Mean Girls

Growing up always feeling like the odd-girl-out, I learned at a young age to embrace my quirky individuality.  I didn't always do it in a healthy way though, especially in middle school.  I always acted as if the "popular girls" were really the weird ones, I made fun of them, and I criticized them for qualities I had no proof of (intelligence, promiscuity, etc.).  As I grew up and became more comfortable in my own skin, I realized that not only was I otherizing the "popular girls", I was also making myself the "other" by setting myself apart from everyone else and only associating with people who were like me (quirky, awkward, liked a certain music).

Otherization is extremely prevalent in our society, from movies like "Mean Girls" to sports team preferences to racial profiling.  The movie "Mean Girls" is a perfect example of otherizing, particularly when the main character, Cady, is introduced to the cliques of the high school, particularly the "plastics".  Janis, another character tells her all about the "plastics" - how they're cold, slutty, and "bitchy".  This otherization is just one example of many in the movie.