Tina Fey, though primarily a comedian and working in that genre, has managed to sneak her way into all corners of Hollywood. One of her most well-known projects, however, has to be the 2004 classic, Mean Girls. Her work as Ms. Norbury was so iconic that she was featured in the recent reboot of the film in the same role. While this musical has received some mixed reviews online, with many hating the idea of something significant being adapted, it is safe to say that her character will always possess the same charm.
Fey recently gave an interview for the promotion of this film, in which she confessed to something that would be very controversial among some fans. She revealed that a lot of the humor in this adaptation was changed to fit current times, including removing jokes about racism and sexuality.
Also Read: Mean Girls (2024) Review: A Fetching Musical Comedy
Tina Fey Changed the Jokes in the Adaptation
Tina Fey recently gave an interview with the New York Times, where she answered some questions about the new adaptation of the 2004 classic, Mean Girls. She specifically talked about some jokes that were changed for the audience that it would receive now, which would not be okay with the racist and homophobic undertones that the original film had.
I was writing in the early 2000s very much based on my experience as a teen in the late ’80s. It’s come to no one’s surprise that jokes have changed. You don’t poke in the way that you used to poke. Even if your intention was always the same, it’s just not how you do it anymore, which is fine. I very much believe that you can find new ways to do jokes with less accidental shrapnel sideways.
She mentioned that since times have changed, she, as a writer, cannot make fun of the same things that were made the butt of jokes in the early 2000s. Even if the intention was the same as it is now, the jokes simply would not translate the same to their audience. She talked about the fact that though these characters are supposed to be ‘Mean’, they also have to wear the symbol of royalty in their high school. The themes that the original film had would not allow this in current times.
Tina Fey Thinks that Regina George Would Not Get Herself into Trouble
Tina Fey then specifically focused on the character of Regina George in the Mean Girls films, one of the most iconic parts of them. She talked about how considering just how smart she is, she would not be foolish enough to pose herself as a ‘controversial’ figure in times like these. She simply would not want to get herself into that kind of trouble.
I know that even Regina would know what wouldn’t fly. She’s going to find a way to inflict pain on people, but she’s not going to get herself in trouble. For example, there’s a joke in the original movie when Janis gets up on the table and Regina says, “Oh my God, it’s her dream come true: diving into a huge pile of girls.” It was mine and Sam Jayne’s feeling that Regina wouldn’t try that now because she knows the kids around her would be like, “That’s homophobic.” She would know not to be homophobic, and hopefully, truly would not be homophobic.
If the same comments that Rachel McAdams’s Regina made were made by Reneé Rapp’s version, the reaction would be completely different. Rather than being called mean or cruel, she would simply be called homophobic or racist and then get dismissed, having no power, which is the central theme of this character. While this decision can be labeled as controversial, it makes a lot of sense considering both movies came out at different times.
