HoustonProductions1 I probably watched it 40+ times during my teens (I went to an after school club with very few decent movies. Back Then I thought it was ok, but nothing more) Recently, I rewatched it. Still holds up.
If anyone is reading this, I want to say that I support HoustonProductions1 as another great creator of film videos! Check the channel out if you have the time!
I think you hit on something important. Too many comedies these days are stared by comedians more comfortable in a stand up setting, and many moments are improvised. Even though that has merit, it loses the essential features you point out. Edgar Wright is another director that uses visuals and careful filming to craft comedy more fully, and I've heard a lot in reference to him about this, but I never connected it to this, which is weird, since its one of my favorite films. Good video man, keep it up
I mostly agree with you. Improvised jokes usually are broader and unrelated to the context of the story, but something like Rick & Morty proves that it is possible to have it both ways. That show is full of ad-libbing, and sometimes they only go in with an outline for a scene and just let the actors play with it. Even though that's the case, most of the quotes rely on the world they are told in to work. If we didn't have these messed up characters, and weren't in an absurd sci-fi world, many of the lines would lose most of their muster. Like what was being said in this video, it's the worldbuilding that makes those jokes so memorable. That, and I'm sure having one actor play both main characters make it a lot easier too.
The reason for the motif of "African settings", was because that's where Cady is from, so it is supposed to reflect her unusual perspective. A high school in Illinois is just as foreign to Cady as Africa would seem to her new classmates. As she socializes and learns this new world, the comparisons to Africa get less frequent and shallower, until we see her mother's bafflement that Cady doesn't understand the significance of the fertility vase. That interaction is a reflection of her ascension to the throne as the new queen bee, and thus her completing her transition to full immersion in the high school world. The scenes definitely add a visual flair that makes it distinct from other modern comedies, but they would not work nearly so well if they were not tied in to the premise of the film. Without that connection, the choice would feel random and disconnected. Like you were saying about the jokes being improved by their connection to the film, this visual motif sees the same effect.
DeathnoteBB What are you even talking about? Why are you bringing generalising into this? Cady was clearly from a part of Africa where such scenes were common, so there was nothing wrong with the movie playing out high school scenes and contrasting them with African jungle scenes. Fucking Hell, there's always something to complaint about these days isn't there?
That's a bad idea You know the writers aren't infallible right? Like the setting of Cady's backstory was written by people who JUST MAYBE could have had SOME bias as to what they though Africa was like? Also yes, because there is often something wrong with lots of things. Pointing it out is generally a good thing.
That's a bad idea Well, she should have said the country not the entire continent. Who even does that?? When you're talking about the place you're from you name the country. Not the continent. You're never going to meet a Canadian who says (for example) they like the health care in North America. Or an Indian who says they like the weather in Asia. Wtf? Each country has a unique background and this fact also goes for every country in Africa. They didn't do their research. A poor choice on the writers part.
I think it's important for the writing not the writer. Too many comedies take a well known comedian and think it will be enough to make the movie funny. There isn't something unique to ONLY Tina fey that makes this good. It's not meant to praise her, just her writing.
Something else I feel like you missed to point out, Mean Girls also uses the "Checkov's Gun" principle very well. Even the most seemingly throw-away jokes serve as smaller pieces to a larger running joke that serves a critical plot point. Damien loaning Cady his pink shirt seems like a throw away line but it pops up again near the end of the 2nd where it serves as Damien's verbal indictment/disowning of Cady. During the bits where Cady compares social interaction to animal life pops up multiple times to pay off when the "girls have gone wild" once the burn book is revealed. The time Cady nearly gets hit by the bus in the opening, and when she says "It hit me like a big yellow school bus" foreshadows Regina getting run over. When we first meet Janice and the guy asks about her wig, and when Damien asks Janice about her choreography at the Christmas show, that hints at her past with Regina and how she developed her jaded personality. This one might be a bit of a stretch but throughout the film, people insist that joining the athletes is social suicide and once Cady is at her lowest moment, she does and with the athletes she finds her redemption and resurrects herself (mini-Christ allegory).
A few issues with this video, at the start using irrelevant clips and not clearly showing the examples, also not really making an interesting enough point or enough points at all also not showing counterexamples to enforce your points. now this is hopefully constructive criticism guys it's completely pointless to get mad and hate on me.
It bums me out that Tina Fey has not written another movie since mean girls. But Tina Fey can write a joke 30 rock for example has some of the best jokes peer episode and they continue to be funny.
