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Interesting facts you probably never knew about Mean Girls

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Updated on June 17, 2023

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Mean Girls, our favorite teen film from the 2000s, will never grow old. In fact, we’re confident it will always be one of the most quotable films.

Mean Girls chronicles the story of Cady Heron, written by Tina Fey in her screenplay debut and starring Lindsay Lohan in her first non-Disney film role. Cady must adjust to life at an American high school after spending her childhood in Africa with her parents, and she discovers that it is not different to the savagery of the animal realm.

And, despite the fact that we’ve watched the film countless times and know all of the characters like best friends, there are still a few truths about the classic picture that have stunned us. Here are some Mean Girls facts that will make you drop your jaw as Karen’s did when Regina shouted, “Boo, you whore.”

1. Mr. Duvall Has Carpal Tunnel Problems Because Tim Meadows Broke His Hand Before Shooting

Mr. Duvall is in Ms. Norbury’s class, and he claims that his carpal tunnel has flared up during the summer, as seen by his casted arm.

Tina Fey and her friend Cady Garey shared a small, furniture-free apartment in Charlottesville during their time at the University of Virginia in the early 1990s. Despite the appalling living conditions (all they had were mattresses on the floor and a bean bag in the living room), they became close enough for Fey to name the protagonist of Mean Girls, Cady Heron, after Garey.

Many of Fey’s character names are based on real people; Glen Coco was even named after a real person. Cady’s surname is also tied to that of suffragist Elizabeth Cady Stanton, one of the first women’s rights activists.

5. Alec Baldwin’s character in Glengarry Glen Ross was considered a “template” for Regina George.

Alec’s portrayal as Blake, the motivational speaker from hell, is notoriously aggressive, and the directors even warned Rachel McAdams to keep an eye on it.

6. In the moment where Ms. Norbury is introduced, there are a few continuity issues.

Ms. Norbury spills her drink and fumbles a box of doughnuts when Cady brushes into her on the first day of school.

She is plainly wearing brown trousers as the alcohol pours on her. Her slacks had mysteriously become black by the time she removes her drenched sweatshirt.

Additionally, doughnuts appear and disappear on top of the box Ms. Norbury placed on her desk when Principal Duvall is presenting Cady.

7. The Plastics’ Skirts At The Christmas Talent Show Are Actually Made Of Plastic

Despite the fact that Regina, Gretchen, Karen, and Cady are referred to as “the Plastics” throughout the film, they never use the word themselves. Even so, that’s how the gang is known at school – and how they’ve become recognized among moviegoers.

The skirts that the girls wore for their Christmas talent show performance were really made of plastic. Despite the fact that this is an unusual material for clothes, the Mean Girls costume designer opted to construct the Plastics’ skirt out of it to depict what they’re all about.

8. Amy Poehler’s fictitious daughter Rachel McAdams is just seven years her senior.

In fact, the costume designers had to find out a smart way to make Amy appear like an older lady dressed as a teenager without looking like a youngster.

9. A typo on the science teacher’s board has a subliminal reference to plastic.

Cady requests to use the restroom in her science lesson, and the whiteboard behind her teacher displays a list of components.

One of the elements, silicon, has an incorrect spelling. However, considering that silicone (as printed on the board) is a common substance used in plastic surgery, and the school’s queen bees are known as the Plastics, this might have been a deliberate blunder.

10. Tina Fey’s script was based on a parenting self-help book.

Although Mean Girls is technically based on a book, the premise and characters are entirely unique, as the book is a non-fiction self-help book for parents. It’s called Queen Bees and Wannabes: Helping Your Daughter Survive Cliques, Gossip, Boyfriends, and Other Adolescent Reality by Rosalind Wiseman.

Tina Fey felt she’d signed up for an impossible undertaking when she decided to adapt the book since she didn’t understand it was a self-help book with no storyline. The “Queen Bee” is the most popular female at each school in the novel. Regina is a Latin word that meaning “queen.”

11. Amanda Seyfriend came close to playing Regina.

Although the producers liked Amanda, they thought Rachel’s audition was better for the part. Lorne Michaels came up with the concept of casting Amanda as Karen.

12. On her first day, Cady appeared to be in the wrong language class.

Cady is screamed at by a teacher in German during the montage on her first day of school. However, she subsequently informs Damian that she is enrolled in a Spanish class.

13. James Franco was considered for Aaron Samuels’ role.

When the Mean Girls casting crew was looking for the right actor to play Aaron Samuels, James Franco came close to landing the position. Franco was most known at the time for his roles as Harry Osborn, Peter Parker’s best friend, in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man films. Freaks and Geeks, in which he co-starred with Seth Rogen and Linda Cardellini, was another familiar high school narrative.

Jonathan Bennett was cast in the character of Aaron, and Tina Fey has confessed that his physical similarity to Jimmy Fallon, with whom she had previously worked on Saturday Night Live, drew her to him.

14. Janis Ian is also the name of a well-known 1970s artist whose song is included in the film.

Regina’s song “At Seventeen,” which plays as she is lamenting over being “half a virgin,” was written by her.

15. Amanda Seyfried can REALLY shove her fist in her mouth, much like her character Karen.

Amanda displayed this ability during a Mean Girls-themed quiz with Radio Times.

16. The film features and discusses several brands.

There are several brand names displayed and spoken throughout the film, which becomes clear when Cady goes to lunch on her first day of school.

On the tables she passes, she sees Dasani, Coca-Cola, Red Bull, Gatorade, and Doritos goods.

When a fictitious sales clerk informs Regina she can’t fit into her size-five dress, she suggests she check the real-life department store Sears instead.

17. To get a PG-13 rating, the producers had to cut a lot of crude material.

Mean Girls’ creators had to tone down a lot of crass stuff in order to get a PG-13 classification from the MPAA, which wanted to rank the picture R. When Cady is asked if her “muffin was buttered,” she was originally asked, “Is your cherry popped?” When a girl is said to have “made out with a hot dog,” the line was originally going to be “masturbated with a hot dog.”

Gretchen was having oral sex on Jason in the original version of the scene where Cady walks in on Gretchen kissing Jason. When director Mark Waters claimed that comparable speech in Anchorman, which was rated PG-13, was allowed, he was able to get some risqué lines past the MPAA.

18. While filming the movie, Lacey Chabert, who played Gretchen Wieners, turned 21 years old.

While they were filming the mall scene, the crew brought out a cake for her, which really humiliated her.

19. In their first scene, Janis and Damian both wore bold T-shirts.

Janis and Damian are both wearing statement shirts when they initially decide to befriend Cady.

Janis’ says “Rubbish,” and Damian’s says “I see ugly people.”

The clothes set them apart from their more fashionable classmates and reinforce their reputation as outcasts at school.

20. Lizzy Caplan Was Initially Thought To Be Too Beautiful To Play Janis Ian

Lizzy Caplan was initially thought too attractive for the character of Janis Ian by the filmmakers, who were seeking for a “Kelly Osbourne-like actress.” However, her emotional performance in her audition so pleased the producers that she was cast regardless.

Janis was named after a real-life artist named Janis Ian, who was the first musical guest on Saturday Night Live (together with Billy Preston). Ian’s song “At Seventeen” can be heard in the Mean Girls scene where the Plastics are all fighting in Regina George’s house.