a public apology with some performative bullshit, not unlike what real people do nowadays

i swear u see i see you everywhere on all my favorite videos lol

agree! I truly wonder why they made this casting decision. while Angourie is so sweet, Cady needs a voice as strong as her character. at least we have Renee

I love how you're everywhere I am Trinaq

@@All-ze9cl you're Trinaq?

​​@@eyeromniumyou need to add a comma in your interpretation of the comment above "where I am **,** Trinaq"

Ikr? They looked the same, especially in the Jingle Bell scene.

Cady never had a big glow up. She wore basically the same thing the entire movie. She wore a different dress at her party, but that was pretty much it. There wasn’t the popular scene of her being one of the plastics coming down the hall dressed just like them and falling into a trashcan. Even when she wears the heels Regina gave her she was wearing them with jeans and a flannel.

yessss this💯

Yeah, I keep hearing reviews that say she was their favorite part but I don’t get it. I haven’t seen her in anything else so I don’t know how she is overall as an actress but she really over acted this part and it was not believable at all.

Right? Like the original Karen was stupid but like… subtly. You really wouldn’t know she was stupid until she opened her mouth. This Karen is all around weird. Vacant gazes, mouth agape nearly all the time…

screaming at this

Yessss I tried so hard not to think it poor girl 😂

Oh my god 😂 Now that I’m looking back at it, that’s so true

Her acting style in this movie was very much reminding me of Disney channel or riverdale

I thought she reminded me of someone 😅

They don’t even look like regular high schools. Everything Regina wears makes her look older, but what was that pink body suit thing? She looks too grown.

YES THAT IRRITATED ME SO MUCH

@@lunastein9351 ITS TOO ICONIC TO CHANGE

There were a few lines I understood why they changed them, but some of them completely baffled me like this one!

It felt so unnecessary to change too!! I just imagine a bunch of writers sitting around and hacking away at the lyrics for no reason. That line being changed did nothing??? Why change jt???

agreed!

totally agree!

I agree, I didn’t like her portrayal of Karen. Her performance felt more like a skit on an episode of Ru Paul’s Drag Race than a character I could see genuinely existing in a high school. In fact, a better version of Karen would be a girl who pretends to be stupid for attention instead of a girl who is actually stupid (that’s realistic!)

Agreed

Yes!!! I’m dumbfounded by the praise for this version of Karen - she literally acted brain dead and that thing she kept doing with her eyes was so aggravating.

I completely agree! The musical made small tweaks to update the original for a new generation, but the movie musical feels like they tried so hard to appeal to gen z that they lost the OG cult following and those experiencing mean girls for the 1st time

i mostly wish we could’ve gotten a pro-shot :/

@@lustforlimerence yess omg we deserved one at the bare minimum

they didnt include Whose House Is This? and im still mad about it

I’m in the (what i’m learning is unpopular) camp of liking the musical better than the original. I thought that it actually improved on a lot of the critiques i had of the original film and i loved that the songs added to each of the characters and gave them more depth. It was able to hold its own as a musical while still clearly being a love letter to the film. The MOVIE MUSICAL was so disappointing because it was the worst of the two. They took out the songs that made the musical so valuable and able to stand on its own. The movie musical lost not just music but the story that was told through that music, without any way to compensate. Which, as a fan of the musical is extra disappointing.

I enjoyed it but i can aknowledge that it's flwed. I dont think its nearly as bad as some people are making it out to be. I do think there are some narrative decisions that didnt work tho. I think that there was more that did work than didnt work so id say its a 7/10 movie overall. I thought it was a better musical adaptstion than heathers (despite heathers having a far better soundtrack) because it felt like it understood the characters and source material more.

You are absolutely right I am lazy and sometimes I don’t want to think about the media that I’m consuming I just wanna watch something with little to no substance sometimes and turn my brain off for a bit

@@carolbaskin1857 which like... is totally fine sometimes, I'm 100% with you, I just don't like when people use that as an excuse to not think about things ever. the way I consume some media is very different to how I consume others for sure.

they were desperate for him?? he barely did anything at all and he’s not ugly but he’s certainly not believable as the hottest guy in school

@@oatmilg Not sure how to respond, all I know is Chris Briney at first, turned down the role because he had to sing, so they changed it to accommodate him. That’s a fact.