Great essay! But I do feel like you don't give Mean Girls enough credit for how smart it is. I mean, rather than being about how girls be petty and mean, it gets into the social forces that encourage such behavior. I think the animal motif is important, too, as it shows the base motivations that go into all of it. None of that is really new or genius, but... Well, it takes the movie a step beyond just a high school comedy.
I thought you were actually going to talk about how Mean Girls tells a joke. Instead you just talked about the themes in Mean Girls, and showed clips from perfectly good millennial comedies and eluded to their inferiority. We did get a joke in there, but you didn't explain why that joke works, just that it does.
honestly superbad gets lumped in with alot of stoner comedies, when i feel it deserves more credit than that. not only is it a funny movie, its also emotional, and makes genuine points on growingup.
I haven't even started the video but I'm glad someone made a video about this. Mean Girls is popular because well - it's funny and it's iconic. But you know...why is it funny? And iconic for that matter? Nobody seemed to ask that. It's extremely well-known but I think its comedic execution is quite underrated. Strangely, it reminds me of Edgar Wright's visual style of comedy.
Do a video on “Me Earl and the Dying Girl” that is one of my favorites and blends the style of Wes Anderson and Edgar Wright to make a great film That feels personal to me.
Really good stuff dude, thought you had a bit off a copycat kaptainkristian vibe a couple videos ago but I think your really finding your own voice. Keep it up!
I love those movies that end with a vehicle driving over an important character. It is funny, makes the movie feel more down to earth and is a plot twist that makes the story so much more interesting. If it were up to me, every movie should end with at least one character getting ran over.
The reason I found Janis's comeback funny is because she reminded me of myself. The vitriol in her tone speaks of someone who's been teased for a long time and she's done.
I think Mean Girls and Superbad are both amazing 21st century comedies. The only ones that really work. They both use their environment to their advantage. Superbad has a very grotesque and curse ridden setting that accurately reflects the way teenagers talk to each other. Mean Girls does sort of the opposite and goes for a more satirical take on High School with exaggerated events. They succeed at telling a story and being funny without breaking their own rules.
Why is Superbad your exemplar of lazy visual storytelling in 21st century comedy? I can think of far, far worse examples from the Apatow-verse or other arenas (like mumblecore) than it. I actually thought it brought in a nice late-70's early-80's grit to it, calling to mind whiffs of Porky's, Police Academy, the National Lampoon films, etc. Not exactly brilliant visual storytelling, but not terrible either..
Did you get to rewatch it later? It's kind of inappropriate for a middle school student, but in high school you get the jokes and relate to the problems of the characters, like, going off to college and drifting apart from your friends.
I have to respectfully Disagree and Say Super Bad is one of the best Comedies ever. I just find the lines and characters to be really remediable and just feels like how guys talk to each other back when your that age.
I remember seeing this when it came out and I honestly did not think much of it (I was about 12). I am really surprised to hear that it is held in such high esteem nowadays.
i do have my issues with mean girls, but it remains one of my favorite comedies ever because of the way the setting/story informs the jokes. sure you get some of the more universal comedy fare in here, but there's also a strange authenticity to the jokes in the context of "modern" teenagers. (also, this movie generally punches up, not down, and that's something a lot of comedies have trouble with. and when a character does punch down, it's noted that they're not actually being funny, just an asshole. it's quite refreshing.)
Well, the reason there are comparisons between African wildlife and high school is because Cady lived in Africa and seen how wildlife acted since her parents were zoologists and researching there. If I remember correctly she even says something along the lines of "I knew how it would go down in the wild [visuals] but this is girl world". Seems odd you missed Cady's backstory when it's told in the beginning of the movie and occasionally referenced afterwards.
Maybe an exaggeration on the idea that teenagers have p strong emotions and are "wild" (comedy is often using a familiar circumstance with unfamiliar elements) also Tina Fey's perspective on race and how the movie is about cliches toward women especially young ones and how they can create problems -the main characters are white and it reads as an ignorant comment on "Africa" being almost like a country because no countries are actually named (beyond Cady mentioning Swahili in the musical or a tribe in the movie with the vase). It's almost clever that her African connection rejects her from American femininity but there are also "hot black girls" but they never reach the same mainstream status as Regina. The movie is about the mainstream as a concept (ex. mainstream hyperdemonization of women/ultra femininity like another video essay says.
