She parts the hallways like the Red Sea. Bystanders begin to murmur, looking away lest they want to be stared down to death. Almost as if on cue, a gust of wind blows against her golden tresses, making every step she takes an even more alluring sight. From a mile away, you could spot her like a hot pink meteor descending into the Earth’s atmosphere. Her name is Regina George, and she is a massive deal.
This blonde bombshell needs no introduction. Anyone who’s been on the internet long enough to come across a meme referencing the 2000s would know of the infamous teenage villainess from Mean Girls. While Cady Heron was still growing up in Africa with all the little birdies and the little monkeys, Regina was already being paraded around as the queen bee of North Shore High School. The Burn Book, the latex Mrs. Claus costume, the incessant reminders to Gretchen Weiners that “fetch” will never, ever happen—all enduring trademarks of a true pop culture icon that is Regina George.
As iconic as she is though, the truth is Regina George isn't exactly hard to come by. Over the years, pop culture icons cut from the same cloth have been introduced. She was spotted on the steps of the MET as the hoity-toity Blair Waldorf. She was the cynical sorority president of Kappa Kappa Tau as Chanel Oberlin. One could go as far as saying that she was the editor-in-chief of Runway, the “Ice Queen” herself, Miranda Priestly. On local television, she could be Marga Bartolome from Kadenang Ginto, or more recently, Irene Tiu in Can’t Buy Me Love. Being a mean girl sure seems to be a popular role, after all.
While she technically wasn’t the main protagonist, there’s a reason why Regina is arguably the most unforgettable character in the movie—even in the 2024 reboot. There’s something to be said about a persona who’s able to embody her badass energy while also being unapologetically in touch with her feminine sensibilities. Aaron Samuels aside, Miss George had enough intellect to get what she wanted on her own. While she was busy meticulously scheming and getting into her target’s mind, she never forgot to put on a cute outfit, too (unless, you know, she ate too many Caltene bars to fit into anything other than sweatpants).
There’s really no point in denying that Regina George is the blueprint. She’s powerful, intelligent, confident, and on top of all that, she always looks good. From the original 2004 flick up to the 2024 musical adaptation, the antagonist emanates a certain aspirational energy that’s difficult to fully capture. When you’re the apex predator in the hostile environment that is teenage life, who wouldn’t want to be you, right?
Admittedly, I would’ve been eaten alive by Regina if we went to the same high school. Chubby, freshly out of the closet, and unequipped with the right social skills, she would’ve shoved me into the lockers or pierced me with her scathing insults. Even if I wasn’t in the “girl world,” quite literally attending an all-boys school, she still manifested in her own devious ways. Evil took a form in a handful of Regina Georges.
When I finally came to terms with my sexuality in sophomore year, the bullying from my straight classmates—surprisingly enough—came to a halt. I suppose placing truth into their jokes and jeers finally made them shut up.
What I didn’t expect was the ostracization from my fellow queers, both within and above my batch. Puberty makes everyone awkward. For me, it meant weekly acne breakouts and fluctuating body weight. I was very much aware that I didn’t fit the stereotypical image of a “pa-girl” gay person, which became an issue when I looked at my peers who were pretty enough to be their section’s muse. They were pouting before Kylie Jenner made it a thing, and their jawlines were sharp enough to slice through pieces of paper.
I knew I didn’t fit in. A lot of my present insecurities stemmed from the experiences I had with the "plastics" I encountered back then. Maybe I was being singled out for reasons other than my appearance, so I can’t fully blame the Reginas for being Reginas. But I also can’t deny that I never felt a sense of belonging with some of them even if we shared similar experiences. Just picture it: I would walk into the cafeteria, try to find a clique to sit with, fail at that pathetic attempt, and eventually, resort to solitude in a bathroom stall.
People have definitely matured in the “real world.” From time to time, I hear accounts of how bullying isn’t “cool” anymore in the high school I went to, or in any school for that matter. The tables have finally turned, and the Reginas no longer run the place. I let out a sigh with relief to hear stories like that since I know it would’ve benefitted my younger self.
Regina George made the mean girl the "it girl." We loved her so much for her quick-witted one-liners and her sassy attitude that, perhaps, we ended up adopting them ourselves. Out of all the blonde ladies clad in pink throughout cinematic history, she was the feistiest. In some way, she was also the most realistic.
Regina existed way before the 2000s, and she continues to exist far beyond the 2020s. While I have yet to see either the Renee Rapp-starring rendition of Mean Girls or the Broadway musical it’s based on, I think it’s safe to infer that the reason why this story is getting retold two decades later is because the scenes are still very much relatable today.
Regina George is alive and well—even after getting hit by that bus. Her legacy lives on through rude customers and bitchy partygoers who think the world owes them something. She fuels covert conversations that make supposed friends backstab one another. And hey, not to act like I have a halo over my head, but she could also be the person you and I see in the mirror. Cold, hard, shiny plastic.
As much as I would love to bake a cake filled with rainbows and smiles for everyone to eat and be happy with, I know well enough that being a Regina George will never not be a thing. It’s almost as if it’s institutionalized in society to have a designated mean girl in whatever setting. For some reason, they keep the balance. It should be the status quo to lead with kindness, no doubt, but I honestly think we’d be naive to think that everyone else would think the same. As I’ve mentioned, being a mean girl didn’t start with Regina, and it sadly won’t end with her, too.
At the risk of sounding too preachy, I honestly don’t think it's possible for any of us to fully shake off our mean-girl tendencies. Even the nicest people gossip. Acknowledgment, though, is the first step in tempering and squashing that inner mean girl. (To borrow a quote from Janis Ian, “At least me and Regina know we're mean!”)
Regina may have made being mean a cool thing, but she would also know that “trends” come and go. One day, she’s the queen bee; the next, she’s just what she was always meant to be—a made-up character. Her antics and snide remarks can just belong within the four corners of the screen. As much as Regina George exists, she doesn’t have to thrive.
You get what I mean, girl?
About the author
Em Enriquez is a Content Creator at Preview. You can usually find them wearing tinted sunnies, jorts, and black loafers with scrunched-up white socks.
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