​@@oatmilgtheres this joke I've seen that Gen Z doesnt have any hot actors that looks like the old Aaron 😂

How do you know this?

I’ll be honest I disagree with the Renee Rapp portion of this comment only because if you watch the sex lies of college girls, I think she was a perfect casting considering she was also in the musical on Broadway but I totally know what you mean about the other girl!

​@@Kalise1djust because somebody was the role on broadway and was in one good movie doesnt mean they'll be a good fit for the film adaptation. Stage acting is literally a WORLD of difference between screen acting, and some people will be shit in some roles and good in others.

@@Kalise1dRachel McAdams was one of the best actresses in the 2000s, starring in a plethora of movies and showing a range of character diversity. Trust me, although Rapp is well liked, she is nowhere near the level that McAdams was in the original.

@@xxxmaysilssss690y’all act like Rachel gave an Oscar winning performance 😭 she didn’t. Her and Renee just played two different Reginas. Renee has always played her with more of an edge and more queerness-esque to her.

@@nativenewyorker3144 are you serious? Rachel acted her ASS off as Regina, and you people are acting like Rapp’s performance was in any way close to McAdams’? Please. And I don’t care how Renee plays her on Broadway. That is an entirely different medium to acting that requires a much different skill set. She had absolutely no subtlety as Regina needed for screen and wanted to act more “edgy” than anything. That isn’t Regina. It misses the entire point of her character. McAdams was better by miles.

Yeah! And in the musical, Janis’ parents pulled her out of school!

No I don't actually think the rumour being true takes away her motivation for wanting revenge she was abandoned by her friend who then outed to the school and bullied by her and yeah the arson was objectively too far but the toy was a gift from Janis to symbolise their friendship that Regina was now using to bully her for a significant length of time and iirc it was 6th grade so these are 11-12 year olds so honestly I'm not all that surprised that a kid would react like that in her situation and on top of that we don't get much insight into what exactly the fallout was from everything but it probably wasn't good Also in the musical Janis' sexuality is left ambiguous but the fandom pretty much agreed she wasn't straight so I understand why the decision was made to have her be lesbian in this iteration due to the current society being quite open

@@Evelyn-rb1zj Yeah, especially in the 90's and early 2000's being outed was a really big deal and actually ruined queer kids lives. I think that is a really important thing that this movie could've expanded upon if it really wanted to. Being outed AND BULLIED in ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is plenty of reason to want someone taken down. Regina is canonically homophobic, everyone can understand why that makes her an awful person. Therefore Janis's rage is justified and saying that she'd "Rather Be Me" could be symbolic of her finally coming out of the closet on her OWN terms, and will no longer be quiet about it. Literally taking back power. I really don't resonate with the arsonist angle nearly as much, that's literally dangerous and a serious concern, unlike kissing women.

@@cythulhubuthebegamin4902 Even more recently while I was in school (predominantly 2010s) especially my time in Catholic school even though the people I was around weren't explicitly homophobic, the excessive amount of heteronormativity just made me fall deeper into the closet the subtle things like "Which boy do you have a crush on?" with responses of "Ew no, boys are gross!" (being 10 or 11) As well as similar "Oh you and your male childhood friend you mentioned once are totally going to get married when you grow up" really did add up I at one point started trying to imagine this alternate version of myself that might date him but it was never something I could see seriously though apparently I was never that subtle about my last of interest in boys as a whole since a few years after I left that school my estranged ex best friend from then reached out to me and part of it was something like to the effect of "do you have a boyfriend now or do you still hate boys, or maybe you're into girls now?" It was pretty funny since at the time I was questioning whether I was lesbian or aroace (and still am to an extent but that's neither here nor there) I don't know how much would've changed if I was more out earlier on but I'd rather be me has definitely been my anthem since I discovered it

Oh they totally did a little experimenting on one another!

