Feminist Analysis of Mean Girls
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAOmTMCtGkI My Introduction to Media Studies Class recently ended and I wanted to share the essay that I wrote on Mean Girls as a feminist Film and the implications that the representations of females have on the viewers, specifically young women. Do not get me wrong, there are a few positive aspects about this film,…
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My Introduction to Media Studies Class recently ended and I wanted to share the essay that I wrote on Mean Girls as a feminist Film and the implications that the representations of females have on the viewers, specifically young women.

Do not get me wrong, there are a few positive aspects about this film, but these aspects do not make the negative representations disappear.

Films and Adolescents: Is Mean Girls a Good or Bad Example for Females?

Films are artifacts that people look to see what is acceptable or not acceptable in society. They affect and offer individuals more than mere entertainment. Elizabeth Behm Morawitz and Dana Mastro quote a cognitive theory in their essay about gender portrayals:

Media messages serve as a meaningful source for the acquisition of “gender linked knowledge and competencies” and the development of expectations of gender roles and conduct, self-evaluative standards and self-efficacy beliefs. It is argued that individuals adopt gender characteristics in part by monitoring the rewards and consequences associated with the others behaviour. Thus, representation of female characters in the media would be expected to play a role in viewer’s perceptions regarding gender identity, which may ultimately influence attitudes and beliefs about appropriate gender roles.

(Bhem-Morawitz and Dana E. Mastro 132)

In addition, films provide commentary on the state of our societies. A film is a way to evaluate the progression a society has made through the years. Mean Girls written by Tina Fey is a popular film especially for the teenage demographic (IMDB 2013). The film came out in 2004. In this paper, I will prove using a reflection of feminist analysis which “seeks to reveal and eradicate socially engrained systems of sexism that harm all individuals in some way”, (Ott and Mack 178) that Mean Girls has a few failures, and these failures have deeper implications for the young adolescent females who watch this film and internalize the characters behaviours and accept the representations of females as correct and true.

There are a few positive aspects in this film, one being the depiction of the minor character, the girl in the wheelchair. Individuals in wheelchairs are rarely portrayed in films. They are often non-existent and considered as excluded from media. “Exclusion is the process by which various… groups are symbolically annihilated or “written out of history” through under representation in the media” (Ott and Mack 139). However, when people with disabilities are represented, their entire storyline or arc is usually based on their ability to overcome the challenges of having a disability or complaints about having one and wishing they did not. In Mean Girls, the role of the girl in the wheelchair is a very minor one but the director portrayed her correctly. She took part in all of the school activities and she was not seen questioning whether she would be able to. For example, in the scene that all the girls apologize to any other girl that they may have hurt, the girl is seen up on stage making her apology and then proceeds to wheel and fall into the crowd as everyone else does.

Another aspect of this film that can be commended is the male character of Aaron who seems to be more interested in the personality a person has than the body and one’s physical appearance. He was focused on the inner being rather than the physical attributes or the external appearance. This is important to showcase because most males depicted on television and film are focused on the woman’s physical appearance, and the viewers do not realize that there are some men who are not interested in this. The depiction of the person with disability and Aaron are commendable in the film.

One reason why the film Mean Girls is not a feminist film is the focus on losing weight and being thin. Throughout the film, Regina George expresses her wish to lose three pounds and drink absolutely nothing but cranberry juice. In one scene, Regina is seen trying on a dress for Spring Fling that she put on hold in January at a store called “1, 3, 5” and does not fit into the dress. The store name itself endorses that small sizes are the only one’s acceptable in society because they only carry those three sizes. In addition, Regina’s friends Gretchen and Karen come to her aid and attempt to zip her up. Gretchen attempts to deny that Regina has gained weight by saying: “Okay, it must be marked wrong” and frantically runs over to help Regina zip up the back of the dress. This scene enforces that gaining weight is unacceptable and that the ideal women should be skinny and is stereotypical: these “images present women with an unhealthy, underweight, and virtually impossible body image that many internalize and destructively pursue…which could result in eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia” (Ott and Mack 191). In today’s society, rates of women with eating disorders are rising and patients are being referred at younger ages (Beresin and Derrene 257), which means that media is affecting individuals at a younger age and children are becoming dissatisfied with their bodies. Each person is different and sometimes individuals are unable to control the way their bodies are built, so criticizing and making extremely skinny look possible is incorrect. As a society, we should be encouraging everyone to be happy with whom they are instead of encouraging and pushing them to be. someone that they are not. We should be embracing people for who they are and encouraging healthy living. Mean Girls does the opposite of this, their depiction could very well act as an encouragement for one to develop eating disorders.

Another failure in the film is the depiction of females as sexual subjects. This is seen in the Halloween party scenes. All of the girls at the Halloween party are dressed as “sexy” animals with their outfits being short and tight. This is known as the “slut” rule. Throughout this sequence, the viewer is able to see Regina as the sexual subject – which is known as “sexual objectification…Media representations construct them as sexual conquests, pursued and lusted after. To be feminine is to be available and responsive… Naomi Wolf calls this the “beauty myth and claims that “women must want to embody it” (Ott and Mack 186-187). It is clear that Regina wants to be pursued by Aaron. When individuals take on the role of a “sexual subject”, it is dehumanizing and disrespectful to them because it shows that the females are accepting that they are only used for one reason. The character of Regina is a contrast to Cady, who is unaware of the slut rule comes to the party dressed as a “zombie ex-wife”, this costume showed very little skin, and because of this she receives weird looks and is called “socially retarded”. This Halloween party sequence illustrates that women should be defined by men and anyone who does not show themselves off is not a “real women”. This stereotype may encourage females to become someone they are not and sacrifice their individuality.

Another stereotype that Mean Girls depicts is the “dumb blonde” stereotype, when blondes are unintelligent and lack ability. This stereotype is shown when Regina begins her all carb diet, and asks Cady, “is butter a carb?” Cady responds with a yes and rolls her eyes in disbelief. It was at this moment that Cady realized that Regina will fall for anything, because she does not seem to know any better. This stereotype is one that does not apply to everyone, but because it has been depicted so many times, people assume that all blondes are unintelligent and may decide to only judge them based on what they already know. This is a wrong thing to do because people may have much more to offer than people think and therefore one cannot get to know anyone at a deeper level and developing relationships and going through experiences with people is a way that people grow and mature. Further, stereotypes such as dumb blonde “reinforce attitudes and help shape them through the workplace” (Ott and Mack 193). In other words, stereotypes such as the “dumb blonde” are dangerous because they can possibly cause one to miss out on opportunities.

Films are a way for people to learn how to learn what is appropriate in society. Individuals often model their own behaviour according to what they witness on TV. Mean Girls is a film that is popular especially for teenage girls. It is a film that has a few positive aspects such as the portrayal of the character with disability and in the wheelchair. She is portrayed as a “regular” girl, despite her challenges and who is not seen complaining or wishing she was someone different. However, Mean Girls has few failures especially in the depiction of women. Firstly, it depicts women who are and desire to have an “ideal” body type which in actuality is unhealthy and unrealistic. This depiction could lead to even bigger increase in eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia. Secondly, the film fails to be a feminist film because it portrays one of its main characters as a willing sexual subject, allowing her actions with a man to define her, as well as another character who does not dress provocatively, and does not drape herself all over a man. This comparison allows people to believe that in order to be considered feminine and a real woman, they must look a certain way and act a certain way that dehumanizes them. Lastly, Mean Girls depicts the common “dumb blonde” stereotype, which is dangerous because people often assume that dumb blondes are unintelligent and therefore other people do not take the time to get to know them on a deeper level.