The Mean Girls Musical Digital Release Removed A Lindsay Lohan Joke From The Theatrical Cut
2004's "Mean Girls" has become a seminal classic of teen girl cinema, with Rachel McAdams' Regina George, Lacey Chabert's Gretchen Weiners, Amanda Seyfried's Karen Smith, and Lindsay Lohan's Cady Heron just as culturally important (and quotable) as say, Matthew Broderick in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off." A time capsule of early aughts fashion and sensibilities, "Mean Girls" is a cultural touchstone and arguably the last time a teen movie crossed over into mainstream popularity without being a part of a massive franchise like "Twilight" or "The Hunger Games" (or a slasher film). Simply put, "Mean Girls" is now woven into the fabric of American pop culture.
The film helped solidify Lohan's place as one of Hollywood's "it girls," and her off-set antics became just as talked about as whatever film she had out in theaters. So much so, that even the insulting nickname "fire crotch" for her made famous by socialite Brandon Davis and gossip peddler Perez Hilton has also become a part of American culture, with many not realizing the source of the nickname's popularity. The insult predates Davis' use of the term, but his usage in 2006 skyrocketed the term into infamy, and it's evolved to be a catch-all term for redheads.
This is likely why when Megan Thee Stallion included the phrase "Y2K fire crotch is back!" in her cameo in the 2024 "Mean Girls" musical (our review here), she didn't realize she'd be digging up a hurtful memory. Lohan spoke out about the line, with The Messenger reporting she was "very hurt" and "disappointed" by its inclusion. Fortunately, Paramount acted quickly and the line was removed from the digital release of the film.
'We are going back red!'
The new "Mean Girls" film incorporates a digital element to the Cady Heron (Angourie Rice) takedown of Regina George (Reneé Rapp), with some genuinely great cameos of famous TikTokkers to comment on an embarrassing viral moment of Regina screwing up at the winter talent show. One such commenter is Megan Thee Stallion, who also provided the single "Not My Fault" with Rapp for the film's soundtrack. Originally, the full line was "We are going back red. Y2K fire crotch is back!" to reference Cady, but the update cuts the "Y2K fire crotch is back!" line and has Megan Thee Stallion laughing instead. The digital edit was first reported by Kristin Maldonado of Pop Culture Planet on Twitter/X.
Lohan has a small appearance in the 2024 film as the host of the Mathletes tournament and had flown in from Dubai (where she has lived since 2014 with her husband) to attend the film's premiere back in January. It was there that she heard the line for the first time, and it seemed to have put a damper on the experience, according to Lohan's representative, Leslie Sloane, to The Messenger. Good on Paramount for making the change as quickly as possible for the digital release. There's no confirmation yet on whether or not the edit will be made for the physical release of "Mean Girls" 2024, which is due out on April 30, 2024.
Lindsay Lohan's next movie, the romantic-comedy "Irish Wish," arrives on Netflix on March 15, 2024.