This should go without saying, but if you haven’t seen the 2004 teen classic Mean Girls, one, Regina George is judging you, and two, reading any further may spoil the film. We’re warning you now, so if anything gets ruined for you, it’s not our fault!
There’s always doubt when it comes to remakes and adaptations of anything beloved, but we would never doubt Reneé Rapp and Megan Thee Stallion. Their music video for “Not My Fault,” a new song appearing in the upcoming movie musical adaptation of Mean Girls, is not only a major bop but pays homage to the original film. Whether they’re glaringly obvious or require a more detail-oriented eye, the “Not My Fault” music video is full of references and easter eggs for Mean Girls fans to enjoy.
The Tune’s Title and Lohan’s Line
“Not My Fault” appreciates the 2004 movie from the get-go. It begins with a sound bite of Lindsay Lohan as Cady passionately delivering the line, “It’s not my fault you’re like in love with me or something!” — which Cady says to Janis when Janis and Damian discover Cady’s secret party. The line becomes a lyric in the song that Rapp repeats, and hence the song has been named.
A Terrific Tank
Countless mannequins sporting blonde wigs, white shirts and pink skirts are hard to miss in the video, whether they’re sandwiching the singers or they’re being bashed with pink baseball bats. They may look like generic Regina copycats upon first glance, but they’re all wearing “A little bit dramatic” graphic tank tops, just like the iconic one Rachel McAdams wore in the 2004 film.
Simply Charmed
With ‘90s and ‘00s fashion trending again, it wouldn’t have been difficult to replicate more of the original film’s outfits in the “Not My Fault” music video. But instead of simply copying and pasting, they took the inspiration and made it their own, particularly with Regina’s “R” necklace. It’s been reduced to just a charm in the music video, but it’s not around anyone’s neck. Or wrist. Or ankle. It’s actually not even being worn as jewelry, so it’s a tough one to spot. But after a few rewatches and wondering if there was any reference to be found in the tattoo scenes, we found Regina’s initial charm as… a thong charm? We’re honestly not sure if that’s actually a thing people do or ever did, but it 100% fits the vibe. Regina wouldn’t care!
A Peek of Purple
Speaking of Regina not caring, remember when Janis cut two holes in the front of her white tank top while Regina was in gym class? And then Regina’s purple bra ended up showing but she just went with it? In the lunch table scenes, Megan Thee Stallion wears a replica of Regina’s IDGAF outfit that started a trend. It’s perfect, because after all, she is the Black Regina George.
Cafeteria Chaos
It’s no coincidence Megan Thee Stallion was slaying choreography on a lunch table. Any iteration of Mean Girls would not be right without some sort of reference to the cafeteria. It’s where the Plastics first meet Cady. It’s where Aaron Samuels’s hair gets pushed back. It’s where we find out that sweatpants are all that fit Regina right now. And the pink paper plastered all over the cafeteria set’s walls? We couldn’t help but think of Rachel McAdams strutting down the hallways of North Shore with photocopied pages of the Burn Book in hand, slapping some onto lockers and walls before ultimately throwing them into the air for them to scatter across the floors for all to see.
Taunting with Tea
Tina Fey’s 2004 movie has so many good one-liners that have been ingrained into pop culture, but we saw only one make it into the “Not My Fault” music video. If you keep your eyes open at the end when Megan and Reneé pick up their teacups, you’ll notice a message on each. The first says “Boo You” while the second says “Whore,” both in a delightfully delicate script. Regina may not have been pleased with Karen after the four-way call, but we’re definitely not boo-ing any of these references!
Mean Girls will be released in theaters January 12.
