Jennifer Keishin Armstrong: “So Fetch: The Making of Mean Girls” (ONLINE)

Pop culture historian Jennifer Keishin Armstrong, bestselling author of Seinfeldia, visits the AWM to read from and discuss her new book So Fetch: The Making of Mean Girls (And Why We’re Still So Obsessed with It). This book tells story of one of the most iconic teen comedies of all time, Mean Girls, revealing how it happened, how it defined a generation, “like, invented” meme culture, and why it just won’t go away, filled with exclusive interviews from the director, cast, and crew.

This event is the live online broadcast of an in-person event. When you register for this event you will get a link to view the broadcast via Zoom. If you would like to attend the event in-person at the American Writers Museum, register here.

More about So Fetch:

Get in, loser. We’re going back to 2004.

It’s been 20 years since Mean Girls hit theaters, winning over critics and audiences alike with its razor-sharp wit, star-making turns for its then unknown cast, and obsessively quotable screenplay by Tina Fey. Fast forward two decades and Mean Girls remains as relevant as ever. Arguably, no other movie from the 2000s has had as big of an impact on pop culture.

In So Fetch, New York Times bestselling author of Seinfeldia, Jennifer Keishin Armstrong, offers the first ever authoritative book about this beloved classic that shaped an entire generation. Based off revealing interviews with the director, cast, and crew, So Fetch tells the full story of the making of Mean Girls, from Tina Fey’s brilliant adaptation of a self-help guide for parents of teen girls, to the challenges of casting Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, and the iconic supporting players. So Fetch also explores the film’s lasting cultural influence, from its role in the rise of Y2K tabloid culture, impact on girls of all ages and LGBTQ+ culture, to how we use it to define female relationships to this day.

Timed for the 20th anniversary and the release of the new movie musical adaptation, So Fetch is the perfect companion for fans and anyone who understands that when it comes to Mean Girls’ enduring legacy, the limit does not exist!

Praise for So Fetch:

“The definitive story of one of the greatest teen comedies in Hollywood history. A brilliant, captivating deep dive. Hardcore fans, Mean Girls novices, and everyone in between will be enthralled.”
—Andy Greene, New York Times bestselling author of The Office

“An encyclopedic look-see into the making of Tina Fey’s 2004 confection. Armstrong’s tome is a reminder that Mean Girls was more than just a quotable romp with an unforgettable performance by a Juicy-wearing Amy Poehler: it was a siren call to young women everywhere that turning on your sisters makes about as much sense as trying to make fetch happen.”
—Lynette Rice, author of How to Save a Life: The Inside Story of Grey’s Anatomy

“An absolutely engrossing read that will lure in even the most casual of Mean Girl fans — which was me before I started reading! Wonderfully reported, filled with surprising revelations and details, just a total delight of a book.”
— Anne Helen Petersen, author of Can’t Even: How Millennials Became the Burnout Generation

JENNIFER KEISHIN ARMSTRONG’S writing takes readers behind the scenes of major moments in pop culture history and examines the lasting impact that our favorite TV shows, music, and movies have on our society and psyches. She investigates why pop culture matters deeply, from The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Seinfeld, to Sex and the City and Mean Girls, to Beyoncé, Taylor, and Barbie. She has written eight books, including the New York Times bestseller Seinfeldia, When Women Invented Television, Sex and the City and Us, and So Fetch.