Film Analysis: Mean Girls

Today’s society craves something that captures their attention. They want something to grab them from their seats, demand them to turn their heads, and leave them searching for their words. We are constantly attempting to make daily life “quick and easy” through new forms of advanced technology. In the hustle and bustle of it all, would people living in this kind of society really have time for contemplating whether a person is beautiful or not?

How quickly does it take somebody to decide if a person is beautiful? Artists are able to create exquisite compositions utilizing different mediums, and critics analyze these pieces thoroughly and carefully in order to deliver their final verdict. However, children can simply view an artwork and label

The teenagers labeled as “desperate wannabes”, “burnouts”, and “nerds” wear unflattering clothing and have unruly hair, while the “plastics” - the girls at the top of the social hierarchy - wear trendy clothing, have neatly styled hair, and possess a slender figure. Although this scene may be a dramatization of reality, it gives us a scope of how quickly we can judge people based on their looks. The audience is easily able to identify which social group a certain character belongs to by simply taking notice of what he or she wears, what his or her hair looks like, and his or her physique. We have a natural tendency to inwardly judge people based on their superficial beauty, as it is the first thing that strikes us. During these first few seconds of looking at a person, we unknowingly avoid altering our judgement through the consideration if his or her beauty is accountable to artificial means. Popular beauty ideals of today’s society compel contemporary Americans to elevate artifice above humanity and the look of the fake over the natural contours of the

Whether it be the new kid at school that wants to make new friends, an up-and-coming celebrity that seeks to become a part of the in-crowd, or a girl that simply wants her crush to notice her, it is almost like an innate desire to be included. There are some cases where this desire to be accepted leads people to elevate “fake” beauty over natural beauty. Tired of being looked over and ignored, an unpopular country singer may feel a force that tempts her to lean towards means of artificial beauty in order to gain more attention from media. After she had breast implants, a lip injection, a fake tan, and bleach-blonde hair, she was able to gain tremendous popularity from the media due to her dramatic transformation. The aching feeling of the need for acceptance may urge people to alter their appearance through artificial means. Make-up, trendy clothes, hair dyes, and cosmetic surgery can be utilized in order to obtain a warm sense of belonging. Seeing forms of artificial beauty as one of the main keys in being included exerts that people tend to value artificial beauty over natural beauty, as they overlook inner beauty characteristics such as loyalty, friendliness, and confidence. However, some members of today’s society believe that natural beauty is regarded more highly than artificial beauty. Many new models have gained popularity for embracing the physical effects