Comments on: Mean Girls http://thehathorlegacy.com/mean-girls/ Fresh-baked media snark, served with love. Sun, 05 Sep 2010 15:23:53 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Jennifer Kesler http://thehathorlegacy.com/mean-girls/#comment-14986 Jennifer Kesler Fri, 15 Dec 2006 06:13:52 +0000 http://thehathorlegacy.com/mean-girls/#comment-14986 Exactly. It's basically an abuse cycle on a larger scale. Exactly. It’s basically an abuse cycle on a larger scale.

]]> By: scarlett http://thehathorlegacy.com/mean-girls/#comment-14942 scarlett Thu, 14 Dec 2006 16:30:51 +0000 http://thehathorlegacy.com/mean-girls/#comment-14942 It's interesting you say that because one of my professors (actually, the only actual professor I had, who happened to be a woman!) was saying that, in her experience, you got a first year representation of about 50% of students from the private schools and more exclusive public schools, and >10% from the really poor schools. By the begining of second year, that representation was almost completely reversed; basically, by far the majority of people who dropped out in first year were from the more exclusive schools. Her hypothesis was once they were away from the structure of an exclusive school, they didn't know what to do because they'd never had to adapt, but those who'd had to fight against expectations they wouldn't have to amount to much could adapt easily. Thought that was relevant... It’s interesting you say that because one of my professors (actually, the only actual professor I had, who happened to be a woman!) was saying that, in her experience, you got a first year representation of about 50% of students from the private schools and more exclusive public schools, and >10% from the really poor schools. By the begining of second year, that representation was almost completely reversed; basically, by far the majority of people who dropped out in first year were from the more exclusive schools. Her hypothesis was once they were away from the structure of an exclusive school, they didn’t know what to do because they’d never had to adapt, but those who’d had to fight against expectations they wouldn’t have to amount to much could adapt easily.
Thought that was relevant…

]]> By: SunlessNick http://thehathorlegacy.com/mean-girls/#comment-14916 SunlessNick Thu, 14 Dec 2006 13:17:41 +0000 http://thehathorlegacy.com/mean-girls/#comment-14916 And it then becomes a temptation to aim your venting, confrontation, or agression at those without greater recourse against you. In racial terms, it leads to the "No one resents this year's immigrants like last year's do" effect. In gender terms, it makes the easiest target for a woman's anger another woman. And it then becomes a temptation to aim your venting, confrontation, or agression at those without greater recourse against you. In racial terms, it leads to the “No one resents this year’s immigrants like last year’s do” effect. In gender terms, it makes the easiest target for a woman’s anger another woman.

]]> By: MaggieCat http://thehathorlegacy.com/mean-girls/#comment-14876 MaggieCat Thu, 14 Dec 2006 06:02:32 +0000 http://thehathorlegacy.com/mean-girls/#comment-14876 I think that's part of it- there's a reason people say that adversity makes you stronger. When everything is handed to you, you either don't learn how to push for the things you want and end up a doormat when faced with a stronger personality, or you don't learn that you sometimes need to compromise and let other people have some input because you feel entitled to everyone's unfailing devotion. I've seen it play out both ways. Which reminds me of that other thing adults always told me as a kid: the people who are on top of the world in high school aren't going to stay there once they get into the real world. Or at the very least, they'll probably be boring. ;-) I think that’s part of it- there’s a reason people say that adversity makes you stronger. When everything is handed to you, you either don’t learn how to push for the things you want and end up a doormat when faced with a stronger personality, or you don’t learn that you sometimes need to compromise and let other people have some input because you feel entitled to everyone’s unfailing devotion. I’ve seen it play out both ways.

Which reminds me of that other thing adults always told me as a kid: the people who are on top of the world in high school aren’t going to stay there once they get into the real world. Or at the very least, they’ll probably be boring. ;-)

]]> By: Jennifer Kesler http://thehathorlegacy.com/mean-girls/#comment-14850 Jennifer Kesler Thu, 14 Dec 2006 00:27:05 +0000 http://thehathorlegacy.com/mean-girls/#comment-14850 Quite likely.  Or they've never had to deal with challenge because it's always been their way right away. Quite likely.  Or they’ve never had to deal with challenge because it’s always been their way right away.

