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Monday, December 14, 2009

Why Do We Like Mean Girls? Part 2

Reason #2: The Underdog

Continuing in this reading of the movie as a foil for gay culture, let us examine briefly the structure of the movie. It’s nothing we haven’t seen before. It’s a romantic comedy and a teen movie, but at it’s most basic level it is an underdog story.

Mean Girls BeforeMean Girls is about finding your place and belonging. I’ve got to admit that I felt a lot like Cady, the movie’s main character, when I entered gay world. I was overwhelmed by the intricate social cues and expectations, the pressure to dress and maneuver well through society, and to avoid any huge pitfalls.

Gay world exhibited a certain sense of exoticism. It was all so foreign and alluring. Cute guys were all around me, but there was no one I could connect with on a romantic or a platonic level. I was basically a Martian. Within a matter of months, I had made my way to the inner circle (without compromising my morals).

Mean Girls After Ultimately, Cady becomes a diva— in charge and high-fashioned. This is a dream that everyone can connect with. Lots of times, we feel like nobodies and just want to be noticed whether that’s to complete us somehow or out of some need for a superficial type of love. Everyone wants to belong and if a little power comes along with that, all the better.

In the end, though, I came to question the of having a respected place in gay world, just as Cady did in Mean Girls: Does being popular or glamorous or influential really amount to anything?

Next time: Reason #3

3 comments:

Ben said...

I'm not in the gay scene, but is it really that bad? I saw 'Mean Girls' for the first time last summer and just assumed that everything was overly exaggerated just to ridicule the stupidness of plastic worship.

In any case, it's nice to read an insider's perspective on the matter.

Twinky Chink said...

That's a very nice analysis. I for one LOVE Mean Girls, and most of my gay friends can quote that movie scene-by-scene.

A Gay Mormon Boy said...

I definitely wouldn't say the gay scene is that bad. The movie's portrayal of "Girl World" and my comparisons with "Gay World" are definitely exaggerated. This is more of a reality check.

I genuinely think that some of the kindest and most genuine people I know are also part of the gay scene.

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