I think with Janis not being gay at all in the original, it shows how influential Regina can be because she doesn't have to try that hard to convince the student body that Janis is gay (even though she isn't). Regina's lie exposed other people's homophobia, causing them to ostracize her, proving that it's not just Regina that's mean, but everyone around her. It also stopped Janis from actually finding a love interest she desires. I mean, even you thought Janis was gay. Why? Based on stereotypes and the fact that Regina said it was so. So now somehow Janis is coded. That's realistic because in our real world people get stereotyped all the time for the way they dress or behave. Dressing frumpy, having a name similar to a lesbian, and valuing female friendships over boys automatically makes someone gay in people's minds, not the fact someone actually likes girls. I don't find Regina to be good gay representation at all. The closeted mean girl is a tired trope and actually untrue in the real world. Real homophobes exist, and Regina is meant to be that alt-right hateful character. This is why it worked in the original. Because girls like that really exist.

It feels weird that Janis is wearing some of the trendiest outfits in the movie

you wouldn't see any middle or high school girl wearing something simliar, unless they are like super into it. Some outfits i can see but the clothing aspect didn't go as well as the 2000's movie. Janis was def the most alike to 2024 fashion with the ripped jeans, cropped knit sweater, baggy shirt and more even though she was alternative and supposed to go against the main trends oftenly seen. I feel like they played too much into the fashion aspect, meanwhile most girls wear basic clothing. The background characters were the most alike.

@@hi-mk6rh ooh thanks for clarifying !

I can totally see the outfits being worn, why am I one of the only people who think the styling was totally fine lol

there was something off about it, i think there were lots of pieces that individually were quite accurate, but there was something about the way it was put together, combined with the actors who were obviously adults, that looked like they were trying to hard to make these grown adults look like teenagers?? I don't know

No, I agree with you

Totally agree... I think of my own high-school experience and new Regina would not be the popular girl, and I feel bad for saying that but it's the truth sadly we live in a world where if you don't look a certain way no matter the talent and style, you are not the hottest Chick in school. And that's what makes it feel disconnected. She is gorgeous and talented but with the original that Regina was just perfect, she was manipulative mean,brutal, had the best clothes, nicest car, into the hottest music, like it was what you'd expect. I get they wanted to open the role up but let's be real, who gets tiktok and insta famous "the perfect chisled jaw, long blonde hair, perfect body" girlie

This deserves more likes because it’s absolutely true.

hahah so happy to help 😘

Amy Adam’s? Huh? Completely different actress

@caitlingill crap! Sorry I wrote that at like 3 am. Have edited to name the proper actress.

Exactly! In the new movie, they focused way too much on how “iconic” Regina is. That’s why they cut out the slurs that Regina used in the original. They wanted the audience to know how mean Regina is, but also have her be so lackluster that fans still look up to her. I think they wanted a “Maddie Perez” vibe but failed miserably, since that isn’t how Regina is.

I actually think Renee does have the chops to personify Regina, the script was simply bad

Why *did* they cast her in this movie? I don't know what they saw in her because she can neither sing nor does she have Cady's overall vibe. She looks like a wholesome girl next door but she doesn't fit the mean girl transformation. Does she act well? I can't tell

I agree! I enjoyed this movie but didn't love it.

Yes! I thought it was a fun time, but probably wouldn’t watch over the original.

Exactly! I feel like the only reason people really hate on this movie is because the original and the musical were so iconic, but even though it wasn't perfect or as good as the original movie, it wasn't bad at all. It esspecially couldn't be with Renee Rapp's performance as Regina George! 😍

@@_Ms.Sakuraher performance fell flat, idk what you mean

There is a mean girls book! Write in the mid 2010s by Micol Ostow

I thought the original movie was based off a book? I could be wrong.

