If I were a graduate student studying modern American television (people totally do that, right? TV Studies? No?) I’d write my thesis on the Gilmore Girls. Specifically the dynamic between Lorelei Gilmore and Rory Gilmore. The title would be Lorelei & Rory: the role of the dominant and the submissive in family dynamics. And then I’d write about that. But since this is a blog, I get to cheat and invent imaginary thesis titles without actually needing to do any leg work.
Ugh! I can’t even explain the insidious addiction of this show. I never watched it first time around. Then when it became available on Netflix streaming I figured I ought to give it a shot because people I respect love it. It turns out it’s awful. But I can’t stop watching!
I hate Lorelei. She’s so smug and self absorbed. Basically selfishly forcing her daughter to be her best friend. I just can’t get behind this whole mom + daughter = best friend thing. It’s weird! Yo. I talk to my mom every day, I see her in person multiple times per week. I have a great relationship with my mom. But she’s my mom, not my best friend. Side note, I also find it creepy when spouses call each other “best friends”. Anyway, Lorelei is so intent on being “cool” and quasi witty that she’s awful and obnoxious to her entire community. Including her own parents! Come on already, grow up, Lorelei!
Oh, and the theme song? It’s the worst. THE WORST. For all the effort the show goes to name dropping bands (Belle & Sebastian, Metallica, I heard some Rammstein, Otis Redding) you’d think they would have a decent theme song. But no. It’s the worst. If you’re curious what song it is it’s Where You Lead by Carole King. Listen, I may be down with Linda Ronstadt but no thank you, Carole King. You can take what you are selling elsewhere.
Oh, hello broken English Korean mom. What are you doing here? Why? Why must Mrs. Kim speak broken English? Her grammar is nearly impeccable but the writer’s love dropping the verb every once in a while. It’s so inconsistent! ESL people tend to be consistent in the idiosyncrasies of their speech. The Vietnamese family down the street sell “gingersnappers” at their sandwich shop. Which I think is ridiculously cute, BUT it’s always gingersnappers. Well, except when it’s chocolate chip cookie day. Then there’s no gingersnappers. Consistency.
Besides, I can hear Mrs. Kim’s American accent behind the awful fake Korean accent. Why must they do this? There are so few Asians on TV to begin with, must the token ones be such a stereotype? I’m looking at you Two Broke Girls. You’re part of the problem, too.
So there’s a lot, A LOT that I dislike about this show and yet…. I can’t stop watching it. Where you lead, I will follow, apparently. Like a lobotomized rat, I hate the maze but I can’t escape it. Poor rat 😦
It’s Rory. She is the cheese that makes the maze worth while. But now she’s getting all mixed up with this bad kid, Jess. I’m worried she’s going to cheat on Dean. Stupid Lorelei almost had a decent moment of parenting, nearly pointing out this kid Jess’s many flaws, but then she blew it. As usual. So right now I’m just so concerned for Rory and her future. Oh, yeah, I like Paris, Kirk and Suki too. It’s these characters that outweigh the general awfulness of the show.
Now hush, Jess is cleaning the gutters and I know he has that bracelet of Rory’s. I just hope she figures out he is terrible before she jeopardizes her relationship.
Today’s bracelets are assymetrical brass Goodwill find now up at my shop, tiny HiHo Silver knot, cream Clic Clac, chain of silver hearts, and silver ID bracelet that read WWRS from Goodwill. I’m guessing that R is for Rita since she ‘loves ya’ on the flip side.
Very Bangled 
I hate the Mom + Daughter = best friend thing!!! It bothers me so much, that’s not the way it’s supposed to be!!! It’s like when people are BFFs with their bosses… it creates a bad environment for everyone.
Yay! Thank you for the support on this hot topic. The worst is when mom’s are all “she’s my best friend” and the child is a BABY!!
YES! UGH!!!! I feel like smacking them in the head and screaming “stop trying to get out of being a parent!!!” They want to be the “cool” parent and it never works. I know when I saw parents like that growing up the word “deadbeat” always came to mind… I’m right there with you!!!! I feel the same way… people are nuts
Okay fine this makes me feel like I should start over watching this stupid show on Netflix when I get streaming back. I’m scared-who will I become?! I can’t remember the theme song so I’m going to find it on youtube as soon as I’m finished here. I remember a commercial for an at the time new episode of Gilmore Girls and I believe it was hinting Rory had slept with some “bad” guy possibly her real life boyfriend at the time, that actor Milo Vintimilililiagiglia or whatever that only dates woman under the age of 21 it seems. Anyway! Does that episode ring a bell? I’m afraid I’m gonna get in the maze too and not get back out.
Click the link in my post, it goes to youtube! Click the link!!!
Yes, that’s the no good dude. I haven’t gotten to it yet, but I know it’s about to happen. Dammit Rory!
