Mean Girls introduced The Plastics and their Burn Book, and surprisingly, only one member of this special group never wrote in that book, and the reason is perfect. The 2000s saw a peak in teen movies from different genres, and one of the most successful and beloved ones is Mean Girls. Directed by Mark Waters and based on the 2002 self-help book Queen Bees and Wannabes, by Rosalind Wiseman, Mean Girls took viewers to North Shore High School to follow Cady Heron (Lindsay Lohan).

Cady had just moved from Africa and, after being homeschooled her whole life, was about to properly attend school for the first time. After a shocking and disappointing first day, she befriended outcasts Janis Ian (Lizzy Caplan) and Damien (Daniel Franzese) before getting the attention of Regina George (Rachel McAdams), the leader of The Plastics. Cady was then used by Janis to infiltrate The Plastics and ruin Regina’s life, and in the process, she was introduced to the Burn Book – however, contrary to what has been believed, not all the Plastics wrote in that book.

Karen Never Wrote In Mean Girls’ Burn Book Because She Had Nothing Bad To Say

Karen Was Seen As “Dumb”, But She Wasn’t Actually Mean

The group of Plastics was formed by Regina, gossip-lover and loyal follower of Regina, Gretchen (Lacey Chabert), and sweet but dimwitted Karen (Amanda Seyfried). Gretchen and Karen followed Regina around all the time and followed her imposed rules on what to wear and when, who they could talk to, and more. When Cady visited Regina’s house for the first time, the group introduced her to the Burn Book, a diary for them only in which they wrote rumors and insulting remarks about their classmates and teachers.

It was thanks to the Burn Book that Cady learned what the Plastics thought about Janis and she accidentally contributed to it at first by repeating something Janis had said about Damien. However, she later voluntarily contributed to it by writing that Ms. Norbury (Tina Fey) was a “drug pusher.” Later on in Mean Girls, Regina distributed copies of the Burn Book, which got Cady, Gretchen, and Karen in trouble with Principal Duvall (Tim Meadows), even though Karen never wrote in the book.

Speaking to Collider in 2020, Amanda Seyfried was asked whether Karen ever wrote something in the Plastics’ Burn Book or not, to which she replied that she never did. Seyfried explained that, although Karen was part of The Plastics, she had nothing “mean” to say about anyone, so she never had anything to write in the book. Throughout Mean Girls, Karen never said anything mean about others, and while this could be seen as Karen being “too dumb” for that, she might simply have not had that meanness in her.

Mean Girl’s Karen Didn’t Fit The Plastics, But She Did Fit Regina’s Plan

Karen Was What Regina Needed In Her Group

Gretchen fit the group of The Plastics as she was very nosy and that led her to be mean many times, though never at the level of Regina. Karen, despite getting along well with Gretchen and Regina, never really felt like she belonged to that group, and out of the tree she was the sweetest and most quiet. Surely, Karen followed them everywhere and did as she was told, which is why she didn’t fit the group, but she fit Regina’s plan.

To be the leader of the Plastics, Regina needed people she could manipulate and who would listen to her and do as she said – Gretchen was very insecure, which made her vulnerable and an easy target, and Karen was too sweet and naive. Cady turned out to be as smart as Regina, which is why she would never have fully fit the group either and why she ended up breaking it. Karen eventually found her own path, and Mean Girls ended with Girl World at peace (for a while, at least).

Source: Collider.