Still trying to make fetch happen
February 7, 2014 8:09 AM   Subscribe

 
> Paramount was wary of casting Tim Meadows and Amy Poehler

That would have been a shame, because - and this is probably the only time I will ever type this - Tim Meadows killed it:

Mr. Duvall: Never in my 14 years as an educator have I seen such behavior. And from young ladies. I've got parents calling me on the phone and asking, 'Did someone get shot'. I oughta cancel your Spring Fling.
[all girls shout, no, and whisper among themselves]
Mr. Duvall: Now, I'm not gonna do that because we've already paid the DJ, but don't think I'm not taking this book seriously. Coach Carr has fled school property. Ms. Norbury has been accused of selling drugs. Now what the young ladies in this grade need is an attitude makeover. And you're going to get it, right now. I don't care how long it takes. I will keep you here all night.
Joan the Secretary: We can't keep them past four.
Mr. Duvall: I will keep you here until four.
posted by The Card Cheat at 8:14 AM on February 7, 2014 [44 favorites]


That's why her hair is so big. It's full of secrets.
posted by hootenatty at 8:19 AM on February 7, 2014 [1 favorite]


Um... Tim Meadows always kills it.
posted by Navelgazer at 8:27 AM on February 7, 2014 [16 favorites]


He did not leave the South Side for this.
posted by dismas at 8:31 AM on February 7, 2014 [4 favorites]


He also couldn't be happier the school year is ending.
posted by The Card Cheat at 8:33 AM on February 7, 2014


I use "She doesn't even go here" as regularly as I can in normal conversation.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 8:38 AM on February 7, 2014 [19 favorites]


This is cool, thanks.
I don't know much about the techniques of filmmaking, so maybe it is a conventional cheat, but tweaking the frame rate for the four-way phone call scene is a really cool method. Very clever.
posted by staccato signals of constant information at 8:42 AM on February 7, 2014 [1 favorite]


I want to visit the alternate universe where Lindsay played Regina George so I can see that version of Mean Girls.
posted by nooneyouknow at 8:42 AM on February 7, 2014 [7 favorites]


If the director's kids are old enough to see it, then mine are. Family Movie Night tonight is going to rule.
posted by padraigin at 8:43 AM on February 7, 2014 [5 favorites]


Yeah but Amy Poehler in that movie creates a weird Mean Girls/Parks and Rec/Party Down/Veronica Mars vortex where Amy Poehler is Lizzy Caplan's classmate's mother but both of them date Adam Scott who is ALSO Kristin Bell's teacher even though Kristin Bell is Amy Poehler's contemporary but she ALSO worked with and dated Adam Scott when he was working with Lizzy Caplan and NO ONE'S AGE MAKES SENSE ANYMORE IS SHE SOMEONE'S MOTHER OR THEIR PEER WHOSE MOTHER IS SHE WHAT AGE IS ADAM SCOTT ANYWAY?
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 8:43 AM on February 7, 2014 [39 favorites]


For some reason I will never understand, I said "She doesn't even go here" one time when somebody accidentally walked into a conference room during a meeting at work.

I will never be more thankful than I was to the two people who broke the silence by eventually laughing at the joke when they placed it. It couldn't have been more than three or four seconds but it felt like an ETERNITY.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 8:43 AM on February 7, 2014 [14 favorites]


Adam Scott does not age because he was never born and thus can never die
posted by The Whelk at 8:45 AM on February 7, 2014 [9 favorites]


"The line in the sand that I drew was the joke about the wide-set vagina. The ratings board said, 'We can't give you a PG-13 unless you cut that line.' We ended up playing the card that the ratings board was sexist, because Anchorman had just come out, and Ron Burgundy had an erection in one scene, and that was PG-13. We told them, 'You're only saying this because it's a girl, and she's talking about a part of her anatomy. There's no sexual context whatsoever, and to say this is restrictive to an audience of girls is demeaning to all women.' And they eventually had to back down."

my favorite part (even if he was just "playing the card")
posted by changeling at 8:49 AM on February 7, 2014 [19 favorites]


I've always known about the near-miss casting of Lohan as Regina George but don't think I knew Seyfried almost had it. I thought Rachel McAdams was great in it but am really curious what Amanda Seyfried tried with it in auditions.

