I rewatched Mean Girls (2004), counted the mean moments, and logged each of the main character’s screen time. Predictably, Regina is the worst as she does something mean every 1.53 minutes when she's onscreen. Janis is really close though as she does something mean every 1.59 minutes.

In 2022, Mean Girls is still everywhere. The musical is touring, the movie is fetching huge numbers on Netflix, and there are loads of articles analyzing writer Tina Fey’s 2004 cult classic. It’s because of all the hype that I decided to watch it again because I remember really enjoying it when I watched it in 2004 (ESPN, Glen Coco, and the likable cast are the highlights for me). While watching the central characters being horrible to each other, I began to wonder which of the characters were the meanest. To do this, I rewatched the movie, counted every instance of characters being mean (mean comments, lying, manipulating, scheming, backstabbing, not keeping secrets), and then recorded the screen time of each character.

I knew Regina George would have the most mean moments, but I wanted to know who has the most mean moments per minute average. The results are fun.

Quick Note - I only have so much free time, so I counted screen time as any moment in which the characters are around to make a comment. For instance, during the big gymnasium scene, I counted that for every character (Regina, Karen, Gretchen, Jaius, Damian, Cady) because they are all in the gymnasium. Also, when Cady first meets the plastics, I recorded the time for every character since they are all in the cafeteria. Logging the individual frames would’ve sucked my soul from my body.

Amount of Mean Moments

Regina - 31
All the other characters - 26
Janis - 18
Damian - 15
Cady - 15
Gretchen - 8
Aaron - 3
Karen - 2

There are 1.26 mean comments/actions every minute (118 total moments - 93 minute running time - I took out the 3 minutes of credits)

https://preview.redd.it/265scc0twxc91.png?width=600&format=png&auto=webp&s=b0194b78f9e0ac279a3e2ea219f3ea395051a61d

How Often Do They Say/Do Something Mean?

Regina - 47.55 minutes of screen time - Does something mean every 1.53 minutes of screen time
Janis - 28.7 minutes of screen time - Does something mean every 1.59 minutes
Damian - 30 minutes of screen time - Does something mean every 2 minutes
Cady - 82.3 minutes of screen time - Does something mean every 5.49 minutes
Aaron - 17.68 minutes of screen time - Does something mean every 5.89 minutes
Gretchen - 47.3 minutes of screen time - Does something mean every 6.75 minutes
Karen - 44.65 minutes of screen time - Does something mean every 22.3 minutes

Conclusion - Regina is the worst, but she and Janis are almost tied when it comes to how often they say/ or do something mean.

Here are the moments and the timestamps. Pardon the vague writing. It makes sense to me. This is meant to let you know that I didn't pull the moments out of thin air. I put the work in.

Damian/Janis - Laugh at Cady - 2:23 - 2:55 - 2
Janis/Damian - They have her skip a class and call themselves her friends - 6:50
Janis - She everyone ignores the pronunciation of Cady - 7:20
Janis/Damian - 8:11 - Dumb, Ho-Bag, Hair - 3
Girl - Regina - She punched me in the face - 8:38
Janie - 9:00 - You’ve out gayed yourself
Janis / Tina Fey - 9:18 - Cafeteria Map
Regina - 10:00 - Shakes a guy down - MAY COUNT
Regina - 10:50 - Retarded
Regina - 11:50 - She completely ignores Cady
Damian - 12:11 - Danny DeVito
Janis - 12:38 - Pushes Cady to spy on plastics
Gretchen - 14:00 - Art Freaks insult
Regina - 16:20 - Get in loser, we are going shopping
Regina - 16:40 - Math Club - Social Suicide
Regina - 17:25 - Sticks up for friend. Burns girl.
Regina - 18:20 - I know right
Regina - Please stop talking - 19:00
Regina - 20:30 - Could you go fix your hair
Mean Girls - 20:40 - Burn book
Janis - 21:40 - She manipulates Cady
Damian - 21:45 - Insults outfit
Damian - 22:28 - mathletes insult
Janis - 22:45 - That is bleak
Janis - 22:50 - Keep spying on Regina
Gretchen - 22:30 - Tells Regina about Aaron
Regina - 23:10 - Sets up Cady
Cady - 25:15 - She lies about practice
Regina/Aaron - 27:12 - Regina manipulates
Regina - 28:04 - Retarded
Janis - 29:36 - Plans to take out the plastics
Regina - 30:40 - Messes with Aaron’s hair
Janis/Cady - 31:17 - Make face cream for Regina
Janis - 31:50 - Cuts hole in shirt
Janis - 32:30 - Crack Gretchen
Regina - 33:04 - Makes a homophobic comment
Regina - 33:45 - Retarded
Regina - 33:54 - Mean about skirt (but makes person feel good)
Cady - Crack Gretchen Weiners - 34:27 -
Damian - None for Gretchen Weiners - 35:03
Regina - Moves Gretchen - 37:20
Regina - Lip gloss - 39:45
Regina - Stop trying to make Fetch happen - 40:20
Cady/Janis/Damian - They make Gretchen crack - 40:42
Regina - 41:45 - Cheating
Cady/Damian - 42:02 - Manipulating
Damian/Janis/Cady - Bars - 42:36
Regina - Shut up - 43:11
Regina - 43:34 - Move Gretchen
Janis - 44:51 - Baby Prostitute
Cady/Aaron - 45:24 - Tutor behind back
Cady/Aaron - She’s cheating on you - 46:31
Janis/Damian/Cady - Cross off name - 46:35
Regina - God Karen you are so stupid - 47:02
Damian - Cheats - 48:14
Cady - Army of Skanks - 48:20
Cady - 49:19 - Lies
Janis - scratch off - 49:46
Cady - How do you know - 50:30
Cady - Queer - 50:50
Cady - Lies - 51:30
Regina - 52:15 - Such a slut
Cady - 52:25 - Tricks Regina - three way call
Karen - So annoying - 53:15
Gretchen - Tells Karen about being a slut - 53:36
Regina - 53:40 - Whore
Regina - 54:10 - Disgusting vest
Cady - 54”25 - Sits there while Regina is kicked out from table
Janis 54:41 - Army of skanks - 54:41
Cady - 55:03 - Cady Lies
Cady - 55:22 - Control everyone around me
Gretchen - Told guy about lie - 57:40
Cady - 59:15 - I would never lie to you
Cady - 1:01:15 - In love with me or something
Regina - 1:03:06 - Writes in book to trick people
Regina - 01:05:32 - She puts the copies all over the school
Gretchen - Lies - 01:05:33
Tina Fey - 01:06:13 - Writing
Gretchen - Brat - 01:40:30
Janis - 01:15:20 - Talks about Regina
Regina - 01:16:14 - Mean
Cady - 01:17:44 - Cady lies
Damian/Janis - Move her seat - 01:18:40