The Most Popular Girls in School

The Most Popular Girls in School (abbreviated MPGIS) is an American adult stop-motion animated comedy web series that debuted on YouTube on May 1, 2012. Created by Mark Cope and Carlo Moss, the series animates Barbie, Ken and other fashion dolls, usually with customized costumes and hairstyles, as various characters. MPGIS follows the exploits of a fictional high school cheer leading team in Overland Park, Kansas and their friends, family and enemies. Variety described the series as "Mean Girls meets South Park".[1] The first episode has been viewed over nine million times,[2] and many episodes have received views in the millions.

The Most Popular Girls in School
Cast of MPGIS (Clockwise from upper left: Cameron, Shay, Jenna, Rachel, Deandra, Brittnay, Mackenzie and Trisha)
Genre
Created byMark Cope
Carlo Moss
Starring
  • Kate Frisbee
  • Lily Vonnegut
  • Garrett Mendez
  • Andrew Delman
  • Carlo Moss
  • Haley Mancini
  • Afton Quast
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons5
No. of episodes82 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producersMark Cope
Carlo Moss
Tiffany L. Gray
Lily Vonnegut
ProducerLily Vonnegut (seasons 1–4)
Production companiesExtra Credit Studios
Universal Cable Productions (season 5)
Release
Original networkYouTube
Original releaseMay 1, 2012 (2012-05-01) –
present
External links
Website

In April 2013, MPGIS parodied the viral email rant of Delta Gamma sorority member Rebecca Martinson by having the character Brittnay Matthews (voiced by Lily Vonnegut) reenact the so-called "Deranged Sorority Girl Email". The MPGIS video went viral itself.[3][4][5][6] On May 1, 2018, Extra Credit Studios announced a sixth season to be in development, as well as a Patreon to crowdfund MPGIS in addition to new spin-off shows The Most Popular Girls in Quarantine, Keeping Up With The Van Burens, and Models.[7][8]

Storyline

Domineering Head Cheerleader Mackenzie Zales and her absent-minded fellow cheerleader Trisha Cappelletti confront new Overland Park High School student Deandra when she attempts to use their restricted restroom. They broker an alliance just as Shay van Buren—the most popular girl in school outside of the cheer squad—and her sisters drag the cheerleaders into a bitter feud, hoping to finally crush Mackenzie's cheerleading reign.

Outside this drama, cheerleader Brittnay Matthews breaks up with her dimwitted second-string quarterback boyfriend Blaine, who immediately begins dating her nemesis, the annoyingly French exchange student Saison Marguerite. Brittnay is further infuriated by the Cheer Squad/Van Buren feud and the acceptance of new girl Deandra into the confidence of the squad.

Meanwhile, lonely lurker Jonathan Getslinhaumer tries to get the attention of the football team with his strange slang and empty threats, which mostly leaves them repulsed by his subconscious sexual innuendos. Finally, the unpopular and unattractive Rachel Tice, a childhood friend of Brittnay and Mackenzie who has since fallen out of favor, plots with her friend Judith to try to improve their social status. Rachel's moody sister Bridget occasionally makes an appearance to offer disdainful ridicule, and Lunch Lady Belinda cannot quite hide her crush on the dazzling Overland Park alumna Cameron Van Buren.

Later plot lines include the rivalry with cheerleaders from Atchison High School, a sabotaged prom and a carefully planned revenge plot against Mackenzie.

The first four seasons take place in the girls' junior year at Overland Park High School while the fifth season takes place during the summer between their junior and senior years of high school, with France being the primary location.[9] Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, The Most Popular Girls in Quarantine is taking place over video calls while Overland Park is closed and Mackenzie attempts to get the school re-opened.

Cast

Main
Voice actor Character Seasons
1 2 3 4 5
Carlo Moss Deandra the New Girl Main
Rachel Tice Main
Blaine Recurring Main
Kate Frisbee Mackenzie Zales Main
Ashley Katchadourian Recurring Guest
Lily Vonnegut Brittnay Matthews Main
Judith Dinsmore Recurring Main
Mikayla Van Buren Recurring Guest Recurring
Garrett Mendez Trisha Cappelletti Main
Andrew Delman Shay Van Buren Main
Saison Marguerite Recurring Main
Pete Capella Tanner Christiansen Main
Mark Cope Jonathan "Than" Getslinhaumer Main
Haley Mancini Trisha 2 Recurring Main
Afton Quast Jenna Darabond Mentioned Guest Main Guest

Recurring
Voice actor Character Seasons
1 2 3 4 5
Ray Hebel Tristan McKie Guest Recurring Guest
Dave Hill Matthew Derringer Recurring
Amberlynn Weggers Recurring Guest Recurring
Brian Konowal Justin Michaelson Recurring
Aaron Krebs Cameron Van Buren Recurring Guest Recurring Guest Recurring
Oisin McGrann Recurring
David Razowsky Mrs. Van Buren Guest Recurring Guest Recurring
Bill Sindelar Lunch Lady Belinda Recurring Guest Recurring Guest Recurring
Christine Tarbet Bridget Tice Recurring Guest Recurring Guest
Jessie Schneiderman Jenna Dapananian Recurring
Chloe & Zoe Recurring
Carla Henderson Taylor McDevitt Recurring
Grace Helbig (season 2) / Betsy Beutler (season 5) Jeannie Halverstad Recurring Recurring
Lee Newton Tanya Berkowitz Recurring Guest
Katelynn Zales Recurring Guest
Sofia Recurring
Michelle Visage Mrs. Zales Recurring Guest
Janel Benisch Juliette Bonnet Recurring

