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Bullying Portrayed in Mean Girls Movie

Article  in  PIONEER Journal of Language and Literature · December 2017

DOI: 10.36841/pioneer.v9i2.453

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Jurnal Pioneer, Vol. 09, Issue 2, Desember 2017 130 - 140

JURNAL PIONEER
VOLUME 09, Issue 2, December 2017: 130-140

BULLYING PORTRAYED IN MEAN GIRLS MOVIE:

A PSYCHOANALYSIS

Nun Ayu Waya Sirly

University of Abdurachman Saleh Situbondo
nunayuws@gmail.com

Nine Febrie Novitasari

University of Abdurachman Saleh Situbondo
ninefebrie@gmail.com

Abstract: Bullying is such a key problem in our schools and society because it
impacts a large number of students of all races, genders, and socioeconomic
statuses. Here the researcher identified types of bullying and described impacts of
bullying in Mean Girls Movie. The data were in the form of utterances and actions
implicated bullying in Mean Girls Movie. The steps to analyze the data were:
identifying and classifying data based on the types of bullying used by The National
Centre Againts Bullying (2010) and psychoanalysis from Freud (1973) in Storey
(2009:91), describing impacts of bullying using theory of Righby (2003) in
Darmawan (2010:23), and making conclusion based on the types and impacts of
bullying in the Mean Girls Movie. The findings of the analysis reveal that there
were twelve data which covered: four verbal bullying, one physical bullying, two
psychological bullying, and five social bullying. Meanwhile, for the impacts of
bullyings to the characters who get bullied, the researcher found low psychological
well-being, poor social adjustment, and no response to the bullyings. The researcher
expects the next researchers to do the analysis on bullying with other object of
research and different relevant theories.

Keywords: psychoanalysis, bullying, mean girls movie.

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Nun Ayu Waya Sirly and Nine Febrie Novitasari, Bullying Portrayed in Mean Girls
Movie: A Psychoanalysis

INTRODUCTION alcohol use, and low grades. This

Bullying is action repeated behaviour is related with
over and over again by an individual psychoanalysis. Psychoanalysis is
or group of people. Sarazen (2002: 5) one of the literary criticism that is
states that bullying behavior has concerned to human beings behavior.
become a hot topic in our society as In the movie it is common to
well as one of great concern in our see examples of act bullying and
schools. According to Bean (1999) in verbal bullying. These behaviours are
Sarazen (2002: 2), bullying was an used to intimidate a weak character.
attempt to feel “power”, and they One example of a movie with these
have learned that bullying strategies kinds of bullying is Mean Girls. Mean
work. The overall pattern of a bully is Girls was released on April 30, 2004
to gain power over someone else. in America, directed by Mark Waters.
There are some types of The researcher chose this movie
bullying that are often done by because in this movie researcher
adolescence, such as physical found many negative behaviours as
bullying, verbal bullying, bullying. Nowadays, bullying itself
psychological bullying, social becomes a hot topic in the society.
bullying, and cyberbullying (National Based on that, the researcher
Centre Against Bullying in conducted this research based on two
Queensland Government, 2010: 5). research problems, they were: what
Bullying has some negative are the types of bullying in the Mean
impacts, too. Research has identified Girls Movie? and what are the
negative impacts, not only for those impacts of bullying to the characters
who are bullied, but for those who who get bullied in the Mean Girls
bully others and those who witness Movie? then, the research objectives
bullying. According to Shellard to answer the research problems
(2002) in Blazer (2005:4) bullying were: to identify the types of bullying
also has an effect on bystanders. in the Mean Girls Movie and to
Those who witness bullying are more describe impacts of bullying to the
likely to exhibit increased depression, characters who get bullied.
anxiety, anger, posttraumatic stress,

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Jurnal Pioneer, Vol. 09, Issue 2, Desember 2017 130 - 140