I’m surprised that the replies don’t understand what you mean 😭 But yeah I agree with you, a book that is based on the musical film needs to be written 😂

@@hellod4036 There is a mean girls book! Write in the mid 2010s by Micol Ostow (but it’s based on the og film)

@hellod4036 oooo that sounds cool 🤔 are there other books Based off Musicals? I know of musicals based on books, but that sounds like a really Interesting read, any recommendations?

it's literally one of my favorite songs in the musical 😭 i think avantika is very pretty but the film vers. of the song just comes off too soft and unenergetic as u mentioned. maybe they wanted to focus more on choreography but i wish it could have been more of a britney-coded type of performance of the song (esp since they did mention taking inspiration from pop performers in other aspects of the choreo) just smth fun, sexy, but still energetic and more upbeat

honestly after watching/listening to Cady sing I was really into all the other songs so it didn’t feel as bad for me, i was prepared for a pop softened version of the broadway songs but not cady’s plain voice 😅

The issue is they made "Sexy" too sexy. Instead of a cutesy bop, they decided they needed to sexualize high schoolers and do nothing to critique Halloween culture among high schoolers like the first one did with the line "Halloween is the one day where a girl is allowed to dress like a total slut" line. Like MA'AM YOU ARE SEVENTEEN.

Oh my God, yeah - that’s exactly what ran through my head.

I think this is what I love most about the original because it was really ahead of its time with starting that conversation about 'not like the other girls' vs the typical view of the fake and unrealistic other girl. That's a conversation that wasn't fully had until 10 years later at least I think so it would've really worked if this next version had fully expanded on that more than the original could which would've been a great way to elevate and modernise the story. Plus in general we need more non black and white stories, with messy real life grey area

I never saw Janis acting like a NLOG in the original movie. Her style was pretty alternative, but having an alternative style is not being an NLOG.

@@t3hpenguinofd00m She was the stereotypical NLOG, especially in the musical, which is why in the musical she got the song "Rather Be ME", emphasizing how different she is from the Plastics (when she's really not). A NLOG is someone who is counter feminine culture, proud of it, but also puts down other girls who are not like them. She put down the Plastics and anyone like them quite a bit in the original, even though she herself was just like them.

@@GenerationNextNextNext she put down the plastics because they were morally atrocious, not because they were feminine

@@t3hpenguinofd00m it wasn’t entirely that. Damien liked a lot of what the plastic were into but Janis gave him grief for being interested in it. It’s not the fact she’s alt that makes her NLOG it’s her behavior towards their stereotypical feminine-ness that she blamed on their behavior. But Karen never really did anything wrong. She was one of the only people that was genuine but because she hung out with Regina, Janis still put her down.

hehe hope you enjoy! 💗💗

Maybe her vest wasn't as disgusting as the one Karen wore?

It's all about milking the idea for every cent that they can. They do it with everything these days. I was hoping that Tina Fey was above that. Boy, was I wrong.

@@mylesmarkson1686 yeah, for sure, late stage capitalism bathing in the glory of neo liberalism, it's very that.

Aaron is not ugly bro 😭😭 Aaron is quite attractive

​@@random.x0 I think compared to the 2000s movie, this Aaron appears rather bland and boring. Not necessarily ugly, but also not like someone interesting

I wouldn't call him ugly but he's so plain. Same with Cady

As someone who isn’t a fan of this version of Aaron there is no reason to insult someone’s looks. That is completely uncalled for.

@@random.x0be ducking fr he looks hideous

The Walmart commercials were better and understood the characters and how to do subtle callbacks. Wild

@@indiefairy09 I agree

she's made shorts on do revenge but only on costume design

***Janis

It’s crazy how Tina Fey missed the point of her own character because so many people missed the point of the character and made the same ignorant mistake that Regina did

Thank you for this. I've been trying to explain this for many years since the og movie came out. And people called me crazy

What the hell? Janis isn't and never was a lesbian! The joke from the original movie is that her ethnicity is lebanese but Regina told people she is a lesbian. She is dating Kevin at the end of the movie. That whole thing apparently went over your head as well

Good point Tomas. Had Regina thought that Janis told her she was a lesbian, she definitely would've included that in her Janis-story.

I agree. I have to be honest tho, I screamed when I saw him because i fricking hate his character on the The Summer I Turned Pretty but this movie actually made me realize that he’s not a bad actor at all. He just needs movies with better scripts and directing