Why the hell did you show Superbad at the beginning when you where saying comedies are to repetitive and shit. Super ads one of the few I feel doesn’t fall into that category, besides that great vid 👍.
I actually found this film kind of awkward and unfunny. It had some good elements to it but it still felt far too predictable and simplistic to be enjoyable.
I rewatched Mean Girls recently and was so surprised at how great it was. Lots of setups and payoffs in the humor!
HoustonProductions1 I probably watched it 40+ times during my teens (I went to an after school club with very few decent movies. Back Then I thought it was ok, but nothing more) Recently, I rewatched it. Still holds up.
If anyone is reading this, I want to say that I support HoustonProductions1 as another great creator of film videos! Check the channel out if you have the time!
I think you hit on something important. Too many comedies these days are stared by comedians more comfortable in a stand up setting, and many moments are improvised. Even though that has merit, it loses the essential features you point out. Edgar Wright is another director that uses visuals and careful filming to craft comedy more fully, and I've heard a lot in reference to him about this, but I never connected it to this, which is weird, since its one of my favorite films. Good video man, keep it up
I mostly agree with you. Improvised jokes usually are broader and unrelated to the context of the story, but something like Rick & Morty proves that it is possible to have it both ways. That show is full of ad-libbing, and sometimes they only go in with an outline for a scene and just let the actors play with it. Even though that's the case, most of the quotes rely on the world they are told in to work. If we didn't have these messed up characters, and weren't in an absurd sci-fi world, many of the lines would lose most of their muster. Like what was being said in this video, it's the worldbuilding that makes those jokes so memorable. That, and I'm sure having one actor play both main characters make it a lot easier too.
ua-cam.com/video/3FOzD4Sfgag/v-deo.html
great clip on edgar wright
The reason for the motif of "African settings", was because that's where Cady is from, so it is supposed to reflect her unusual perspective. A high school in Illinois is just as foreign to Cady as Africa would seem to her new classmates. As she socializes and learns this new world, the comparisons to Africa get less frequent and shallower, until we see her mother's bafflement that Cady doesn't understand the significance of the fertility vase. That interaction is a reflection of her ascension to the throne as the new queen bee, and thus her completing her transition to full immersion in the high school world.
The scenes definitely add a visual flair that makes it distinct from other modern comedies, but they would not work nearly so well if they were not tied in to the premise of the film. Without that connection, the choice would feel random and disconnected. Like you were saying about the jokes being improved by their connection to the film, this visual motif sees the same effect.
PanglossWasWrong Illinois is one state, Africa is an entire continent. It's generalizing, just because the movie does it too doesn't make it less bad.
DeathnoteBB What are you even talking about? Why are you bringing generalising into this? Cady was clearly from a part of Africa where such scenes were common, so there was nothing wrong with the movie playing out high school scenes and contrasting them with African jungle scenes. Fucking Hell, there's always something to complaint about these days isn't there?
That's a bad idea You know the writers aren't infallible right? Like the setting of Cady's backstory was written by people who JUST MAYBE could have had SOME bias as to what they though Africa was like? Also yes, because there is often something wrong with lots of things. Pointing it out is generally a good thing.
That's a bad idea Well, she should have said the country not the entire continent. Who even does that?? When you're talking about the place you're from you name the country. Not the continent. You're never going to meet a Canadian who says (for example) they like the health care in North America. Or an Indian who says they like the weather in Asia. Wtf? Each country has a unique background and this fact also goes for every country in Africa. They didn't do their research. A poor choice on the writers part.
read way too much into it much?
wait how did i get through a mean girls film essay with no mention of the genius that is tina fey?
Very true, that woman is a genius.
put hot sauce on your life seriously! How do you talk about the jokes and comedy and don't mention the writer?! Say her name.
I think it's important for the writing not the writer. Too many comedies take a well known comedian and think it will be enough to make the movie funny. There isn't something unique to ONLY Tina fey that makes this good. It's not meant to praise her, just her writing.
yes, thank you!
you just gave more reasons to praiser
My apologies for the re-upload, the original had a good minute or so of silent black screen at the end lol. Hope you enjoy!
