Entertainment
Here Are All Of The ‘Mean Girls’ References In Ariana Grande’s “Thank U, Next” Video
Wednesdays may be when we wear pink, but sometimes we also wear pink on Fridays because that's when Ariana Grande decided to drop her highly anticipated music video for her newest single, "Thank U, Next." And while the singer teased out last week that she would be paying tribute to four beloved movies during the video, all of the Mean Girls references in "Thank U, Next" have completely exceeded all of our expectations. In the words of Gretchen Weiners: "it is so fetch."
Of course, fans new they were in for a real treat after Grande posted a teaser trailer of the music video late at night on Monday, Nov. 26. From special cameos to throwback quotes, it felt just like you were back in North Shore High once again. But that was just a taste of what's the come. Now that the video is finally out, fans get to see the true extent to how far these rom-com homages go and let's just say it does not disappoint. Not even Regina George herself couldn't find something to complain about with this video. So while you sit back and watch it for roughly the thousandth time, make sure you take note of all of these Mean Girls references that make everyday feel like it's October 3.
The Familiar Opening Montage
At the beginning of Mean Girls, there was a scene where a bunch of students from North Shore High looked directly into the camera and talked about just what it was that made Regina George so popular. The video makes a similar opening montage, but instead of talking about Regina George, everyone is talking about Grande instead.
Aaron Samuels
Proving that Jonathan Bennett has not aged a day since filming, the actor reprised his role as Aaron Samuels and remarked at how Grande personally told him that his hair "looks sexy pushed back" — a line that was made pretty famous in the original movie.
Bethany Byrd
Stefanie Drummond's character, Bethany Byrd, also made an appearance. In the trailer for the "Thank U, Next" video, she parodied her "army pants and flip flops" quote from the movie by swapping it out with a reference to Grande and Pete Davidson's broken off their engagement.
On Wednesdays
On Wednesdays, you better believe Grande and her friends wear pink. Also, is that Karen checking the weather with her boobs? She does have "ESPN," after all.
The Burn Book
It's no coincidence that the "Thank U, Next" artwork has a very familiar-looking font — it's the same that can be found on the front of the Mean Girls Burn Book. So it was only natural for it to pop up in the video as well. The only change Grande made to the concept was that, instead of being a book filled with hateful rumors and messages about classmates, this Burn Book is filled with images and details about her famous exes, including pages about Big Sean and Pete Davidson.
Regina George's Room
Grande recreates several set pieces from Mean Girls in her "Thank U, Next" video, and while some might be more recognizable (a high school hallway, the talent show stage), the attention to detail for Regina George's movie is truly impressive.
"Jingle Bell Rock"
Who could possibly forget the iconic "Jingle Bell Rock" dance performance put on by the Plastics at their talent show? Grande and her friends fair a bit better than the Plastics. Though there are a few moments of tension up on stage, nobody gets hit in the head with a boombox, so, it's definitely an improvement.
Cool Mom
Kris Jenner makes an excellent cameo as Regina's mom, Mrs. George. Originally played by the incomparable Amy Poehler in the film, the Mrs. George of "Thank U, Next" is equally as enthusiastic about her "daughter's" performance. Truly an iconic moment for the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star.
Who knows what Grande will do for her next music video, but, if she just wants to keep recreating iconic rom-coms from the early 2000s, her fans will not be complaining.
Additional reporting by Kelly Schremph.