Gen Z are trying to cancel Mean Girls character Regina George

For those of us who grew up watching and quoting Mean Girls, we know there’s no doubt that Regina George was a masterpiece of writing and performance.

From the character’s iconic dialogue to Rachel McAdams’ compelling execution, ever since the movie was released in 2003, the character has cemented herself in the minds of pop culture-loving Millennials everywhere.

However, it’s come to light that apparently some members of Gen Z don’t feel the same way and are actually trying to cancel Regina George.

We all know that cancel culture wasn’t a thing in the fictional world of North Shore High School, or the ‘plastics’ wouldn’t have been top of the food chain.

“You're nothing but a homeschooled jungle freak who happens to be a less hot version of me,” would probably be cancelable material in 2026.

But apparently, Regina’s antics are catching up to her, and she’s getting a bad rep now in real life, as the replies to a GIF of the character were met with a long thread about how she’s ‘not iconic’ and is ‘a bully’.

One TikTok user penned: “Since when is being mean iconic??” while a second added: “Not a flex btw.”

A third wrote: “The character is iconic because of how unique yet realistic she is, her treatment towards others is NOT iconic.”

And a fourth and fifth chimed in with: “Being a bully is not iconic lol” and “Her acts are not iconic, but she is.”

Someone on X screenshotted the entire ordeal and posted it, alongside the caption: “gen z is tryna cancel regina george??” and it’s racked up over a million views and sparked a debate.

A second social media user argued: “I kinda get it tbh, Regina George as a character is fine and entertaining and DEFINITELY iconic but god did it make so many people insufferable trying to emulate her attitude. These TikTok comments are dumb af though.”

While a third wrote: “I mean….the movie was iconic. Regina was a b***h. But you can’t cancel a fictional character anyway.”

And a fourth penned: “The point of the movie was that Regina KNEW she was a mean girl, and that’s why she was iconic. Because everybody else tried to excuse their genuinely mean actions.”

The Instagram account Pop Download also shared the viral debate, hilariously writing: “Regina survived Janis, Cady, AND a bus but she couldn’t survive a TikTok comments section.”

Anyone who’s watched the cult classic will know that Regina does get her comeuppance when she’s hit by a bus at the end of the movie - a moment that McAdams says showed her just how hated the character was at the time.

Appearing on The Graham Norton Show in January, she admitted: “I didn’t know how hated she would be and for how long.”

The actress recalled: “The first time I saw the film with an audience, I was with my best friend. Everyone cheered when Regina was hit by a bus, but my friend stood up and screamed, ‘Nooooo!’”

Ultimately, though, as Regina would say: "Why are you so obsessed with me?” - no matter how many times the character gets ‘cancelled,’ she’ll always be a cultural icon.