In the prime of Mean Girls and even now, this particular joke never made sense and continues to not make sense. This has nothing to do with the fact that the film has not aged well (although it must be acknowledged that there are elements that haven’t aged gracefully). However, for years, one of the film’s most famous jokes has bothered me.
“Butter is entirely composed of fat, and unequivocally not a carbohydrate,” affirms the incredibly patient Dr. Pramod Khosla.
“Is butter a carbohydrate?” Regina George earnestly inquires, in a sing-songy manner that Rachel McAdams perfectly embodies.
“Yes,” replies a dumb-founded Cady, played by Lindsay Lohan, with a look of pity-filled bewilderment generally reserved for Regina’s less intellectual minions.
“Indeed.” Oh my goodness. “Is butter a carbohydrate?” The monosyllabic agreement is prolonged, with additional stress on the “s” conveying a deep feeling of vicarious shame: At least, that’s what Lohan’s performance, and some other instances showcasing Regina’s complete deficiency in understanding nutrition, suggest. Supposedly, the humor in this situation arises from Regina’s ignorance regarding the fact that butter is, indeed, a carbohydrate.
(Full disclosure: Pramod, who holds a doctoral degree in biochemistry, is the father of Mashable entertainment reporter Proma Khosla.) Over the phone, affirms the exceedingly tolerant Pramod Khosla, a Wayne State University professor in nutrition and food science, “Butter is entirely composed of fat and certainly not a carbohydrate,” of course.
“Carbs offer significantly more energy than fats, although both contribute to energy production. The metabolism process and chemical composition differ between carbohydrates and fats,” Khosla clarifies, referring to these two out of the three macronutrient groups essential for our bodies, with proteins being the third.
Fat is a but. Carbs are not, I repeat, butter is. Fat but. Carbs not. Butter is overwhelmingly made of fat, which has more carbs than clarified butter, on average, if your dinner table salted butter was it. Clarified butter can be a top-tier source of fats, as it contains 0 grams of carbs and 100 grams of fat per 100 grams of clarified butter. This nutritional information is a reliable recommendation from Khosla’s website, the United States Department of Agriculture (U.S.D.A.).
How could Tina Fey, winner of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, make such an egregious mistake? At the very least, she didn’t provide any reasoning behind her decision.
“Perhaps just to arrange a situation for her?” They wanted to portray her in a certain way, whichever way they wanted, to make it seem like butter is a carb, they said. The reason that seems to me is that they haven’t even shown the rest of the film, only a clip from Khosla, who hasn’t seen the plotline. Asked to interpret the clip, the only thing that can be sure is that it may have been meant as a joke, to rationalize this infamous part of Regina’s character in Mean Girls as being a “Hot Body” — as many fans did.
“In any case, according to Khosla, my understanding was that ‘duh’ was more of a concept. It is not entirely clear whether any specific information was given to her about butter being a carbohydrate, but Lohan’s delivery doesn’t clarify that.”
From a scientific standpoint, a small adjustment would enhance the coherence of this joke. Her cunning and sophisticated plotting would undoubtedly lead her to respond affirmatively, or alternatively, prompt Cady to decline with an obvious tone. Both choices possess a certain comedic quality, I must confess. The latter option, in fact, carries a slightly sinister undertone.
Recognizing that you have misunderstood a basic truth until much later in life is a common experience that we all aim to avoid.
The joke in Mean Girls is undoubtedly funny, as it adds an unintentional and objectively wrong quirk to Cady’s character. In this scene, Cady implies that butter is a carbohydrate and a key part of North Shore’s championship-winning mathlete team, which I find pretty hilarious considering my understanding of the nutritional value of butter. Perhaps this is why Regina’s line is quoted as the only one from this scene. If we were to toss in a “yes” as a response to Cady’s joke, it could really work as part of the joke. We don’t discuss the glaring error that goes undiscussed.
Irregardless, I’m guessing I’m not alone in quietly grappling with this perplexing fragment of a beloved movie. It’s understandable.Recognizing that you have misunderstood a basic truth until much later in life is a common experience that we all aim to avoid.My most glaring instance of this was thinking glass was an element well into my college years. For a friend, whose anonymity I’ve agreed to protect, it was mistakenly believing you could “only milk the white cows” up until — well, last week.
Without a doubt, I have indeed consulted with an authentic, genuine nutrition expert. Cady’s reaction in this particular Mean Girls scene is somewhat difficult to understand and butter is categorized as fat, not carbohydrates. No, you are not overlooking anything in this unforgettable scene if you have ever wondered if you are “missing something”. Therefore, allow me to express.
“Perhaps a more challenging inquiry, in the future?” Chuckles Khosla. “Regarding nutritional data.” There is a momentary silence. “Instead of, you know, viewing a Mean Girls clip, there are numerous sources available for obtaining more dependable and captivating information.”
Honestly, fair.
Mean Girls is currently available for streaming on Paramount+.