REVIEW OF LITERATURE to the external world. The conscious

Psychoanalysis mind is what you are aware of at any
Jarvis (2011) states that particular moment, your present
psychoanalysis is a theory that perceptions, memories, thoughts,
focuses on the dynamic relationship, fantasies, feelings, what have you.
between the body, mind and social Conscious is the opposite of
order. Psychoanalytic criticism is one unconscious, where the ego exists.
of the literary criticism that is Ego is the part of personality that
concerned to human beings behavior. keeps the id and superego balance.
The theory of psychoanalysis can also Ego provides us our conscience and
be used if we want to study literary our sense of what is right and what is
works, such as novels, Movies, or wrong.
plays. Jarvis theory was first
developed in the work of Sigmund Unconscious
Freud, a psychologist who ran a The unconscious is the
medical practice in Vienna from 1886 storehouse of those painful
up until his death in 1939. The goal of experiences and emotions, wounds,
psychoanalysis is to help us resolve or fears, guilty desires, and unresolved
psychological problems (called conflicts we do not want to know
disorders or dysfunctions). Freud about. The unconscious contains all
(1973a) in Storey (2009: 91) argues those drives, urges, or instincts
that the creation of civilization has beyond consciousness but motivate
resulted in the re-pression of basic all words, feelings, and actions.
human instincts. According to the According to Storey (2009:91), while
Jhon Storey (2009: 91) Freud’s the unconscious is the site of instinc-
discovery of the unconscious, he tual drives and repressed wishes. The
divides the psyche into two parts, the unconscious has two different levels:
conscious and the unconscious. the unconscious proper (id) and the
preconscious (superego). A reservoir
Conscious (unconscious mind) of mostly
According to Storey (2009: unacceptable thoughts, wishes,
91), conscious is the part that relates feelings, and memories. Freud asked

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Nun Ayu Waya Sirly and Nine Febrie Novitasari, Bullying Portrayed in Mean Girls
Movie: A Psychoanalysis

patients to say whatever came to their types of bullying based on National

minds (free association) in order to Centre Against Bullying in
tap the unconscious. Queensland Government (2010: 5).

Bullying Physical Bullying

Rigby (2008) in Darmawan Physical bullying is when a
(2010: 15) suggests that bullying is person (or group of people) uses
the systematic abuse of power in physical actions to bully, such as
interpersonal relationship. Bullying hitting, poking, tripping or pushing.
has become a very popular word Repeatedly and intentionally
amongst school age children. damaging someone's belongings is
However, this word is often also physical bullying. Then,
misunderstood. Bullying is action according to Bauman and Del Rio
repeated over and over again by an (2006) in Johnson (2013: 12), fighting
individual or group of people. and shoving a student into the lockers
According to the Darmawan is considered an act of physical
(2010:15) bullying is a behavior that bullying. This type of bullying is
can only be easily recognized when much easier to observe. When
individuals experience it. Bullying observations can be made, it is easier
can happen to anyone at any age and for school staff and students to oppose
anywhere whether at school, home, or this behavior and discontinue it.
even in a workplace. According to the Students tend to fear this type of
expert Olweous (1993) in Sarazen bullying the most as it is what is
(2002:9), bullying is occurring when portrayed in media outlets and
the child is exposed, repeatedly and concentrated on by anti-bullying
over time, to negative actions on the prevention.
part of one or more students. Negative
actions are any physical, verbal or Verbal Bullying
social action in which the bully Verbal bullying can include
intentionally causes injury or repeated or systematic name calling,
discomfort. In many cases, bullying insults, homophobic or racist remarks
can be a broad term, there are five and verbal abuse. While, Bauman and

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Jurnal Pioneer, Vol. 09, Issue 2, Desember 2017 130 - 140

Del Rio (2006) in Johnson (2013:12) or sharing information or images that

said that verbal bullying is often times will have a harmful effects on the
the outward attempt of teasing or other person.
name calling against an individual.
Things such as calling someone gay, Cyber Bullying
stupid, ugly, or mentally retarded are This is a method of bullying
examples of verbal bullying. The using technology, such as email,
seriousness can escalate to verbal mobile phones, chat networking
threats towards these individuals. verbally, socially psychologically.
These threats and Cyberbullying has quickly become a
uncomfortable social situations can new form of bullying and one that is
make it difficult for students socially, growing in practice with school aged
but also can be a major contributor to individuals. Slonje and Smith (2008)
withdrawing from school. Many in Johnson (2013:13) defined
students therefore suffer from a lack cyberbullying as an outward
of friendships and issues with their aggressive act that is portrayed
grade point average. Commonly this through technological devices such as
behaviour do with words, phrases or phones and the Internet. Smith,
verbal clues that embarrass, harass, or Mahdavi, Carvalho, and Tippett
intimidate others. An example, (2006) in Johnson (2013:13) argue
teasing, name calling, racial that cyberbullying can be divided into
comments, sarcasm, rumors, seven different subcategories: text
comment, intimidating words, et al. messaging, picture/video, calling,
email, chat-room, instant messaging,
Social Bullying and via website. Cyberbullying is also
Indirect actions, such as lying an act where the bully has invisibility,
about someone, spreading rumors, making it much more difficult to
playing a nasty joke that make the
person feel humiliated or powerless, Psychological Bullying
mimicking or deliberately excluding Psychological bullying
someone. Social bullying includes involves the repeated and intentional
consistently excluding another person use of words or actions which can

