‘Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging’ I think captures teenage girl life perfectly. You sit there and cringe through the 90 minutes but looking back I can cringe at most of my teenage years also when it comes to friendships and boys.
With all that being said, here are 10 things I picked up on in the film that ALL teenage girls will be able to relate to.
1. Many, many hours will be lost talking about boys with your girlfriends
Fortunately I was into horses for years before I noticed boys which my Mum swears is the best way to keep your daughter(s) away from boys for a lot longer than without. But once I became aware of boys, my best pal and I couldn’t talk about anything else -we would talk all day, and then send each other HUGE long emails most evenings about our boys.
2. When not talking about boys, you’ll be plotting how to get boys to notice you
If only I could admit to you the lengths I went to in order to get my crush to notice me, it’s not that I’m not willing to tell you, I just think those things need leaving in my teen years and between my bestie and I!
3. Thongs to a teenage girl, are considered sexy
As a teenager, you think they are sexy but thongs really are not; they are uncomfortable and unattractive. You learn this later.
4. Being obsessed with your boobs, and your friend’s boobs, and your friend’s friends’ boobs
They’re too big, not big enough, too round, not round enough… boobs are everything!
5. Every school has a group of girls you consider to be a bit slaggy
I apologise for the term but slag/slaggy/slut etc. is used by teenage girls about other teenage girls who wear their skirt too high, their shirt unbuttoned too low and their tie too short. Girls like me thought boys liked those girls more though (psst, they don’t!).
6. Swimming becomes awkward
During Angus, Thongs & Perfect Snogging, Georgia suffers a fake tan malfunction with her legs, and for me my equivalent was bikini lines; pubic hair ruined swimming for me.
I have spoken about this before when I reflected on high school and the teen experience.
7. Kissing is a big deal
Until you have your first proper kiss (snog!), it’s a big deal and you do worry about doing it right. You hear horror stories in teen magazines about bumping noses and clashing teeth but in reality, this doesn’t happen and it’s so unnecessarily over complicated.
8. The strongest friends will still fallout over boys
Quoting Gretchen from Mean Girls, “Ex-boyfriends are just off limits to friends. I mean, that’s just, the rules of feminism.” And it’s true.
I had a best friend start dating my ex-boyfriend almost immediately after he finished with me and that was the end of us. But friends generally will fallout over boys and that’s just how it is, you share a joint mission to get attention until one of you actually gets a boyfriend and the other gets jealous.
But you both get over it eventually and become friends again.
9. You ignore all the boys that are genuine and love you, for the good-looking boy you will never get
Because the boys that love you you won’t consider to be boyfriend material, and if they are you’ll be so distracted by the school crush that you won’t notice.
10. Wanting to be older before your time
From the age of about fourteen, teenage girls do everything to appear older. To attract boys, to be seen as more responsible etc. You then reach your late twenties-early thirties and do everything you can to appear younger.
Oh the irony!
What advice would you give your teenage self?
Until next time x
