The new Mean Girls musical won the box office its opening weekend and critics overall liked the movie. Our own Mean Girls review was solid. But Lindsay Lohan and her family are a bit less in love with it now than they might have been. Reps for the original Mean Girls star have gone on record that Lohan is “hurt” by a joke that’s in the film, in which she appears. And now the actress's father has fired back himself.
The issue at hand involves a line in the film that is part of a montage of social media posts. Megan Thee Stallion appears and, in reference to the film’s Cady Heron, played in the new Mean Girls cast by Angourie Rice, says “Y2K fire crotch is back.” It’s a reference to Lohan, who played the same character in the original film. But it is also a reference to a famous TMZ video in which oil heir Brandon Davis, alongside Paris Hilton, used the term referring to Lohan, setting off a feud between the young stars.
Since TMZ is at the center of the controversy, it’s perhaps fitting that TMZ spoke with Michael Lohan, father of Lindsay, who told the site he was “pissed” over what he called a “disgusting comment.” Neither Tina Fey nor Megan Thee Stallion have commented on the line yet, so it’s unclear if this was something scripted or ad-libbed by the singer.
The fact that the new Mean Girls movie and the original film’s star have found themselves on opposite sides is even more of a surprise because Lindsay Lohan also appears in the new movie. Calling it a cameo would even be an understatement, as it’s a small, but significant, performance as the hedge of the mathlete competition. Lohan’s appearance in the new Mean Girls was a big deal for the musical and something that was successfully kept secret until the movie’s release, something which has become increasingly difficult in the age of social media.
Of course, that role wouldn’t have made Lohan privy to other scenes in the movie, but it’s clear that nobody thought to run the joke by the actresses, as she was blind-sided by it when she saw the finished product. Tempers are hot now. Time will tell if this is an issue that will die down and be forgotten, or if there is real anger here that will have long-term repercussions.
How the battle will impact the movie is also a question. We could see box office numbers stay higher if many people rush to the theater to see Lohan’s cameo alongside the joke that upset here. But we could just as easily see numbers plummet if there is a large contingent of potential viewers who decide to sit out the Mean Girls musical because it was so mean to Lindsay Lohan.
