BY VICTORIA MEJICANOS

Many movies have a lasting impact on our lives for a variety of reasons. Through the actors, the songs, the iconic one-liners, and even the outfits, movies have the power to create memories long after they are released.

One movie that creates such an effect is the 2004 movie, Mean Girls. In the movie Cady, a home-schooled sixteen year old from Africa, attends public school for the first time. Having been home-schooled, the cliques and social hierarchy in high school is more difficult to navigate and understand than the jungles in Africa. Luckily she meets Janice and Ian, who convince her to infiltrate and seek revenge on the most popular group of girls in the school: ‘The Plastics’.

During her time with the Plastics, many comedic antics ensue. Additionally, there are many lasting phrases that make this movie so revolutionary. She meets the head mean girl, Regina George, who is obsessed with her looks and makes the group follow silly rules such as “no sweats’ ‘ and the most iconic: “on Wednesdays, we wear pink.” Fellow mean girl Gretchen Wieners tries to coin the phrase “That’s so

fetch!”, despite Regina urging her “it’s not going to happen.” Last but not least is Karen, who has a sixth sense because “her breasts can tell the weather.”

Cady goes from being the smart math-lete, to becoming a hair curling, party throwing Plastic. Through this experience, she gains popularity, but loses friends in the process. School wide chaos ensues, and in the process every student and teacher realizes their own humility. The Plastics wear cheap makeup, the teachers have messy personal lives despite their uptight appearance, and the math-letes can gangster rap. In the grand scheme of things, no one person is better than the other. Cady realizes the lessons that many students do: the social hierarchy doesn’t matter. Every student is struggling to get through the four years that are high school.