Mean Girls free essay sample

Cady   finds   herself   having   a   hard   time understanding   the   social   norms   in   the   school,   and   is   drawn   to   the   the   Plastics,   the   most   popular clique   in   the   school. Mean   Girls   does   not   only   consists   of   the   usual   American   teenage   drama, dealing   with   boys,   friends,   family   and school but   also   exposes   more   modern   and   considerable topics   such   as   cyberbullying,   sexualization,   and   body   image. Ultimately   the   message   is that popularity   isnt   everything   and   that   girls   need   to   support   each   other,   not   tear   each   other   down. Some   may   say   that   this   form   of   entertainment   may   be   bad   for   a   childs   development,   but   as mentioned   in   Steven   Johnsons   Everything   Bad   is   Good   For   You,   this   form   of   modern   film turns   out   to   be   nutritional   after   all. (Johnson   P. 9). The   movie   draws   out   a   laugh   from   the   viewer while   bringing   to   light   significant   issues   of   todays   teens   all   while   encouraging   cognitive development   through   the   Sleeper   Effect. Through   positive   role   models,   diverse   characters,   and   a continuing   theme   of   learning   from   your   mistakes,   the   mean   girls   learn   their   lesson   all   while improving   the   viewers   way   of   thinking   through   Multithreading. In   the   movie,   common   cliches   are   introduced,   such   as      the   typical   crush,   inevitable   cliques, and   the   struggle   with   grades. And   although   it   may   appear   to   be   a   typical   chick   flick   Mean   Girls goes   into   depth   about   subjects   that   seriously   affect   todays   teens. In   the   movie   Cady   finds   herself accepted   in   the   popular   group   known   as   the   plastics. Mark   Deming,   a   critic   with   a   B. A. in journalism   simplifies   the   plot. While   Cady   is grateful   for   her   new   friends,   it   doesnt   take   long   for her   to   realize   how   manipulative   they   can   be,   and   she   soon   discovers   shes   violated   an   unwritten   law when   she   goes   out   on   a   date   with   Aaron,   who   is   charming,   good   looking and   Reginas   former boyfriend. It   isnt   long   before   Regina   and   her   pals   are   on   the   warpath,   and   Cady   must   face   a   level of   vengeful   behavior   for   which   years   in   the   jungle   never   prepared   her. (Demin   P. 1). As humorous   as   Demins   summary   may   seem,   teens   find   the   movie   relatable   and   witty,   making   the conflicts   and   resolutions   familiar   to   them. Throughout   the   movie,   The   Plastics†   are   constantly talking   about   their   body   image   and   how   ugly   they   are. Because   of   their   lighthearted   manner   the viewer   sees   how   silly   their   statements   are   and   come   to   see   the   ridiculousness   of   their   insecurities. The   effect   of   rumors   is   shown   through   characters   previously   introduced,   causing   the   viewer   to become   attached   to   the   victim. The   infamous   queen   bee,   Regina   George   states   about   Cadys   close friend   Janice,   I   was   like,   Janis,   I   cant   invite   you,   because   I   think   youre   a   lesbian.   I   mean   I couldnt   have   a   lesbian   at   my   party.   It   is   clearly   shown   in   the   movie   that   Janice   is   heterosexual and   that   Janice   was   hurt   by   the   rumors   teaching   the   viewers   the   effect   and   power   of   that   their words   have. Sexualization   is   specifically   shown   in   a   scene   where   Regina   Georges   younger   sister imitates   a   scene   of   Girls   Gone   Wild. Her   age   is   never   specifically   stated   but   it   is   clearly   shown that   she   is   too   young   to   watch   a   movie   with   such   content. The   absurdity   of   this   scene   is   humorous but   also   disturbing. Because   nothing   in   Mean   Girls   is   unrealistic   or   turns   into   caricature,   the viewer   is   forced   to   realize   that   the   issues   mentioned   throughout   the   movie   are   very   plausible   and are   recurring   issues   in   many   peoples   daily   lives. It   can   easily   be   declared   that   Mean   Girls   can   be   brainwashing   and   ultimately   a   poor influence   to   children   and   even   young   adults   because   most   modern   forms   of   entertainment   tend   to be. Many   say   that   the   movie   is   an   illusion   and   does   not   mirror actual   life. But   in   many   reviews   and statements,   the   majority   of   people   say   that   they   have   experienced   many   of   the   plot   themes   in   their high   school   career. â€Å"Mean   Girls†   can   be   very   informational,   contains   wisdom,   and   teaches   many life   lessons. Because   the   main   character   is   such   an   innocent   and   sweet   girl,   she   is   relatable   and   the viewer   learns   life   lessons   by   simply   following   the   plot. Priya   