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Nun Ayu Waya Sirly and Nine Febrie Novitasari, Bullying Portrayed in Mean Girls
Movie: A Psychoanalysis

cause psychological harm. Examples others to suffer physical

include intimidations, manipulations, illness.
and stalking.
Mean Girls Movie
Effects of Bullying This movie was directed by
There are many impacts of Mark Waters, and was released at 30
bullying behaviour according to April 2004 in USA. Actress from this
Righby (2003) in Darmawan (2010: Movie are Lindsay Lohan, Rachel
23) such as the followings: McAdams, Tina Fey, and Tim
 Low psychological Meadows. Then the genre is comedy.
This includes states of mind Mean Girls tells about a
that are generally considered teenage girl named Cady Heron. In
unpleasant, such as general her age, she must experience
unhappiness, low self-esteem, important case in her life that is
and feelings of anger and emigrating from Africa to USA. It is
sadness. so different for her. Cady does not
 Poor social adjustment have other choices except following
This normally includes feeling her family to move, and Cady must go
of aversion toward one’s to school. The real school is a new
social environment by thing for Cady because in Afrika she
expressing dislike, loneliness just had homeschooling. On the first
and isolation in one‟s day at the school she was bullied by
environment. others students. She gets two new
 Psychological distress friends, then join to Plastic gang, but
This is considered to be more Cady must accept strange
serious than the first two requirements from Plastic gang.
categories and includes high However, the strange terms is guile
levels of anxiety, depression, from Plastic gang.
and even suicidal thinking.
 Physical un-wellness METHODOLOGY
Children who become victims This research used qualitative

of bully are likely more than approach and content analysis as the

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Jurnal Pioneer, Vol. 09, Issue 2, Desember 2017 130 - 140

research design. The researcher used researcher identified and classified

data derived from a movie entitled the data based on the types of bullying
Mean Girls Movie (2004). Then, the in Mean Girls Movie by using The
research data were in the form of National Centre Againts Bullying in
utterances, actions, and situations of Queensland Government is theory
the characters which indicate (2010:5). Besides, the researcher also
bullying. Instrument of this research used theory of Psychoanalysis from
was the researcher as a subject of Freud (1973). Second, the researcher
research. The research instrument in explained or described the impacts of
this research was the researcher bullying experienced by the victims
herself by watching and analyzing of bullying in the movie. Here, the
the movie. researcher used the theory from
There were some steps of Righby (2003) in Darmawan (2010:
collecting the data in order to 23). Finally the researcher drew
complete this research, they were: conclusion or making Conclusion
downloading the movie entitled mean about the types of bullying and
girls from the website, downloading impacts of bullying in the Mean Girls
the english subtitle of Mean Girls Movie.
Movie to synchronize the accuracy of
word or sentences and the time of FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION
appearing subtitle with the action Findings
being uttered by characters in movie, From this research, the
watching the Mean Girls Movie a few researcher found 12 data of bullyings.
times, screencapturing the scenes The data found were: four verbal
with the subtitle and situation bullyings, one physical bullying, two
indicating bullying, the last noting psychological bullyings, five social
down the data in the table of data bullyings, and zero cyber bullying.
colelection. Then, for the impacts of bullyings to
To analyze the data, the the characters who get bullied in
researcher used some theories from Mean Girls Movie , the researcher
experts. For that, there were some found eight low psychological well-
steps to analyze the data. First, the being, one poor social adjustment,

136
Nun Ayu Waya Sirly and Nine Febrie Novitasari, Bullying Portrayed in Mean Girls
Movie: A Psychoanalysis

and trhee no response to the Regina called her stupid. Whereas,

bullyings. Example of findings and Karen just gave her opinion to
analysis of this research are shown in
the Table 1.

