Sarimah Ibrahim: Why 2024 is going to be so fetch!

Who could forget the cultural phenomenon that is Mean Girls? Fast forward two decades, and the iconic film is set to captivate audiences once again, this time in musical form, courtesy of Tina Fey’s captivating “new twist” on her 2004 masterpiece.

As an actress, a mother of a daughter and a mental health advocate, I’m excited to see what this remake of the original movie is like as a musical. January 12 is the date scheduled for the release of Fey’s adaptation of the Mean Girls musical, after it was shortened on Broadway due to the pandemic. One thing for sure, when it hits the screens, it will ignite a wave of excitement among eager fans, including myself!

The opening title boldly declares, “this is not your mother’s Mean Girls,” sparking lively discussions, especially among millennials who hold fond memories of the original film from their tween and teen years.

The synopsis is simple: new student Cady Heron (Angourie Rice) is welcomed into the top of the social food chain by the elite group of popular girls called “The Plastics,” ruled by the conniving queen bee Regina George (Reneé Rapp) and her minions Gretchen (Bebe Wood) and Karen (Avantika). However, when Cady makes the major misstep of falling for Regina’s ex-boyfriend Aaron Samuels (Christopher Briney), she finds herself prey in Regina’s crosshairs. As Cady sets to take down the group’s apex predator with the help of her outcast friends Janis (Auli’i Cravalho) and Damian (Jaquel Spivey), she must learn how to stay true to herself while navigating the most cutthroat jungle of all: high school.

While Mean Girls is making a resurgence for a new generation, its cultural impact hasn’t dimmed. Social media still echoes with quotes about making “fetch” happen, donning pink on Wednesdays, and asserting the timeless “you can’t sit with us.”

The film’s 2004 themes of diet culture, slut-shaming, and female stereotypes aren’t just one-liners but integral plot points. Part of the appeal of the original movie is its faux naïveté. It’s a first-person story that’s filled with the interior monologue of a smart and perceptive middle-class suburban girl who’s distinguished from her classmates because she appears to be different. She’s never had classmates as she was raised in Africa and home-schooled by her zoologist parents; through her eyes, the unexceptional appears strange and novel. 

There are some real moments of societal commentary in Mean Girls too. Subjects such as the early sexualisation of children, when Regina’s little sister grinding along to Kelis’ Milkshake on the TV. There’s body dysmorphia with the ritualistic cries of “man shoulders” as the girls check themselves out in the mirror. 

All staggeringly still current and issues which were tackled with wit. One key plot device, the Burn Book – a scrapbook that features a photo of a person you hate with a single-line diss with lines such as “Grotsky little byotch” and “made out with a hotdog” – today look and feel like the precursor of internet trolling and cyberbullying. The main theme, though, was girl-on-girl crime. Whether it’s passive-aggressive takedowns to real emotional and physical violence. This battle for “social acceptance by any means necessary” is something that continues to be played out in real life, 

Despite its enduring popularity, Mean Girls now serves as a nostalgic time capsule of the high school experience in the noughties. For a 2023 viewer, it encapsulates the quintessential period that propelled Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams and Amanda Seyfried to stardom.

The new trailer takes a modern turn as Coach Carr, played by Jon Hamm, dispenses advice via TikTok. Movie posters tease with the slogan “plastic is forever,” and Tina Fey and Tim Meadows are reprising their original roles as teachers at North Shore High. However, times have changed since the reign of the “Plastics” in 2004.

While the original Mean Girls celebrated being thin, disengaged with academia, and having a hot boyfriend, recent high school stories have started to explore teenage cliques from fresh angles, challenging outdated norms. The cultural evolution since Mean Girls’ heyday reflects a more nuanced understanding of these themes, moving beyond stereotypes and embracing diverse perspectives.

You can follow Mean Girls on social media for all the latest movie news. And use the official Mean Girls Capcut filter to add a fun Regina George moment from the film to your content.

I for one can’t wait to see it!
Sarimah Ibrahim is a Dublin-born Malaysian actress, entrepreneur and mother. She’s following in the footsteps of Michelle Yeoh.

Find her on Instagram here.