This week we trekked to Kenilworth beach on a mission to locate
indicators of class. This
exploration has forced me to think about my surroundings more critically. Which has lead me to question how
society beyond the North Shore views us.
I found my answer through the media, two twenty-first century movies:
Mean Girls and Cheaper by the Dozen. Both of which are regarding outsiders
moving to the North Shore and struggling to fit in. Cheaper by the Dozen takes place in Evanston and Mean Girls
takes place at ‘North Shore High’.
New Trier is often associated with Mean Girls as Charlotte Woodhams, a
junior at the American School in London asked, “New Trier…isn’t that the school
‘Mean Girls’ is based on?”.
Above is a shot of the “plastics” from Means
Girls, these girls are cruel to fellow peers, and are extremely
materialistic. As shown in the
photo these supposedly juniors in high school are wearing heels, short skirts,
and low cut shirts they seem to be replicating the appearance of a Barbie. This photo is also made up of only
white girls, whom only differ in hair color. What does this say about the girls of New Trier? Nothing
positive. These girls are symbols
of shallow, materialistic teens.
The scene below shines light on how rude and appearance oriented these
girls are.
First off, Regina a clearly new driver due to
her young age is sporting a Mercedes convertible, a highly expensive car which
shows the great wealth of her family.
The words “Get in loser we’re going shopping” is much less an invite
then a command, for she uses the words ‘get in’ giving Katy no choice. Regina also refers to Katy as a ‘loser’,
playful or not Regina is insulting Katy.
Lastly, the girls are going shopping, which is another indicator of
class; the girls spend their free time spending money. This is a materialist action and enforces
the connotation that the girls are fake and only concerned about their appearance. Regardless of whether girls at New
Trier are really like this, it says a lot about how outsiders view New Trier, and stereotypes
that exist.
Cheaper by the dozen is the story of a family who
movies from a very rural middle class area to the wealthy urban town Evanston,
the children have a difficult time fitting in due to their differences. Below is a shot of some of the children
from the middle school.
The boys are wearing clothes with large brands
across them, which show that they are materialistic as well as wealthy enough
to afford expensive brands. They are also carrying coffee cups, which is an unusual
thing for middle school boys to be drinking but seems to be an accurate
depiction of the North Shore.
The boys are both white, which shows lack of diversity. And in the movie
these tweens are bullies. These
boys are representing spoiled, wealthy, bullies. Judging by these two films we can conclude that the media
views the North Shore as extravagantly snobby and exclusive.
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