Have you ever noticed that sometimes people change the rules, change the words, or act like things are different…

…but somehow the same people still end up on top?

That happens in movies.

And it happens in real life.

Two movies that show this really well are Mean Girls and Bring It On.

They look like stories about high school drama, popularity, and cheerleading.

But underneath, they are stories about power.

They teach us something important:

A system can change its appearance without changing who has the power.

Here are 10 lessons these movies can teach us.

1. A New Person Joining the Group Does Not Always Change the Group

In Mean Girls, Cady enters a new school and becomes part of The Plastics.

At first, it looks like she is changing the popular group.

But what happens?

She slowly learns the rules of the group.

She changes herself to fit the system.

The system does not change for her.

This happens in real life too.

Sometimes people are invited into spaces, but they are expected to act exactly like the people who were already there.

Being included is not always the same as having influence.

2. Learning the Rules Can Also Mean Learning the Problem

Cady begins as someone outside The Plastics.

She notices their behavior.

She sees the unfairness.

But after spending time with them, she starts using the same tactics:

• gossip,
• exclusion,
• humiliation,
• controlling who belongs.

The lesson:

Sometimes people enter an unfair system and accidentally become defenders of it.

A person can change positions without changing the pattern.

3. Wearing the Same Outfit Does Not Mean Everyone Has the Same Power

In Mean Girls, the Plastics have rules about clothing, popularity, and appearance.

Everyone knows what is expected.

But not everyone has equal power.

Some people make the rules.

Others follow them.

This happens in many systems.

A group may look more diverse on the outside while the same people continue deciding:

• what is acceptable,
• whose voice matters,
• whose experiences count.

4. A Team Can Say “Everyone Belongs” and Still Keep Old Rules

In Bring It On, the Toros believe they are the best cheerleading squad.

But they discover that their routines came from the East Compton Clovers.

The Toros had success using ideas that were not originally theirs.

The movie asks an important question:

Who created the thing we are celebrating?

And:

Who received the credit?

This happens in history too.

Sometimes powerful groups adopt ideas created by people they previously ignored.

5. Taking Someone’s Ideas Without Respecting Their Story Is Not True Inclusion

The Toros copied the Clovers’ routines.

But they did not recognize where those ideas came from.

This is a lesson about culture:

You can appreciate someone’s creativity while still ignoring the people who created it.

Real respect requires remembering the source.

6. Changing the Rules After Being Exposed Is Not Always the Same as Changing the System

Sometimes a system changes because it has been caught.

Not because it has learned.

Think about a person who says:

“I’m sorry you found out.”

instead of:

“I understand why what I did was wrong.”

Real change requires more than avoiding embarrassment.

It requires responsibility.

7. A System Can Add New People and Still Keep the Same Ranking System

Imagine a school says:

“Everyone can join the club!”

But only certain students get leadership positions.

Everyone is invited.

But only some people make decisions.

That is the difference between:

participation and power.

8. The “Rubber Band Effect”: Systems Stretch, Then Snap Back

Think about a rubber band.

You pull it.

It stretches.

But when you release it, it tries to return to its original shape.

Sometimes societies work the same way.

They may change:

• their language,
• their slogans,
• their public image.

But if the deeper beliefs stay the same, old patterns can return.

A new poster does not always mean a new culture.

9. The People Who Created Change Are Often Forgotten

In Bring It On, the Clovers’ talent existed before the Toros recognized it.

That reminds us:

Sometimes the people who create something are not the same people who receive the praise.

History has many examples of this.

People who were ignored later become recognized as the people who moved society forward.

10. True Change Means Changing Who Gets Heard

At the end of both movies, the lesson is not simply:

“Everyone should get along.”

The deeper lesson is:

Who gets to define what is normal?

Who gets believed?

Who gets credit?

Who gets protected?

Who gets ignored?

Those questions reveal whether a system has actually changed.

The Big Lesson

Mean Girls teaches us:

A person can enter a powerful group and still become trapped by its rules.

Bring It On teaches us:

A group can celebrate diversity while forgetting who created the culture they enjoy.

Together, these movies teach:

Changing the appearance of a system is not the same as changing the system.

Real change requires memory.

Real change requires honesty.

Real change requires listening to the people who were ignored before.

Womanist Reflection

History shows us that when new ideas become popular, we must remember who carried those ideas before they became acceptable.

The question is not only:

“Who is included now?”

The question is:

“Who was forgotten along the way?”

Affirmation

I honor the voices that came before me. I remember the people who created change before the world celebrated it. I know that true belonging means being valued, not simply being allowed inside.

Journal Questions

1. Have I ever joined a group and felt pressure to change myself to belong?
2. Who usually gets credit when something new becomes popular?
3. What is the difference between being invited and being respected?
4. Have I ever seen a person or organization use the language of change without changing their actions?
5. What does real fairness look like in my community?