Elan,   Senior   Culture   Writer   at Grazia   states   that   Ã¢â‚¬Å"The   main   theme   is   girl- ­on- ­girl   crime,   from   passive- ­aggressive   takedowns   to   real physical   violence. This   battle   for   social   acceptance   by   any   means   necessary   is   something   that continues   to   be   played   out   in   real   life†. The   movie   introduces   positive   role   models   such   as   Ms. Norbury. Nell   Minow,   an   American   film   reviewer   and   writer,   describes   Ms. Norbury   as   someone â€Å"who   appears   as   a   sympathetic   teacher. She   has   a   good   sense   of   how   girls   like   Regina   operate   to establish   their   domination,   appearing   to   be   sweet   and   supportive   but   in   reality   being   competitive, duplicitous   and   manipulative,   and   always   surrounding   themselves   with   people   who   will   add   to their   power   and   not   challenge   them. †   With   this   knowledge,   Ms. Norbury   guides   Cady   and   her classmates   to   open   their   eyes   and   mature. With   Ms. Norbury’s   guidance   Cady   learns   to   accept responsibility,   share,   be   nice   to   her   peers   and   to   be   herself. â€Å"   To   all   the   people   whose   feelings that   got   hurt   by   the   Burn   Book,   Im   really   sorry I   mean,   I   think   everybody   looks   like   royalty tonight. So why   is   everybody   stressing   over   this   thing? I   mean,   its   just   plastic. Could   really just Share   it a   piece   for   Regina   George. She   fractured   her   spine,   and   she   still   looks   like   a   rock star. And   some   for   everybody   else. This   speech   shows   how   much   Cady   has   matured   and   how much   she   has   changed   from   her   previous   Ã¢â‚¬Ëœplastic’   self. â€Å"Mean   Girls†   teaches   not   only   life   lessons,   but   also   improves   one’s   cognitive   thinking through   Ã¢â‚¬Ëœthe   Sleeper   Effect†. According   to   Steven   Johnson,   the   Sleeper   Effect   is   the   idea   that â€Å"the   culture   is   getting   more   intellectually   demanding,   not   less†   (p9). He   states   that   Ã¢â‚¬Å"by   each   crucial measure   of   complexity- ­- ­   how   many   narrative   threads   you’re   forced   to   follow,   how   much background   information   you   need   to   interpret   on   the   fly†   movies   are   several   times   more challenging   than   single   plot   lines. In   Ã¢â‚¬Å"Mean   Girls†   the   viewer   is   forced   to   follow   the   plot   of   many characters,   including   but   not   limited   to,   Cady   Heron,   Regina   George,   Ms. Norbury,   Janice   Ian,   and many   more. Steven   Johnson   refers   to   this   as   Multithreading(chordal)   or   the   idea   of   Ã¢â‚¬Å"more characters,   more   plot   thread. †   (P. 70). â€Å"Much   has   been   written   about   the   dexterity   with   which   the creators   of   these   recent   films   build   distinct   layers   of   information   into   their   plots,   dialogue,   and visual   effects†   (P127). â€Å"These   films   challenge   the   mind   by   creating   a   thick   network   of   intersecting plotlines;;   some   challenge   by   withholding   crucial   information   from   the   audience;;   some   by inventing   new   temporal   schemes   that   invert   traditional   relationships   of   cause   and   effect;;   some   by deliberately   blurring   the   line   between   fact   and   fiction†   (P.  129- ­130). Because   of   an   intricate   plot line,   Ã¢â‚¬Å"Mean   Girls†   follows   the   concept   of   the   Sleeper   Effect   and   Multithread ing,   forcing   viewers to   think   more   attentively. Despite   the   movie’s   popularity,   Ã¢â‚¬Å"Mean   Girls†   is   educational   and   informative. It teaches   the   viewer   important   life   lessons   and   exposes   more   modern   and   considerable   topics   than the   average   Ã¢â‚¬Ëœchick   flick’. It   follows   Johnson’s   formula   for   the   Ã¢â‚¬Å"Sleeper   Effect†   and â€Å"Multithreading†   improving   the   viewers   thought   process. Although   the   movie   is   lighthearted   and humorous,   valuable   themes   are   shown   throughout   Ã¢â‚¬Å"Mean   Girls†. Through   positive   role   models, diverse   characters,   and   a   continuing   theme   of   learning   from   your   mistakes,   the   mean   girls   learn their   lesson   and   all   while   improving   the   viewers   thinking   through   Multithreading. All   in   all, â€Å"Mean   Girls†   is   not   only   informational   but   through   Johnson’s   theories,   also   improves   cognitive thinking. Bibliography Elan,   Priya   . Why   Tina   Feys   Mean   Girls   is   a   movie   classic.   The   Gaurdian. N. p. ,   29   Jan 2013. Web. 29   Apr. 2013. . Tyler,   Joshua. Mean   Girl.   Cinema   Blend. N. p. ,   n. d. Web. 29   Apr. 2013. . Minow,   Nell. Mean   Girls.   Common   Sense. N. p. ,   21   Sept   2005. Web. 29   Apr. 2013. . Ebert,   Roger. Mean   Girls.   Chicago   Sun- ­Times. Rogerebert. com,   30   Apr   2004. Web. 29   Apr. 2013. . Johnson,   Steven. Everything   Good   is   Bad   For   You. New   York:   Riverhead,   2005. Print.