Episodes
Main article: List of The Most Popular Girls in School episodes
SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
113May 1, 2012 (2012-05-01)November 13, 2012 (2012-11-13)
217March 5, 2013 (2013-03-05)July 23, 2013 (2013-07-23)
328November 5, 2013 (2013-11-05)May 20, 2014 (2014-05-20)
412January 6, 2015 (2015-01-06)March 31, 2015 (2015-03-31)
512June 13, 2017 (2017-06-13)August 29, 2017 (2017-08-29)

Production and broadcast

The Most Popular Girls in School animates Barbie, Ken and related Mattel fashion dolls,[3][4] generic fashion dolls and various branded dolls, usually with customized costumes and hairstyles, as various characters. Other dolls used include Disney's, Ariel, Belle, Merida and Mother Gothel,[10] Finnick Odair from The Hunger Games, Tyr Anasazi from Andromeda, and Oscar and Evanora from Oz the Great and Powerful. Guest voice talent has included Grace Helbig, Jason Earles, Lee Newton, Tyler Oakley, Michelle Visage, Kingsley, EpicLLOYD, Hannah Hart, and Mamrie Hart.

A March 2013 Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign funded season 2 of the series,[11] a November 2013 Indiegogo campaign funded season 3,[12] and a November 2014 Indiegogo campaign funded season 4.[13]

MPGIS premiered on YouTube on May 1, 2012.[2] The fourth season concluded on May 31, 2015, and a fifth season was not announced until April 4, 2017.[14] A sixth season was announced at the end of the fifth-season finale episode on August 29, 2017.[15]

As of August 2017, the series' YouTube channel has over 900,000 subscribers and over 120 million views.[16] MPGIS has also produced spin-off shows The Trisha Show and Judy and Red, as well as bonus material like "Making of" and "Behind the Scenes" videos, viewer mail Q&A and "Extra Credit" (outtakes). On May 1, 2018, Extra Credit Studios opened a Patreon to crowdfund MPGIS in addition to new spin-off shows Keeping Up With The Van Burens and Models.[17]

Reception

Variety described the series as "Mean Girls meets South Park in this trash-talking, boundary-busting high-school-set Web series, acted out by stop-motion Barbie dolls."[1] The first episode has been viewed over 8.5 million times,[2] and most episodes have received views in the millions.

In April 2013, MPGIS parodied the viral email rant of Delta Gamma sorority member Rebecca Martinson by having the character Brittnay Matthews (voiced by Lily Vonnegut) reenact Martinson's so-called "Deranged Sorority Girl Email". The MPGIS video went viral itself.[3][4][5][6]

In January 2015, Variety reported that Charlize Theron's production company Denver and Delilah was developing a stop-motion animation series based on MPGIS with comic book writer Greg Rucka.[18]

In August 2015, MPGIS was nominated for a Streamy Award for Costume Design.[19][20]

See also

References
  1. Saperstein, Pat (April 14, 2013). "Devour: Most Popular Girls in School, CBG19, The Beatles, Carol Burnett, More". Variety. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
  2. "MPGIS – Episode 1: 'The New Girl'". TheMostPopularGirls. May 1, 2012. Retrieved June 24, 2017 – via YouTube.
  3. "Rebecca Martinson's Insane Sorority Email Gets Parodied By Barbie". The Huffington Post. April 22, 2013. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
  4. O'Connor, Maureen (April 22, 2013). "Watch a Psycho Barbie Reenact That Sorority E-mail". New York. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
  5. Weaver, Caity (April 18, 2013). "The Most Deranged Sorority Girl Email You Will Ever Read". Gawker. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
  6. "Real-Life 'Mean Girl' Parodied on Web After Rant". Good Morning America. April 24, 2013. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
  7. "The Next Chapter". Retrieved May 7, 2018 – via YouTube.
  8. "Extra Credit Studios is creating The Most Popular Girls in School & More Stop-Motion Adventures". Retrieved May 7, 2018 – via Patreon.
  9. "Where The F is MPGiS??!!". TheMostPopularGirls. August 10, 2016. Retrieved August 12, 2016 – via YouTube.
  10. "Mother Gothel Classic Doll". Disney Store. Archived from the original on August 13, 2014. Retrieved August 12, 2014.
  11. "The Most Popular Girls in School Season 2". Kickstarter. March 4, 2013. Archived from the original on August 14, 2015. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
  12. "The Most Popular Girls in School Season 3". Indiegogo. November 15, 2013. Archived from the original on February 13, 2014. Retrieved August 14, 2013.
  13. "The Most Popular Girls in School Season 4". Indiegogo. November 19, 2014. Archived from the original on July 21, 2015. Retrieved August 14, 2013.
  14. "The Most Popular Girls in School Season 5 Teaser". TheMostPopularGirls. April 4, 2017. Retrieved August 30, 2017 – via YouTube.
  15. "MPGIS – Episode 82: 'The Final Walk'". TheMostPopularGirls. August 29, 2017. Retrieved August 30, 2017 – via YouTube.
  16. "About The Most Popular Girls in School". TheMostPopularGirls. Retrieved February 17, 2016 – via YouTube.
  17. "Extra Credit Studios is creating The Most Popular Girls in School & More Stop-Motion Adventures". Retrieved May 1, 2018 – via Patreon.
  18. Wagmeister, Elizabeth (January 15, 2015). "Charlize Theron Inks First-Look Deal With Universal Cable Prods". Variety. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
  19. Hurwitz, Daniel (August 13, 2015). "And the 2015 Streamy Awards nominees are ..." USA Today. Retrieved August 19, 2015.
  20. "5th Annual Nominees". Streamy Awards. August 2015. Retrieved August 19, 2015.
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