How Mean Girls Fought A 'Demeaning' R-Rating Using Will Ferrell's Anchorman

Today, "Mean Girls" is revered as one of the most iconic and beloved teen comedies of all time. The film achieved unprecedented critical and commercial success when it was released in 2004, transforming into a cultural phenomenon that defined an entire generation of American teens. 

Despite the impressive success and esteem that "Mean Girls" has earned since its premiere, it might surprise some diehard fans to learn that the movie actually had a very tough time getting into theaters in the first place, as the MPAA initially refused to give it a PG-13 rating. "We had lots of battles with the ratings board on the movie," said director Mark Waters in an interview with Vulture. "There was the line, 'Amber D'Alessio gave a blow job to a hot dog,' which eventually became 'Amber D'Alessio made out with a hot dog.' Which is somehow weirder!" 

The board also wanted to remove a joke referencing a "wide-set vagina," which is when Waters finally put his foot down and called out the MPAA for its sexist rating system, using a comparison to Will Ferrell's "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy" as leverage. "We ended up playing the card that the ratings board was sexist, because 'Anchorman' had just come out, and Ron Burgundy (Ferrell) had an erection in one scene, and that was PG-13." Waters said that the board's desire to remove this line was demeaning to all women, especially since the line wasn't spoken in any sexual context whatsoever.

In the end, Paramount successfully won its battle against the MPAA and secured a PG-13 rating for "Mean Girls," thanks in large part to the sexist double standard that was exemplified by "Anchorman." Although it might seem comical that such a crude piece of sexual humor would end up saving the premiere of "Mean Girls," it's worth mentioning that the MPAA's rating system has come under fire numerous times for its allegedly sexist tendencies.

One prominent example is the rating controversy surrounding "Blue Valentine," which was threatened with a dreaded NC-17 rating for one scene in which Dean Pereira (Ryan Gosling) performed oral sex on Cynthia Heller (Michelle Williams). Moviegoers and producers alike were appalled by this absurd decision, especially when compared to the R ratings of violent torture films like "Saw" and "The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo." In the end, the rating was appealed and overturned.

A more recent example of this came with 2019's "The Hustle," which originally received an R rating until an appeal changed it to PG-13. "I thought it was quite sexist that male-driven comedies were much more likely to get PG ratings...when, on a scientific analysis, female-driven comedies had less swear words, less nudity and less violence," said "The Hustle" star Rebel Wilson in an interview with IndieWire. While it's certainly funny that Ron Burgundy might have saved the box office release of "Mean Girls," it's clear that Mark Waters' fight for a PG-13 rating represents a much larger issue within the film industry itself.