I love Mean Girls but wish it had a darker ending - the breaking up the tiara and the "and then there were no more cliques, and I totally got the guy in the end" bits were kind of treacly.
posted by sweetkid at 8:54 AM on February 7, 2014 [2 favorites]


And on the third day, God created the Remington bolt-action rifle, so man could fight the dinosaurs... and the homosexuals.
posted by hootenatty at 8:55 AM on February 7, 2014 [5 favorites]


I love Mean Girls but wish it had a darker ending

I think you're looking for Heathers.
posted by Navelgazer at 8:58 AM on February 7, 2014 [39 favorites]


God, Seyfried as Regina would have been amazing. Because Seyfried is always amazing. She's gotten too few good roles, but when she does (i.e. Veronica Mars), she's honest to god the best actress of her generation.
posted by ThatFuzzyBastard at 8:58 AM on February 7, 2014 [1 favorite]


also Janis Ian would never have ended up with Kevin Gnapoor.
posted by changeling at 8:58 AM on February 7, 2014 [1 favorite]


I knew a lot of this stuff already, but it was still an enjoyable read.

We had lots of battles with the ratings board on the movie. There was the line, 'Amber D'Alessio gave a blow job to a hot dog,' which eventually became 'Amber D'Alessio made out with a hot dog.' Which is somehow weirder

TOTALLY WEIRDER.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 8:59 AM on February 7, 2014 [9 favorites]


Lindsay Lohan is a talented actress. She was totally convincing as the innocent and nice girl in Mean Girls, and she would have been great as Regina George, too, obviously. I think her acting skills are underrated.

Also, I like Freaky Friday and she was seamless in her role switchover in that movie (to being the mom). There's something so natural about her acting presence- I hope that she gets some more good and interesting roles, and is getting her personal life together.
posted by bearette at 9:01 AM on February 7, 2014 [14 favorites]


Rachel McAdams as Cady, Seyfried as Regina, and (what the hell) Lohan as Karen. That would be a sight.

Also, I seriously never thought about the (creepy!) fact that Poehler is only seven years older than McAdams. They were both perfect as mother/daughter.

also Janis Ian would never have ended up with Kevin Gnapoor.

If you didn't follow the link to how he looks today, we should all have been so lucky as to wind up with him.
posted by psoas at 9:01 AM on February 7, 2014 [1 favorite]


The "Unfortunately, no one told me about the slut rule" scene from Mean Girls is one of those scenes that makes me crack up just thinking about it. I know this is probably the least original thought in the world, but everytime I watch Mean Girls the fact that Lindsay Lohan is a tragic figure/punchline rather than a major movie star seems like a huge shame.

I love Mean Girls but wish it had a darker ending - the breaking up the tiara and the "and then there were no more cliques, and I totally got the guy in the end" bits were kind of treacly.

I felt the same way. Movie was great most of the way through, but the "...and then the world was a perfect place" ending felt really tacked on.
posted by The Gooch at 9:02 AM on February 7, 2014 [1 favorite]


I love Mean Girls but wish it had a darker ending

I think you're looking for Heathers.


Yeah, no I've seen Heathers.
posted by sweetkid at 9:03 AM on February 7, 2014


Also also: Lacey Chabert just can't catch a break, can she? First, no Channing Tatum for Gretchen and she doesn't even merit a mention here.
posted by psoas at 9:04 AM on February 7, 2014 [1 favorite]


mean Girls characters ten years later ....I know in my heart of hearts Damian is a TV recapper with a part time job living in Astoria.
posted by The Whelk at 9:07 AM on February 7, 2014 [8 favorites]


I'm sorry, the entire premise of this article--that Mean Girls is 10 years old--can't possibly be right, because that would make me OH JESUS CHRIST I'M OLD
posted by Rangeboy at 9:15 AM on February 7, 2014 [14 favorites]


Yeah but Amy Poehler in that movie creates a weird Mean Girls/Parks and Rec/Party Down/Veronica Mars vortex where Amy Poehler is Lizzy Caplan's classmate's mother but both of them date Adam Scott who is ALSO Kristin Bell's teacher even though Kristin Bell is Amy Poehler's contemporary but she ALSO worked with and dated Adam Scott when he was working with Lizzy Caplan and NO ONE'S AGE MAKES SENSE ANYMORE IS SHE SOMEONE'S MOTHER OR THEIR PEER WHOSE MOTHER IS SHE WHAT AGE IS ADAM SCOTT ANYWAY?

Also with all of Poehler's UCB compatriots and Marino's The State castmates showing up in these things, they all live in a world with Supercool abuse epidemics and porcupine racing.

