Mean Girls is proving that traditions never die as it is at the top of the streaming charts on October 3. Directed by Mark Waters, the comedy was released in 2004. It follows Cady (Lindsay Lohan) as she joins a new school and has to face The Plastics, led by queen bee Regina (Rachel McAdams).
Even two decades later, Mean Girls stands the test of time, and on October 3, it was the most-streamed movie on Paramount+. October 3 is hailed worldwide as Mean Girls Day due to the famous quote said by Lohan’s character: “On October 3rd, he asked me what day it was.“
Mean Girls is filled to the brim with memorable moments, quotes, and traditions, including The Plastics wearing pink on Wednesdays. Every year, social media is filled with memes and quotes from Mean Girls, marking October 3 as the unofficial Mean Girls holiday.
Mean Girls Continues To Impact Pop Culture 20 Years Later
Mean Girls grossed over $130 million worldwide, and the 2004 comedy even received an impressive 84% on Rotten Tomatoes. It is now a cult classic, regarded by many as an iconic coming-of-age comedy. This is largely due to how it plays on high-school stereotypes and exaggerates them, while still remaining grounded enough to be relatable.
Mean Girls was so successful that a musical production even made its way to Broadway and is still running. The Broadway production was then turned into a new adaptation of the 2004 movie and starred the Broadway lead, Reneé Rapp, as Regina George. This musical reboot, made in 2024, grossed over $84 million.
How Mean Girls Stands The Test of Time
The “October 3rd” line seems so simple and inconsequential, but in the context of Cady pining for Regina’s ex, Aaron Samuels (Jonathan Bennett), it stuck. Many teenagers (and adults) can relate to the feeling of being so infatuated with someone that you fixate on every little interaction. Mean Girls remains a favorite go-to, whether that be for nostalgia or some cringeworthy early 2000s comedy.
Tina Fey wrote the screenplay based on the book Queen Bees & Wannabes: Helping Your Daughter Survive Cliques, Gossip, Boyfriends & Other Realities of Adolescence, written by Rosalind Wiseman. Fey also incorporated real-life scenarios and names to make the movie feel personal.
As a result, Mean Girls has one of the most quotable scripts and remains a constant source of laughter and relatability. It’s no wonder October 3 has become an unofficial Mean Girls holiday, as the movie still remains culturally relevant all these years later.
Mean Girls
9/10
- Release Date
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April 30, 2004
- Runtime
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96 minutes
- Director
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Mark Waters
- Writers
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Tina Fey, Rosalind Wiseman