Stereotypes In Mean Girls

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What does it mean to be a girl? Does it have to do with a midwife’s proclamation at birth, or is it something more elusive, an identity constructed over the course of a lifetime? In the movie Mean Girls, the character Cady Heron is forced to face the reality of this question when she enters a traditional Midwest high school after having lived in Africa for all sixteen years of her life. Torn between her alliance with Janis, an artsy, eccentric outsider, and her friendship with the popular girls, commonly known as ‘The Plastics,’ Cady faces the social pressures of girl world for the first time. Using the Plastics as an ‘ideal’ model, and Janis as the ‘anti-model,’ Mean Girls illustrates the set gender roles for young women in society. The film …show more content…
At the beginning of the film, Cady is essentially a ‘clean slate,’ free from the influences of gender norms. When we first meet her she is poised, naturally attractive, and slightly (but endearingly) dorky. An excellent math student, she immediately gravitates toward the invitation to join her high school’s ‘Mathlete’ team. Cady’s identity at the beginning of the movie is that of a girl who makes decisions and lives her life uninhibited by the pressures of society. However, at this time in the film she is lonely and isolated. We see footage of her eating lunch in a bathroom stall on her first day of school because she has no friends to sit with in the cafeteria. This situation illustrates the idea that in order for one to truly be a free thinker in our society, they must be completely removed from it. Social pressure is simply too strong a normalizing force, and it is present whenever an individual comes into contact with other humans. Thus, a consequence of being unrestricted by social pressures—as seen in the case of Cady at the beginning of the film—is complete separation from one’s peers. This is not a sustainable lifestyle, as social connection and acceptance are some of the basic needs of all human

Gender Stereotypes In Mean Girls

and Mastro conclude that young girls are in fact influenced films they are exposed to. From this I believe that it is important to look at the stereotypes of girl that teens are exposed to when they are most impressionable. Since this is the stage in which they develop gender stereotypes that will influence them through their lives. Exploring and addressing the stereotypes that is portrayed in these films shows viewers of my photographs what is affecting young girls today. Looking towards the future…

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Examples Of Stereotypes In Mean Girls

Mean Girls, a very popular movie amongst teenage girls directed by Mark Waters, showcases the different groups of teenagers in high school. Even though the movie was produced in 2004, it’s still relevant today. The movie is about a girl named Cady, who is the “new girl” at the school. She lived in Africa for 12 years and was home-schooled her whole life. When she arrives at her new school her goal is to be able to “fit in”. In Mean Girls, we see the typical stereotypes of certain groups in high…

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Mean Girls Sociology

Mean Girls is a film about a group of three girls, who are called “the Plastics,” and the new girl in school who came from Africa. The Plastics are made up of Regina George, Gretchen Weiners, and Karen Smith. There are also Janis and Damian, who refer to themselves as “the coolest people you will ever meet.” Janis and Damian use the new girl, Cady Heron, to get an inside look at what the Plastics really do. There are many different sociological concepts in the film Mean Girls. A few are social groups…

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Stereotypes In The Bratz

The Bratz movie is a really good example of portraying stereotypes. It's about best girlfriends who face off against the domineering student body president who wants to split them up into different social cliques. The different stereotypes that was shown in this film was Race, Gender, Social Groups, and Social interaction. There were three racial stereotypes that were shown in this film. The first was Jade which was an asian girl, her mom wanted her to be a straight A student with a lot of priorities…

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Sorority Stereotypes

One of the common stereotypes that is directly related to sororities is that they are all about partying and getting drunk. When asked what common stereotypes about sorority’s people have heard, 53 percent of the respondents to my survey said that sorority girls are known for partying and getting drunk. After receiving that I asked them if they believed those stereotypes were true about their sorority and why. Respondent 28 said, “Absolutely Not! I know many women in my sorority, myself included…

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Gender Stereotypes In Society

Why do gender stereotypes still exist to this day? Also, why does society try and mold themselves to achieve a certain stereotype? The stereotype that pink is a feminine color is associated with showing weakness, girliness, and lack of strength. It’s a very common gender stereotype that is a problem in today’s society. This started because from a young age, women grew up with the idea that females should like lighter shades and that men should like darker shades. This is still present to this day…

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Negative Consequences Of Stereotyping In Sports

were included in this chapter helps familiarizing information that are relevant and similar to present study. Stereotypes as explanations: the formation of meaningful beliefs about social groups. As stated by Yzerbyt, V., and Spears, R. (2000). If we accept that perceptions of corporations are so vital for human beings to recognize the social global, then knowledge those stereotypes is also extraordinarily vital for social psychology. Handbook of prejudice, stereotyping and discrimination: As…

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Essay about Mean Girls

“If the limit does not approach anything, the limit does not exist.” This quote from Cady Herron (Lindsey Lohan) in the movie Mean Girls pretty much sums up the moral of the entire movie. Throughout the film, we see a young girl who enters high school without a clue as to what is about to succumb to her. Here is a gorgeous young broad in a high school where the girls there do not amount to the looks of the “Plastics ,” therefore the Plastics jump in for a chance to add to their click. Cady seems…

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Sears Gender Roles

were very usual, but that does not mean that toys were not tied with a gender (Sweet). Girl’s toys from the 1920s-1960s were focused on nurturing and housework; one of the big leaders in this toy release was Sears (Sweet). Sears released toy brooms and mops in 1925 proclaiming that it was “a practical toy for little girls” and that “every girl likes to play house, to sweep, and to do her mother’s work for her” (Sweet). Toys like that were made to prepare young girls for the domestic tasks in her future…

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Gender Stereotypes Paper

even though this means acting “unladylike” and being labeled as a dyke or bitch. If they were to emphasize their femininity and adopt a less assertive policing style they would consequently fail to meet work-related expectations (Sacks,…

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