THE SIGNIFICATION OF THE TITLE MEAN GIRLS

A. THE SIGNIFICATION OF THE TITLE MEAN GIRLS

Figure 1. The title of Mean Girls Mean Girls (U.S.A., 2004), directed by Mark Waters. Paramount Pictures.

The first analysis will be an understanding of the signification of the title of the movie. The title of the movie is Mean Girls. It is an effective title as it can covers the meaning of the movie.

Grammatically, the word ‘mean’ in the title can be both an adjective and a noun. ‘Mean’ as adjective means “a: penurious , stingy b: characterized by petty selfishness or malice c: causing trouble or bother : vexatious ” (“Mean”, n.d.). ‘Mean’ as noun means “condition, quality, course of action, etc. that is halfway between two extremes” (Hornby, Cowie & Gimson, 1986, p. 526). The word

‘girls’ following the word ‘mean’ is grammatically a noun. ‘Girl’ means “female child from birth to adulthood”; “daughter”; “a young unmarried woman” (“Girl”, 2009). As the word written in its plural form, it refers to more than one person. With this consideration, the title Mean Girls does not only contain a single meaning. First, I will analyze the title Mean Girls in which the word ‘mean’ considered adjective, and later I continue to analyze the title in which the word ‘mean’ considered noun.

At the first stage of Barthes’ two semiological systems, the title Mean Girls has function merely as the title, without implication in it. But at the second stage of Barthes’ two semiological systems, Mean Girls can have a deeper meaning which can be drawn from the signs contained in it. In the beginning of the movie, the audience can see the title Mean Girls (see figure 1) written in black background, using two types of font in which the word ‘Mean’ is written in white with bold large font while ‘Girls’ is written in pink with smaller font. The pink color of the word ‘Girls’ deepens its meaning however. Pink color is a sign of femininity. “In some cultures, such as the US, pink is the color of girls. It represents sugar and spice and everything nice” (Bear, n.d.). And it can be simply understood that the moviemakers make the word ‘Mean’ bold as they want the audience to focus more on the word ‘Mean’. It is as if they want to tell the audience that this word is more emphasized. The question is “why is the word more emphasized?”

As we know, according to traditional values which are created by patriarchy, girls are supposed to be innocent, sweet, obedient, and control anger.

American society, despite its modernity, however still holds traditional value and this value still become the standard of ideal femininity in the country. But in the title, the word which precedes the word ‘Girls’ is not the word ‘Innocent’, ‘Sweet’, or ‘Obedient’, rather the word ‘Mean’. The meaning of the word ‘Mean’ as adjective does not support ideal femininity value in America. Thus, Mean Girls can be understood as the girls who challenge the traditional norms and ideal femininity values of the society. Thus, it can also be considered the girls who challenge patriarchy. The different fonts can be understood to raise a gap between the word ‘Mean’ and the word ‘Girl’. The word ‘Mean’ and the word ‘Girl’ are purposed as two different words with two different ideas and they stand in stark contrast position. In this case, the moviemakers want to disconnect the two ideas. Both the words are not commonly paired in case that girl is usually identified with

a weak, passive, innocent being. ‘Mean’ as noun can result to a deeper meaning. It has been stated that it means “condition, quality, course of action, etc. that is halfway between two extremes” (Hornby, Cowie, & Gimson, 1986, p. 526). If ‘mean’ here is something between two extremes, the question is ‘what are those two extremes?’ As the word following the word ‘mean’ is the word ‘girls’, it can be defined literally as ‘girls who have position between two extremes’. So, what are two extremes which border on girls?

However, the two extremes can be understood as systems which border and regulate girls as members of society. Until today, the two extreme systems which are dominant in regulating girls in society are patriarchy and feminism.

Patriarchy considers girls and women inferior than men. On the contrary, feminism requires girls and women equal with men. So, what is between patriarchy and feminism? The answer is postfeminism. In the previous chapter, it has been said that postfeminism seems going along with patriarchal values but it also challenges the system as it rejects the idea that girls and women are merely object and inferior to men. Postfeminism can be considered as “condition, quality, course of action, etc. that is halfway between” patriarchy and feminism. Thus, the meaning of the title Mean Girls here can be interpreted as girls who have condition, quality, and actions representing postfeminism, the movement which provides values between two extreme systems.

However, the word ‘girls’ in the title is actually complicated. Except the meaning which has been stated previously, the word ‘girl’ means “a female servant or other employee: sometimes considered a patronizing term” and “a sweetheart of a boy or man” (“Girl Definition”, 2009). If in dictionaries the word ‘girl’ is interpreted in patriarchal perspective, why does the word ‘girls’ in the title is paired with the word ‘mean’ which has been analyzed before as a characteristic challenging patriarchy? Actually the word ‘grrl’ seems more suitable being paired with the word ‘mean’. The word ‘grrl’ is a respelling of the word ‘girl’. The word ‘grrl’ connotes “aggression, strength, self-confidence, etc., and rejecting the connotations of weakness, meekness, prissiness, etc.,” usually associated with the word ‘girl’ (“Definition of Grrl”, n.d.). However, this raises question. Does the filmmakers have certain purpose by using the word ‘girl’? Of course the answer can be gained if we watch and analyze the movie further.

Anyway, the way the moviemakers write the title is purposed to raise the audience’s curiousity so that the questions like “why are the girls in the movie considered mean?” and “What kind of girls are who are considered mean in the movie?” will emerge in their mind and the questions can be answered if they watch the movie. It can be said that the title Mean Girls is an efficient title.