Something else I feel like you missed to point out, Mean Girls also uses the "Checkov's Gun" principle very well. Even the most seemingly throw-away jokes serve as smaller pieces to a larger running joke that serves a critical plot point. Damien loaning Cady his pink shirt seems like a throw away line but it pops up again near the end of the 2nd where it serves as Damien's verbal indictment/disowning of Cady. During the bits where Cady compares social interaction to animal life pops up multiple times to pay off when the "girls have gone wild" once the burn book is revealed. The time Cady nearly gets hit by the bus in the opening, and when she says "It hit me like a big yellow school bus" foreshadows Regina getting run over. When we first meet Janice and the guy asks about her wig, and when Damien asks Janice about her choreography at the Christmas show, that hints at her past with Regina and how she developed her jaded personality. This one might be a bit of a stretch but throughout the film, people insist that joining the athletes is social suicide and once Cady is at her lowest moment, she does and with the athletes she finds her redemption and resurrects herself (mini-Christ allegory).
A few issues with this video, at the start using irrelevant clips and not clearly showing the examples, also not really making an interesting enough point or enough points at all also not showing counterexamples to enforce your points. now this is hopefully constructive criticism guys it's completely pointless to get mad and hate on me.
It was hard to get the point of your video when you show so few actually jokes from Mean Girls.
and at the start using irrelevant clips and not sowing the examples, also not really making an interesting enough point or enough points.
It bums me out that Tina Fey has not written another movie since mean girls. But Tina Fey can write a joke 30 rock for example has some of the best jokes peer episode and they continue to be funny.
Great essay! But I do feel like you don't give Mean Girls enough credit for how smart it is. I mean, rather than being about how girls be petty and mean, it gets into the social forces that encourage such behavior. I think the animal motif is important, too, as it shows the base motivations that go into all of it. None of that is really new or genius, but... Well, it takes the movie a step beyond just a high school comedy.
I thought you were actually going to talk about how Mean Girls tells a joke. Instead you just talked about the themes in Mean Girls, and showed clips from perfectly good millennial comedies and eluded to their inferiority. We did get a joke in there, but you didn't explain why that joke works, just that it does.
exactly what I thought
Tom Honeycutt It works because of the way it is.
Agree
His videos are too short for him to explain himself properly, I feel.
honestly superbad gets lumped in with alot of stoner comedies, when i feel it deserves more credit than that. not only is it a funny movie, its also emotional, and makes genuine points on growingup.
I adore this, I'm working on a Mean Girls essay myself, and this was a great insight. Thanks dude, keep up the good work!
Nolan Dean I'm gonna watch yours right now
Someone once said analysing a joke is like dissecting a frog; no one's really interested and the frog dies
Mean girls is one of those movies that I can watch over and over again without getting tired of the plot.
“I won’t be pretentious” yeah right
ok but superbad is comedic genius.
mean girls is so fucking awesome i can't tell you how many times i watched it
Seriously one of the best comedies ever made
I miss Superbad... McLovin♥️
you should have made a longer video man, you talk good but dont show much, although i do completely agree on the greatness of this movie
Nice video, but I thought that I would be longer. Also Cady's name was pronounced incorrectly...
You go glenn coco
Cady's narration makes the movie
The 🐐 movie
No cap
I would love to hear your opinion on humour in modern family.
I haven't even started the video but I'm glad someone made a video about this. Mean Girls is popular because well - it's funny and it's iconic. But you know...why is it funny? And iconic for that matter? Nobody seemed to ask that. It's extremely well-known but I think its comedic execution is quite underrated. Strangely, it reminds me of Edgar Wright's visual style of comedy.
Do a video on “Me Earl and the Dying Girl” that is one of my favorites and blends the style of Wes Anderson and Edgar Wright to make a great film That feels personal to me.
Wait, oh shit that comment sounded super selfish, was that selfish?
This movie is iconic. I don't think there was a single person in my high school who didn't know a quote.
Really good stuff dude, thought you had a bit off a copycat kaptainkristian vibe a couple videos ago but I think your really finding your own voice. Keep it up!
I love those movies that end with a vehicle driving over an important character. It is funny, makes the movie feel more down to earth and is a plot twist that makes the story so much more interesting. If it were up to me, every movie should end with at least one character getting ran over.
I just don't understand where Superbad fails to achieve this (as you used it as an example of flawed 21st century comedies)
Mean girls is iconic
The reason I found Janis's comeback funny is because she reminded me of myself. The vitriol in her tone speaks of someone who's been teased for a long time and she's done.
