From the moment the musical version of Mean Girls was announced, it was making headlines. From the official casting announcement to the news that some songs from the stage musical would be cut from the soundtrack, the movie couldn’t do anything without being talked about. Things died down for a minute after all the OG fans aired their thoughts when it first hit theaters, but now that it’s being released digitally, it’s once against making headlines – this time because a portion of the movie has been altered.
There’s no need to have a Regina George-level meltdown though, because according to Variety, the change is only affecting one, small joke that’s not even said by any of the major cast members. Instead, it’s a line from Megan Thee Stallion (playing herself), who makes a cut joke in a video showing support for Cady (Angourie Rice). In the theatrically released version of Mean Girls, she says,
We are going back red. Y2K fire crotch is back.
The term “fire crotch” might have gone over the heads of the Gen-Z audiences that the new Mean Girls is geared toward, but those who grew up following news about Lindsay Lohan in the early aughts know that it was a derogatory nickname associate with her because of her red hair. It entered the zeitgeist after footage showed Brandon Davis ranting about The Parent Trap actress outside of a nightclub as Paris Hilton laughed.
It’s no surprise that Lindsay Lohan was not happy with the inclusion of the distasteful joke in the film, especially as she has started to re-enter Hollywood with lead roles in several romantic comedies (like the upcoming Irish Wish, which Netflix subscribers can start streaming on March 15). Lohan’s reps were quick to comment, and it seems the creatives behind the film understand the perspective because they have omitted the offensive joke in digital release. When fans now watch Mean Girls, they’ll see Megan Thee Stallion saying “We are going back red” and that’s it.
It’s a welcome change since the distasteful joke already felt out of place to begin with – given that Lohan agreed to have a small cameo in the movie, appearing as the moderator of the Mathleets Championship.
With the joke’s removal from the film, fans can go back to talking about and hunting for the myriad of Easter Eggs and pop culture references littered throughout the musical comedy – which blends elements of the original 2004 cult classic with songs and scenes from the Tony-nominated Broadway musical. This is something that is sure to happen when the movie becomes available to active Paramount+ subscribers at a yet-to-be-determined date.
For now, fans can catch the 2024 Mean Girls, which dominated the box office during its theatrical release, by renting or purchasing it on various PVOD platforms, including Amazon, Apple, and Google Play.