Which, actually? I could totally see Sweetums pushing Supercool in Pawnee.
posted by jason_steakums at 9:16 AM on February 7, 2014 [3 favorites]


this is probably the only time I will ever type this - Tim Meadows killed it

Do yourself a favor and listen to any of his appearances on the Improv4Humans podcast, especially those episodes also featuring Horatio Sanz (another SNL alum who's done his best work outside of SNL).
posted by Atom Eyes at 9:20 AM on February 7, 2014 [4 favorites]


...this is probably the only time I will ever type this - Tim Meadows killed it

Ahem.
posted by furtive at 9:30 AM on February 7, 2014 [18 favorites]


Also, I'm sad that Mean Mad Men hasn't been updated since last spring.
posted by Rangeboy at 9:32 AM on February 7, 2014 [3 favorites]


Oh my, yes. How could I have forgotten that scene in Walk Hard? I retract my earlier statement regarding Mr. Meadows.
posted by The Card Cheat at 9:34 AM on February 7, 2014 [2 favorites]


The Janis Ian character was my favorite. I was really hoping that actress was going to be mega famous or at least getting a steady paycheck. I hope she is. Also, I thought the ending was fine. Because the junior plastics arrived. That made it pretty clear that the peace love and harmony shit would not be lasting for very long. Just like real life.
posted by Bella Donna at 9:35 AM on February 7, 2014 [2 favorites]


And on the third day, God created the Remington bolt-action rifle, so man could fight the dinosaurs... and the homosexuals.

This is the line that made me sit up and think, "Whoa, this is NOT the movie I was expecting from the front of the DVD case."
posted by chainsofreedom at 9:35 AM on February 7, 2014 [1 favorite]


The Janis Ian character was my favorite. I was really hoping that actress was going to be mega famous or at least getting a steady paycheck. I hope she is.

I think she's doing okay.
posted by Rangeboy at 9:37 AM on February 7, 2014 [3 favorites]


Mean Girls premiered in the US on 30 April 2004. The 10 year mark of the release just so happens to fall on a Wednesday this year. I already know what I'm going to wear, because on Wednesdays we wear pink.
posted by sephira at 9:38 AM on February 7, 2014 [11 favorites]


She is killing it in Masters Of Sex right now.
posted by The Whelk at 9:38 AM on February 7, 2014 [3 favorites]


Grool!
posted by cazoo at 9:39 AM on February 7, 2014


Mean Elves
posted by The Whelk at 9:41 AM on February 7, 2014


The Orbital at the end of the movie really is the icing on the cake.
posted by suprenant at 9:45 AM on February 7, 2014 [3 favorites]


Heathers is a rip-off of the 1976 Rene Daalder film Massacre at Central High.
posted by larrybob at 10:34 AM on February 7, 2014


Upon rewatching Mean Girls, I was surprised at how much of it has crept into my everyday speech: the aforementioned "she doesn't even go here!", "boo you whores," "get in loser, we're going shopping," "I just have a lot of feelings," "oh my god Karen, you can't just ask people why they're white...." It's up there with the Simpsons in quotability in my everyday life.
posted by yasaman at 10:35 AM on February 7, 2014 [5 favorites]


At some point we all just forgot these lines are actually from the movie and they just became common idom chunks.
posted by The Whelk at 10:37 AM on February 7, 2014 [2 favorites]


you go Glen Coco!
posted by sweetkid at 10:38 AM on February 7, 2014 [6 favorites]


On the subject of quoting Mean Girls, I'm just glad it came out when I was 29 rather than 19; otherwise I would have been absolutely insufferable.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 10:38 AM on February 7, 2014 [4 favorites]


Also Mean Girls was the first time I ever heard that some women use Halloween as an excuse to dress slutty.
posted by sweetkid at 10:39 AM on February 7, 2014 [1 favorite]


Here's a quote quiz, Hangman-style

I got 12/12 and I'm not sure it's because it's easy or because I have no shame.
posted by dismas at 10:50 AM on February 7, 2014 [3 favorites]


That quiz is great.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 10:59 AM on February 7, 2014


My one gripe about Mean Girls, and it's big enough that I want to put a shoe through my TV when I watch it even though it's one of my favourite movies, is its bleedingly lazy treatment of Asian characters, minor though they are. Kevin Gnapoor was supposed to be "Kevin Ngor, a Korean Math nerd". Ngor is not a Korean surname, and is more likely to be Vietnamese. Also, the two Vietnamese girls who get into a catfight over Coach Carr (the depiction of which is just UGH, Miss Saigon bullshit and the reason why the second shoe gets thrown) are named Trang Pak and Sun Jin Dinh. Pak is NOT a Vietnamese last name and Sun Jin is a pair of distinctly Korean-sounding syllables. And Gnapoor? Where the hell is that from?? You can't just throw a bunch of Asian-sounding syllables together and pray that they cohere. Tina Fey, I am disappoint.
posted by peripathetic at 11:14 AM on February 7, 2014 [26 favorites]


