Mean Girls 2004 vs 2024, a study on the evolution of slang

Language, much like a living organism is in constant evolution and slang is the nutrient that a language needs to take the step that triggers change. What is slang? Is it worth learning about? Can anybody use it? How is it possible to know if slang is going to last? These are only some of the questions that might enter the mind of someone who is new to this topic, and sometimes looking for answers might not be the easiest task. Studies on slang are a recent event because, for many years, scholars were not interested in something that is linguistically defined as below language. Slang is in fact a sub-standard variation of language, and for centuries it has been assumed to be linked only to low-life individuals, when in reality slang is much more than that, and therefore essential in current times. In this thesis, slang is going to be analyzed in the first chapter for its linguistic properties, looking at it from the point of view of different disciplines, comparing it to other sub-standard varieties, and discovering the methodology through which many of these terms have come to be part of speech. In the second chapter, the history of slang is under the limelight. From ancient times to the end of the 20th century slang has undergone as many changes as society itself, going through a journey that took it from the streets to the TVs. In the third chapter, the movie Mean Girls in its versions from 2004 and 2024 is the perfect candidate to study the development of slang in the arc of twenty years. This is going to be achieved by examining the results of a questionnaire that used scenes from the movies to ask about people’s opinions on slang. Lastly, in the fourth chapter, slang is going to be explored in its current relationship with the media, the influence of social platforms, and the phenomenon of trends, as well as in its future going forward.