]]> By: scarlett http://thehathorlegacy.com/mean-girls/#comment-14845 scarlett Wed, 13 Dec 2006 23:57:03 +0000 http://thehathorlegacy.com/mean-girls/#comment-14845 Maybe it's a case of 'the higher you climb, the further you have to fall'? Maybe it’s a case of ‘the higher you climb, the further you have to fall’?

]]> By: sbg http://thehathorlegacy.com/mean-girls/#comment-14842 sbg Wed, 13 Dec 2006 21:57:32 +0000 http://thehathorlegacy.com/mean-girls/#comment-14842 I think it still happens in the adult world, but it might be a bit less obvious. I think it still happens in the adult world, but it might be a bit less obvious.

]]> By: sbg http://thehathorlegacy.com/mean-girls/#comment-14841 sbg Wed, 13 Dec 2006 21:57:00 +0000 http://thehathorlegacy.com/mean-girls/#comment-14841 Not me. I think I avoided much of the turmoil in high school by being rather invisible (not a fix I'd recommend, but it did let me fly under the radar). Don't get me wrong, I still hated the "plastic" girls, but if there was drama and backstabbing going on, I wasn't aware of it. Not me. I think I avoided much of the turmoil in high school by being rather invisible (not a fix I’d recommend, but it did let me fly under the radar). Don’t get me wrong, I still hated the “plastic” girls, but if there was drama and backstabbing going on, I wasn’t aware of it.

]]> By: Jennifer Kesler http://thehathorlegacy.com/mean-girls/#comment-14754 Jennifer Kesler Tue, 12 Dec 2006 17:54:18 +0000 http://thehathorlegacy.com/mean-girls/#comment-14754 You know, the people at the top are often the MOST insecure. I'll never forget when I was in high school, senior year. The in-crowd kids were the planning committee for graduation, and they came up with a cute idea for the theme. ONE person said it was stupid, so they completely caved. I actually gawked at three of them who told me this story and said, "You guys are the in-crowd. Don't you realize what you say goes, and everyone will fall in line to support you?" They had no clue. That was a HUGE eye-opener for me. You know, the people at the top are often the MOST insecure. I’ll never forget when I was in high school, senior year. The in-crowd kids were the planning committee for graduation, and they came up with a cute idea for the theme. ONE person said it was stupid, so they completely caved. I actually gawked at three of them who told me this story and said, “You guys are the in-crowd. Don’t you realize what you say goes, and everyone will fall in line to support you?” They had no clue. That was a HUGE eye-opener for me.

]]> By: scarlett http://thehathorlegacy.com/mean-girls/#comment-14716 scarlett Tue, 12 Dec 2006 09:36:55 +0000 http://thehathorlegacy.com/mean-girls/#comment-14716 Mean Girls is loosely adapted from a book called Queen Bees and Wannaes by Rosalind Wiseman - I recommended it for the booklist. It was the account of a guidance councellor about how teenagers interacted with one another, particularly the way girls both support and sabotage one another. What I liked about the movie was that they all ended up being accountable for their actions, and that the Queen Bee Bitch character was relatively fleshed out. One of the things Wiseman went into was how even those at the top of the food chain suffer from insecurities and doubts, which I think was fairly well portrayed in the movie. Mean Girls is loosely adapted from a book called Queen Bees and Wannaes by Rosalind Wiseman – I recommended it for the booklist. It was the account of a guidance councellor about how teenagers interacted with one another, particularly the way girls both support and sabotage one another.
What I liked about the movie was that they all ended up being accountable for their actions, and that the Queen Bee Bitch character was relatively fleshed out. One of the things Wiseman went into was how even those at the top of the food chain suffer from insecurities and doubts, which I think was fairly well portrayed in the movie.

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