Table 1 Examples of Findings and Analysis

Analysis
Code : 004/MG/00:46:55- 00:47:02
Karen : You wanna do
something fun? You wanna
Regina, but at the time Regina
go to Taco Bell?
thought that Karen was so stupid. Call
Regina :I can't go to Taco
stupid is included into Verbal
Bell, I'm on an all-
bullying, because it makes her sad.
carb diet. God,
Feeling sad is one of impacts of
Karen, you are so
bullying. Felling Sad itself is included
stupid!
into low psychological well-being.
From the conversation above,
Low psychological well-being itself
Karen asked to Regina “You wanna
includes stateds of mind that, are
do something fun? You wanna go to
generally considered unpleasant.
Taco Bell?” but Regina answered
Code :010/MG/00:27:38- 00:27:52
with hard words” God, Karen, you are
Aaron : Oh, come on.
so stupid”. Karen felt so sad because
Regina : Well, who can blame her?
I mean, you're gorgeous.

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Jurnal Pioneer, Vol. 09, Issue 2, Desember 2017 130 - 140

And OK, look, I'm not psychological well-being is consisted

saying of impacts of bullyings.
she's a stalker, but she
saved this Kleenex you Discussion
used and she said she's Based on the result of data
gonna do some kind of analysis, the researcher found the
African voodoo with it to types of bullying and impacts of
make you like her. bullying. After the researcher found
Aaron : What? the result of data analysis, the
The conversation above told researcher compared the result with
aboout Regina and Aaron who talked the previous results of researches.
about Cady. Regina said that Cady They are Prananda and Puspakasari.
saved the kleenex Aroon used was There were differences between this
going to do some kind of African research to the results of previous
voodo with it to make Aaron like her. researches. First, this research was
While, Cady never said about it. In the compared with Prananda’s research.
utterance “she's a stalker, but she The result of his research shows about
saved this Kleenex you used and she internal conflicts of Piscine Molitor
said she's gonna do some kind of Patel as Pi in Life’s of Pi movie
African voodoo with it to make you related to the his situation.
like her” it consisted of social Second, this research was also
bullying, because Regina spread compared to Puspakasari’s research.
rumours about Cady. The result of her findings discussion
Regina said like that because shows that characteristics of growth
she did not want any competitor to be and visible teenage development of
her rival and Regina did not want to social maturity, logically thinking and
lose Aaron’s heart. Then, Aaron social transition experience changes
believe all of Regina’s statements in individual relationship with other
Cady was so sad seeing and hearing human beings. It was seen from the
about it. Feel sad is included into low figure of princess Alexa who felt shy
psychological well-being. low and not self-confident then becomes
into a self-confident after a

138
Nun Ayu Waya Sirly and Nine Febrie Novitasari, Bullying Portrayed in Mean Girls
Movie: A Psychoanalysis

miraculous event in the fairy and second dominant type of bullyings

mermaid world. She became a figure found was verbal bullying. Some
of confidence because of the maturity characters used words to intimidate,
way of thinking and the relationship insult, and call someone stupid, ugly,
with the environment was very well and lesbian. In other hand, the
established. researcher think that this movie not
Then, in this research, the support bullying, because in the
researcher found that the dominant ending of this movie is every
type of bullying was social bullying, characters who did the bullying
which was indicated by spreading apologizing to the person who get the
rumours, mimicking, and sharing bullied and all of people in the movie
information or images that will have a especially for girls was at peace.
harmful effects on the other person. In the analysis of bullying in
Then, the impacts mostly experienced Mean Girls Movie by Mark Waters,
by characters was low psychological the researcher realizes that this
well-being because it made them feel research is needed to be continued by
low self-esteem, and feelings of anger the next researchers. This research
and sadness. stiil has many weakness. Thus, the
researcher suggestes the next
CONCLUSION AND researcher to be more specific in
SUGGESTION
analyzing the bullying using
psychoanalaysis approach. Moreover,
Based on the findings and
the researcher suggestes the next
discussion of the research it could be
researchers to focus on analyzing
concluded that the bullying were done
psychological bullying and
by some characters in the Mean Girls
cyberbullying in the other objects,
Movie. The dominant types of
because the researcher did not find
bullyings found was social bullying,
cyberbullying in this research.
because some characters in the movie
Finally, the writer hopes this research
did the bullyings by spreading
to be able to give an ispiration to the
rumours that to make someone sad or
readers to continue this research on
angry, like Regina who spreaded
rumours about Cady. Then, the

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 Jurnal Pioneer, Vol. 09, Issue 2, Desember 2017 130 - 140

bullying using psychoanalysis Changes by the Main Character

in Barbie and the Secret Door
approaches.
Movie. Unpublished Thesis.
Situbondo: Abdurachman Saleh
Situbondo University.
Queensland Government (2010).
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