Tina Fey's 2004 movie Mean Girls is considered a classic for its authenticity of teen culture, specifically teen girl culture. It astutely examined the rigid social hierarchy of secondary school filled with cliques, drama, and competition while giving us memorable lines like "that was so fetch"—Gretchen Weiners, "If you’re from Africa, why are you white?”—Karen Smith, and "...you're, like, really pretty. So, you agree? You think you're really pretty?"—Regina George. For many girls, life—at least for a time (perhaps more?)—is all about "Queen Bees and Wannabees".
Now, The Cut reports middle schools across the U.S. have been overtaken by Stanley Cup fever; and your status in the intricate social hierarchy of tween/teen girls is being dictated by whether or not you own an overpriced ($45-$55) 40z water bottle. Made by a 110-year old Seattle-based company, the Stanley Quencher has gone mega viral and is bringing overnight lines and mayhem to stores like Targets and Walmart. The sudden fame has turned the company that was generating about $70 million a year in revenue in 2019 into a $750 million business.
When Stanleys are suddenly so fetch, they are a must-have. “Every day when I get into school at like 7:45 a.m., everybody comes over to me like, ‘Oh my God, I like your Stanley!’ or ‘It’s so cool, I want a Stanley just like yours!’” [said Dahlia], who is in eighth grade...“It makes me feel like I’m famous and being swarmed by paparazzi.”
On the other hand, you can be mercilessly banished to the Out Krowd if you have the wrong drinking receptacle. In a viral TikTok a mom said her daughter was made fun of for having a Walmart dupe. Another woman said her niece was "bullied by her classmates for bringing an off-brand version of the cup...basically the exact same product, minus the Stanley logo."
Of course, such dynamics aren't new. Studies find Mean Girls to be a distinct youth subculture with marked roles and positions: Queen, sidekick, banker, torn bystander, wannabees, and target. Particularly among girls, it can be characterized by social or relational aggressive behavior: back-biting and manipulation that can often be quite vicious. As protagonist Cady Hebron famously observes in the movie "in girl world, all fighting had to be sneaky." Such behaviors induce anxiety and stress that can take a significant toll on teenagers' mental health, with the CDC reporting 1 in 5 students feeling being bullied last year.
What ya gonna do? To quote the Girl Who Doesn't Go to North Shore “I wish we could all get along...bake a cake filled with rainbows and smiles and everyone would eat and be happy.” More realistically, we will just have to shell out $50 for something our kids don't really need to keep them happy.
