Mother May I

When China tells John Malkovich's character she is always the mother during the game, was that hinting that according to her peer group she wasn't as attractive as the all the older characters saw her? I was just wondering because Charlie Day's character said the least attractive of the group usually played the mother. It's confusing because the actress who plays China is so very attractive. But then again I've seen internet comments saying some pretty cruel things about her appearance.

It reminds me of myself when I was a teen when adults would go on and on about my attractiveness yet in school I didn't get anywhere near the adulation. Just wondering if that was what was going on here.