We can still see Karl Marx’s ideologies today in history. Marxism is a theory that was developed to analyze the social roles. The bourgeoisie group has more economic power and can therefore gain power in political and socio-political ways. The upper classes can use these forces to influence the lower classes, and spread their ideologies throughout society. Marxism ideologies can be used to examine the classes, their roles and social structures. This will help us understand the oppression of the upper class on the lower class.
This paper will examine the cult-classic film Mean Girls and compare its social characteristics with Karl Marx’s theories. The stereotypical high-school comedy Mean Girls features a group known as The Plastics, a group that is popular and controls the social aspect of the school. The other girl is the one who finds herself in the company of the popular girls and ends up becoming just like them. “The Plastics”, as they are called in the movie, are the girls who run North Shore High School’s junior class. The bourgeoisie would be the girls who run the junior class at North Shore High School. The lower class is called the proletariat and consists of people who feel victimized, such as Regina George’s students. They want to undermine the hierarchy created by Regina George, and ruin this “The Plastics” social game. Karl Marx says that there are always conflicts between classes in a society. This essay will show that Max’s Marxist theory is a great way to understand how Marxism impacts every class of society, even the cliques within high schools. It shows the way the bourgeoise ideology (The Plastics), controls and oppresses other cliques through social control. Cady has never been in a high school social group because she was home-schooled. The movie describes how she receives a school cafeteria map after skipping the gym with Janis and Damien – “the uniquely art freaks”. In this scene, she understands the way social cliques function. This movie shows us the ideals behind Marxism. Each person has a place in the cafeteria. This scene illustrates Marx’s idea about alienation and how it is intended to suppress each group in school.
“She’s a queen bee. The star.” “Those two other girls are her little workers.” Regina George, as the leader of the group, is the one who rules and has a small group of advisors or followers. It is the main duty of her followers to give her praise and recognition. She is above all. She has learned the ideals behind marxism. She created a high-school system to ensure her success. “Capitalists, not workers, control the society’s social consciousness and ideology. They are the ones who decide what is acceptable in society. (Bressler, 177). As history has repeatedly shown, there will always be a rebel group that wants to overthrow the leader in order to bring about the necessary changes for the lower and middle classes. Regina thinks Cady is a possible threat to Regina’s rule and invites Cady along with the Plastics. Regina first tells Cady that she is very pretty. This allows her to gain access into her mind. Regina says “So you agree. You think you’re pretty” when she thanks her. By joining the group, Regina is attempting to eliminate a threat.
The movie shows how Marxism is a major influence on the film’s consumerism. The Plastics, much like the Government, tells the middle class how to behave in order to become more socially accepted. An example is wearing flip-flops with army pants. She had a hotdog with her” (Mean Girls). This was her way of controlling the other juniors.
Cady’s character is the equivalent of our middle or working class. She compares a lot of her highschool experience to that in Africa’s animal kingdom but then realizes how high school cliques are handled. This was Girl World. Together with her friends, “proletariat”, she creates a plot to topple Regina George. “All working classes can become free of the oppression they face if only they accept that they do not have any freedom, but instead are under the control of a social network dominated by an elite social group who self-declares, is empowered and continues to perpetuate itself” (Bressler 177). They can eliminate the bourgeoisie by banding together to revolt against this leader. Marx said that only human action can end this social hierarchy.
Janis comes up with this human plan. Regina would not exist without the high-status man candy…the technically perfect physique…and the ignorant band of faithful followers”(Mean Girls). She had tried many times to get her boyfriend to turn against her, but the secret that she was ruining their relationship “she hooks up with Shane Oman above the auditorium” finally worked. Coach Carr made her eat Kalteen bars when she wanted to move up in weight classes. Finally, members of the group began to disintegrate with the help of three-way call, sending candy bars pretending to come from Regina George. It was just a matter of waiting for one to be available. (Mean Girls). Regina’s fans eventually betrayed her. Regina gained weight and stopped following her dress code. This led to the famous line, “Regina, your sweatpants are too tight.” It’s Monday. That’s not allowed and you cannot sit with us”(Mean Girls). To keep her followers under control, she changes the rules to say that they aren’t real.
Regina George feels that she has lost control and tries to take it back. She turns her schoolmates against one another and uses the Burn Book to attack them. All the backstabbing and fighting leads to the end of conflict. Regina George almost dies when she is hit by a schoolbus.
