We’ve all encountered them. The high-heel-wearing, perfume-ridden, quick-mouthed gossipers who dominate the screen of our many favourite cult classics. What is it about them that holds the rest of the film’s student body in awe - is it the perfectly picked-out outfits? The glamorous makeup? Well, to challenge many a teacher’s words: quantity, not quality. In this article, I’ll be explaining why the magic number 3 is a mean girls’ guide to success.
Though it may not be the first thing one might think of when analysing a mean girl’s regime, the number three actually holds a psychological power over the human brain. Patterns and groups naturally appeal to us, and a triplet is the simplest yet most-loved pattern our brains enjoy - lucky for the Plastics’, Unholy Trinity’s and other evil trios of the world. To fully understand how a terrible trio achieves it’s all-powerful state of control, we must first examine each member on their own. The Visionary, the Enforcer and the Advert - a recipe to perfect high-school hierarchy.
The Visionary: The unquestioned dictator, the Alpha of the trio. If there’s one person who deserves permanent, pink-glitter devil horns, it’s her. The Visionary (true to her name) usually maintains a specific vision that determines all aspects of her trio: such as style, weekend plans, diet, interactions with other social groups and plenty more. Mean Girls’ Regina George (perhaps the most infamous Visionary of them all) is the perfect example: with the mantra “on Wednesdays we wear pink” - something which I remind many Godolphiners to consider when term ends this Wednesday. These rules visually divide the trio from the rest of the characters, and makes them distinct, unique and therefore unforgettable. This she-devil crafts the trio to be extremely appealing yet extremely selective, in order to maintain a sense of leverage and unattainability above the rest of the school body. The Visionary’s defining qualities are those of an ice queen: manipulative and strategic. To quote Gossip Girls’ Blair Waldorf: “You need to be cold to be queen”.
The Enforcer: The second-in-command, the Visionary’s obedient lapdog - eternally loyal. The Enforcer’s role is to perpetuate the elusive nature of the trio, and to ensure that all aspects of the ‘specific vision’ are being enforced. As Mean Girls’ Gretchen Wieners warns: “If you break any of these rules, you can’t sit with us”. The Enforcer is key in legitimising the trio’s rules as unbreakable laws, with an offence punishable by social rejection - God forbid. Her unwavering devotion to the trio is essential in maintaining its sense of valid authority, however (as Mean Girls’ Janis Ian discovers) if the Enforcer’s faith in the Visionary breaks, this could dismantle the entire trio: “We gotta crack Gretchen - if we crack Gretchen, we crack the lock on Regina’s whole dirty history”.
The Advert: Last but not least, the pretty face. The Advert is friendly, yet somewhat childlike, and disguises the trio’s true terrible nature with her innocent (and often ignorant) manner. Her naivety helps to maintain the appeal of the group, and she simply serves as a sweet, harmless front - a walking facade. Mean Girls’ Karen Smith, Glee’s Brittany Pierce and Heathers’ Heather McNamara are all prime examples of the Advert trope within an evil trio, and all serve their purpose dutifully and obediently. The Advert is often somewhat exploited by the trio because of her innocent nature, and can be used as a messenger, a scapegoat or an excuse - depending on the Visionary and Enforcer’s needs. She has an aimless, absent-minded way about her, and seems to stumble into the film accidentally rather than purposely. Stripped of screen time, the audience isn’t allowed many opportunities to delve into the Advert’s life, and her role is and always will be one of reluctant spotlight, overshadowed by her bossier, more outspoken friends.
The magic number three isn’t only useful for modern high-school rulers - evidence of its success can be traced back throughout history. Greek mythology’s Fates and Furies (two of the most commonly known powerful female trios of the ancient world) are perfect demonstrations of the rule of three throughout the course of mankind. This is also seen in literature and art, such as the Three Witches in Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Raphael’s Three Graces and even the evil stepmother and sisters in the popular fairy tale Cinderella. Adding a fourth member tampers with the trio’s stability, and introduces a competitive element either for the Visionary’s favour, or for her position (As Cady Heron proves in Mean Girls). A single mean girl is too easily overthrown, and a duo can’t effectively replicate the same impenetrable power dynamic. The magic number three is simply the only solution.
-- Marina Maurino, 10MN
Commentaires