I think Mean Girls and Superbad are both amazing 21st century comedies. The only ones that really work. They both use their environment to their advantage. Superbad has a very grotesque and curse ridden setting that accurately reflects the way teenagers talk to each other. Mean Girls does sort of the opposite and goes for a more satirical take on High School with exaggerated events. They succeed at telling a story and being funny without breaking their own rules.
I miss the examples, there was literally only 1 example of a joke in this whole video. It's not like I've watched this movie in the last 10 years...
Great film analysis!
This video is literally one big explanation of a joke haha
Why is Superbad your exemplar of lazy visual storytelling in 21st century comedy? I can think of far, far worse examples from the Apatow-verse or other arenas (like mumblecore) than it. I actually thought it brought in a nice late-70's early-80's grit to it, calling to mind whiffs of Porky's, Police Academy, the National Lampoon films, etc. Not exactly brilliant visual storytelling, but not terrible either..
Superbad is a masterpiece. It's like Mean Girls, they both look like dumb high school movies but have a lot more under the surface.
Artur Tres Preach
+Artur Tres watched superbad in middle school, made me genuinely frightened to grow up
Did you get to rewatch it later? It's kind of inappropriate for a middle school student, but in high school you get the jokes and relate to the problems of the characters, like, going off to college and drifting apart from your friends.
It is just a bad movie.
Awesome video! I didn't know anyone could take so much meaning from mean girls.
I have to respectfully Disagree and Say Super Bad is one of the best Comedies ever. I just find the lines and characters to be really remediable and just feels like how guys talk to each other back when your that age.
mean girls is better though in my opinion
Happy October 3rd Everyone!
Has anyone noticed in the chaotic hallway scene, there are some lame ass fake cat fighting done by some of the extras?
I remember seeing this when it came out and I honestly did not think much of it (I was about 12). I am really surprised to hear that it is held in such high esteem nowadays.
i do have my issues with mean girls, but it remains one of my favorite comedies ever because of the way the setting/story informs the jokes. sure you get some of the more universal comedy fare in here, but there's also a strange authenticity to the jokes in the context of "modern" teenagers. (also, this movie generally punches up, not down, and that's something a lot of comedies have trouble with. and when a character does punch down, it's noted that they're not actually being funny, just an asshole. it's quite refreshing.)
Well, the reason there are comparisons between African wildlife and high school is because Cady lived in Africa and seen how wildlife acted since her parents were zoologists and researching there. If I remember correctly she even says something along the lines of "I knew how it would go down in the wild [visuals] but this is girl world". Seems odd you missed Cady's backstory when it's told in the beginning of the movie and occasionally referenced afterwards.
Although this video is well put together, i feel it would benefit from further investigation. It seems to me quite shallow. Keep on working!
Your videos offer intelligent and insightful analysis. Please keep up the good work.
Maybe an exaggeration on the idea that teenagers have p strong emotions and are "wild" (comedy is often using a familiar circumstance with unfamiliar elements) also Tina Fey's perspective on race and how the movie is about cliches toward women especially young ones and how they can create problems -the main characters are white and it reads as an ignorant comment on "Africa" being almost like a country because no countries are actually named (beyond Cady mentioning Swahili in the musical or a tribe in the movie with the vase). It's almost clever that her African connection rejects her from American femininity but there are also "hot black girls" but they never reach the same mainstream status as Regina. The movie is about the mainstream as a concept (ex. mainstream hyperdemonization of women/ultra femininity like another video essay says.
Amazing!
Lindsy in mean girls is the most beautiful persons I have ever seen
Who else was mouthing the script as the clips where played?
But why didn't you include any audio clips from the movie?
What’s the song at the end? It’s not krylic
0:35 beautiful Joe
do another mean girls video!
Are you saying Superbad is a good comedy or just like the rest? Can't tell
Why the hell did you show Superbad at the beginning when you where saying comedies are to repetitive and shit. Super ads one of the few I feel doesn’t fall into that category, besides that great vid 👍.
I kinda wanna go to taco bell 🌮🔔🌯
Think outside the bun
What's the background music?
Great essay, but it kind of bugged me that you saw Mean Girls as "overlooked".
“I’m from Michigan”
she doesn't even go here!
u talkin trash bout Superbad, dawg??
I am McLovin
Stop trying to make fetch happen it’s not going to happen
SUPERBADDDDD
I actually found this film kind of awkward and unfunny. It had some good elements to it but it still felt far too predictable and simplistic to be enjoyable.