Mean Girls

I watched an interesting movie today: Mean Girls. I remember seeing the commercials for the movie when it was released in the theatre and thought it looked like a fun comedy. Then Mom watched a Dr. Phil episode that discussed the serious subject matter of the movie: girl cliques in school. So Mom rented the movie this week to further understand the topic. The movie is a comedy, but it deals with a serious and important topic currently facing young people in America: how to deal with mean girls in high school.

Mean Girls was written and produced by SNL people (and stars several of them) so the humor is definitely adult. Due to the sexual content, I don't recommend this movie to young people. Although this movie may appear at first glance to be another mindless teen comedy, it actually does provide some insight into the awful world of high school cliques. And the movie is based on the book "Queen Bees and Wannabees", a book that details the torture that young girls put each other through.

I can relate to this movie even though I never attended a public high school. When I attended a wealthy private grade school in Houston, I experienced first-hand the budding hierarchy of Queen Bees and all the wannabees. Even at the tender age of 9 I fully understood just how evil, and I do mean EVIL, girls can be. Guys, you have NO idea. I've tried explaining to my Dad the secret war girls fight unbeknownst to boys, and he just never understood how one look from another girl could speak volumes to me. However, Dad knew that women do seem to engage in some type of secret battle because the number one problem he encountered in his office was the petty catfighting on a daily basis. He said that interpersonal problems consumed a great deal of his time (and boxes of Kleenex during meetings).

I often wonder what kind of person I'd be today if I had stayed in a public or private school setting through high school. It seems that the popular kids always look back on high school with fond memories while the rest of the students look back with embarrassment and bitterness. Thankfully, being homeschooled spared me of all the drama. I find it interesting that the main character in the movie is a homeschooler who has never attended school until the beginning of the story, her junior year of high school.

For all the guys out there who aren't familiar with the way girl cliques operate, I highly recommend this movie. It will help you better understand what your girlfriend or wife might have experienced. And it will also prepare you for the emotional roller coaster your daughter may have to ride during her turbulent trip through adolescence. (And don't think that cliques exist just in school -- they are everywhere.)

Ultimately, the movie has a "happy ending". It may seem a bit farfetched as I believe that girl cliques are not easily disassembled. However, if you know of anyone currently dealing with cliques in their social circle, they may want to check out Mean Girls.