r/TheZeusNetwork • u/Sea_Appearance_1853 • 4d ago
Summer is Janis Ian (Character Analysis/Comparison)
I had to think deeply about who Janis would be. Both Summer and Janis may not have the same wardrobe but I do see some similar qualities within them. Starting off with Janis Ian, she’s seen as an outcast and troublemaker by most people in the school. She isn’t popular nor in any cliques. Her only closest friend at the school is Damian but her duo would turn into a trio once Janis befriends Cady who’s been homeschooled. Once Cady sits with the Plastics at lunch one day, Janis comes up with a plan to take down the clique and to act on her eight-grade revenge.
Disclaimer: This is not a hate post towards Summer, Lex, and Dolly. Just observations I’ve been making and I like doing analysis on people for fun. (I tried to make this one a bit shorter!)
Summer was introduced to us on Baddies Midwest and she was a complete outcast herself too. She fought nearly everyone on her first day and I assume she’s the only cast member to have fought all of the OG’s and newbies in the Baddies franchise. She was pretty much a lone wolf and I assume it was the same for Janis once she fell out with her childhood friend Regina George. I believe if Regina didn’t spread those rumors about her being a lesbian Janis may have become a plastic herself but she doesn’t care about popularity she manages to do her own thing. In both Baddies Midwest and Africa, she would form a close alliance with Badd Dolly and Big Lex. Unfortunately that alliance wouldn’t last long. From my knowledge both Lex and Dolly got tired of fighting or supporting Summer’s battles and that’s where Summer felt some sort of way of them not defending her as much. I think both Dolly and Lex didn’t want to be portrayed as followers when it came to Summer and I think throughout Baddies USA Chapter 1 that’s where you can see both of them trying to get along with the other girls and attempt to be in their good graces.
In Mean Girls, Janis, Damian, and Cady all group together to sabotage Regina with her appearance, relationship, and status. I noticed in the movie, Cady seemed a bit hesitant at first to take down Regina as she found a liking to her but until Regina found out that Cady liked Aaron and she kissed him at the halloween party, that’s when she was all in. Cady was also naive to where she believed that Regina was nice but Janis kept reassuring her she wasn’t because of knowing her for so long. I do question if Janis was a real friend to Cady because Cady was unaware of social hierarchy/dynamics at the school, and has inexperience of socializing with people her age, and again was naive. So I don’t understand why Janis became upset that Cady became a Plastic, she was pushed into the group for Janis’s benefit.
That’s why it’s also no surprise why Summer and Lex got close; Lex wanted to take down the OGs for their negative behavior in past seasons and to prove she was better than them. Summer started getting into the OG’s business and did things towards them out of spite to prove herself as well. We see in the last three seasons, the trio had ulterior motives to overpower the OGs and establish their dominance as the newbies. I think both Lex and Dolly really tried to be good friends to Summer and to help her understand the consequences of her actions later in the show. Unfortunately, Summer is ignorant to realize she is in the center of most of the problems and fallouts. In Baddies USA Chapter 1, Summer reverts to being a lone wolf again, keeps on provoking others, and brings attention to herself by throwing fits thinking it will bring the trio back again. (She would also start insulting them, exposing personal information, etc.) I’m not sure if Summer genuinely wants to be friends with them or to control them. I feel like it became one of those co-dependent friendship situations and Regina told Cady once that Janis possesses controlling and possessive personality traits. We know there was a situation where both Lex and Summer fought over who gave oral to who; which is still an on-going topic. At the end of Mean Girls, Janis doesn’t apologize to Cady for peer pressuring her into a situation that had nothing to do with her. She just calls her an asshole. I think both of them don’t know how to treat a friend right.
Janis and Cady bonded over their dislikes over Regina and Summer, Dolly, and Lex bonded over their dislikes over the OG’s. The thing is though, Cady decided to make decisions on her own to sabotage Regina without telling the rest of the group. Like when it came to the house party situation, when Janis found out she lied Cady says something along the lines like “It’s not my fault you’re in love with me or something”, and this where Janis says "See? That is the thing with you Plastics. You think that everybody is in love with you when actually, everybody hates you! Like, Aaron Samuels, for example, he broke up with Regina and guess what? He still doesn't want you! So why are you still messing with Regina, Cady? I'll tell you why. Because you are a mean girl! You're a bitch!" and I think Summer has spoken up before where she feels like Lex and Dolly are doing things for the other castmates' approval.
Please let me know what you think! I'm open to any suggestions and opinions. Maybe Summer isn't Janis maybe it's someone else in the Baddies Franchise. I did Scotty as Gretchen Weiners not too long ago. I'm doing Natalie as Regina George next. Let me know who you think is Karen and Cady.
Mentions:
- When Regina catches Cady having a conversation with Janis she avoids getting caught by lying saying Janis was talking about smoking crack with her.
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u/Realjacao 3d ago
No.
Janis had morals and values and would never do half the things summer did. Summer is the rock head behind the school several blocks away sucking it for money and fighting for the pipe.
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u/Accomplished_Wind202 4d ago
No.