Still so excited this movie mentions Walker Brothers Pancake House and, um, brb, gotta drive to the Chicago suburbs and go eat some Belgian waffles now.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 11:43 AM on February 7, 2014 [4 favorites]


Mean Girls is not a decade old. It is not
posted by brundlefly at 11:46 AM on February 7, 2014


Everyone, the passage of time is still a thing.
posted by The Whelk at 11:53 AM on February 7, 2014 [22 favorites]


Still so excited this movie mentions Walker Brothers Pancake House and, um, brb, gotta drive to the Chicago suburbs and go eat some Belgian waffles now.


Related: the real Old Orchard Mall is not an indoor mall.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 11:54 AM on February 7, 2014 [3 favorites]


I can't believe I have been saying there's a 30% chance it's already raining! for 10 years.
posted by mlle valentine at 12:36 PM on February 7, 2014


...this is probably the only time I will ever type this - Tim Meadows killed it

Ahem.


Ahem.
posted by JoeZydeco at 12:38 PM on February 7, 2014 [1 favorite]


Everyone, the passage of time is still a thing.

Gretchen, stop trying to make the passage of time happen.
posted by 2bucksplus at 12:58 PM on February 7, 2014 [26 favorites]


"I really wanna lose three pounds."
posted by sweetkid at 1:08 PM on February 7, 2014 [1 favorite]


I aced that quote quiz and I'm not even embarrassed.
posted by lunasol at 1:20 PM on February 7, 2014


I hear you on the Asian characters, peripathetic, but I guess given the time period I wasn't expecting better.
posted by sweetkid at 1:31 PM on February 7, 2014


It was 2004 and I expected better of writers of a smart movie who were very likely based out of large, cosmopolitan cities. That'll teach me.
posted by peripathetic at 1:52 PM on February 7, 2014 [1 favorite]


I still blame this movie for the weird spike in the hatred of the word "Moist" in the mid-late 2000s. I swear, if there was some way to retroactively poll people in like, 2002, 2006 or 8, and now that there would be a HUGE spike in the middle, and it wouldn't have fallen to pre-mean girls levels yet.

I swear it started as much of a pop culture touchstone around that as some things from say, napolean dynamite did.
posted by emptythought at 2:03 PM on February 7, 2014 [1 favorite]


I guess the fact that there was an Indian American at all kind of felt like a good thing to me, as it seemed like previously if there were Indian people in anything they were meant to be immigrants.

Not excusing anything though because your points are all perfect peripathetic.
posted by sweetkid at 2:08 PM on February 7, 2014


'What's a wide-set vagina?'

Oh, c'mon. If there's a quote from any TFA that begs a 'same as in town'...
posted by Smedleyman at 3:16 PM on February 7, 2014


I, tragically, had Mean Girls overhyped to me—people quoting it all the time, etc.—and as a consequence I found the movie almost wholly unfunny. (Amy Poehler, though.)

I bare my darkest secret to you in the hope that it is never repeated.
posted by Quilford at 3:28 PM on February 7, 2014


the weird spike in the hatred of the word "Moist" in the mid-late 2000s

But that is also when one would moisturize one's situation
posted by thelonius at 7:54 PM on February 7, 2014


I know people talked about hating "moist" before Mean Girls, but, meh.
posted by sweetkid at 8:46 PM on February 7, 2014


it made moist happen
posted by The Whelk at 9:13 PM on February 7, 2014 [1 favorite]


Kevin G was a great character, sweetkid, and I do know what you mean! It took me a second viewing and more geeking out over the movie before I discovered the things that bothered me.
posted by peripathetic at 9:20 PM on February 7, 2014


My one gripe about Mean Girls, and it's big enough that I want to put a shoe through my TV when I watch it even though it's one of my favourite movies, is its bleedingly lazy treatment of Asian characters

I LOVE Mean Girls, but it's also sorta lazy with the 'African' theme. Y'know, she lived in... Africa... and there she learned about... wild animals. Okay.
posted by Solon and Thanks at 2:22 AM on February 8, 2014 [1 favorite]


Well, that's not quite the same since there are no African characters in the movie. Not saying the way they talk about Africa in the movie isn't general and lazy, but peripathetic is making a different point.
posted by sweetkid at 6:53 AM on February 8, 2014


At least with the "Africa" theme, they have the scene where Tina Fey welcomes the black girl and she retorts that she's from Michigan?
posted by andrewesque at 9:07 AM on February 8, 2014 [2 favorites]


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