I’ll say this about Gilmore Girls, I’m not recommending it. I just can’t stop watching it.
You Rick Rolled me HOW DARE YOU!!
YAH,!! Woot! Woot! Thank you for participating in my practical joke 🙂 you win the prize of Rick Astley never giving you up 🙂
Sneaky genius!
Go watch that Rick video again the bartender is out of control.
I feel like I can say this because you and I both clearly have a thing for the Brits, but they suck at dancing, man! The video choreographer obviously instructed Rick to do that little hand/step move and even that is sometimes off tempo! And how goofy young does he look, too? I remember when this came out he seemed so cool. Now all I see is the big ears and PLEATED blue jeans.
Bartender is totally out of control. I wonder what Rick Astley thinks of the Rick Roll?
I missed this one yesterday. They are bad at grooving don’t be afraid to say it! What is even happening in that video? They’re all work at a banquet facility or something and they’re busting movies before the dinner crowd comes in? He did look cool back then but now he’s a super dorky turtle and I’m not sure how he got away with what he did.
I bet he likes it! That youtube page had so many views, I wonder if he made some $$ off this whole phenomenon I hope he did!
I hope so too. I brought it up with my husband last night. It could have been any song, really. But this one is so perfect, happy, goofy, light hearted. A great prank.
I forgot to ask have you ever seen The O.C? I’m not sure if that’s a ridiculous question. It doesn’t have the rampant following of Gilmore Girls but it’s addictive & majorly soap-operatic & I even bought the box set a few years ago.
That is one I watched when it was on air originally. But I maybe havent seen all the seasons. I should watch it.
I watched it when it aired a few episodes in and didn’t “get it” because I was stupid and then rented them while it was still on and got a little obsessed. I find it a really funny show! The last season is so awful but if you re-watch any you might as well go for it & suffer through 4.
The O.C came to my mind because before I got Rick Rolled I was recalling the excellent music on The O.C overall on The O.C.
True, that show had some great music. I bought one of the soundtracks!
That’s right & they had those Chrismakkah holiday mixes! I never got one but I wanted one I should make my own version now. Do you remember The Killers & Rooney performing on the show?
Yes! I love the Killers, I loved that they were on the show. You’ve convinced me that the OC is next on my TV show binge watching list.
I have not seen an episode of this show. And I don’t have Netflix so the fact remains. All I know is that Melissa McCarthy is in this show and that Rory loves books, so I’m on board with that. But everything else sounds kind of horrible.
And also I am against the whole mom and me best friend club. I don’t think a daughter tells her mom EVERYTHING. You can say that you do, but I don’t think so. Not unless you get drunk together. Now that’s a show!
Oo booze with moms = bad idea. And I do it every week. I never learn.
You drink with your mom? I can’t even reference booze in front of my mom. She is very Asian and also Catholic. But she’s cool.
Rory Gilmore sounds unstable? Is that the whole gist of the show? The daughter is more put together and she takes care of the mom? Classic TV trope
Oh no mom, Lorelei, is unstable. Rory is very stable. Except for this one frustrating dalliance she is about to embark upon.
We don’t “drink” drink. I have wine at dinner and she can get tipsy from a single glass. And then we fight. Yay! Not always, actually. Fight, I mean. Sometimes I’m smart and I manage to keep my big mouth closed.
Oh I got them mixed up! I meant to say that Lorelei is unstable and basing from gifs on Tumblr, she has a love hate relationship with a diner owner guy? How many seasons are this show?
Yeah. Sometimes you just have to be smart and keep your big mouth closed. I know all about that life.
That silver knot bangle is really cute and I can definitely see myself wearing that.
I’ve been meaning to ask, how do you take care of your bangles? I have accessories that discolor over time. And it would also leave some green residue in my skin. What does that mean?
It all depends on the metal. If it’s leaving color on your skin it’s oxidizing with moisture. You can prevent that by painting the part that touches your skin with clear nail polish. This also works for if you have allergies to any type of metals. But only do that to jewelry that’s not super valuable! Otherwise any metal responds to rubbing with a soft cloth. That come out very weird, my apologies.
I think I’m allergic to fancy jewelry because it always leaves a nasty rash whenever I wear one. I think thats why I don’t accesorize.
So clear nail polish is the cheapo way but a jeweler can apply a clear varnish to properly block the metals. A lot of people are allergic to nickel.
I’m glad I’m not the only one who thinks the mother-daughter relationship is weird! Just because Lorelai had a poor relationship with her own mother, she’s now taking it out on Rory in the worst way possible. I honestly didn’t watch much of Gilmore Girls because I couldn’t…I just couldn’t stand it.
P.S. Bravo for calling out on Mrs. Kim’s forced broken English. I find it similar to how Asian models hired by Western companies always, always have monolids. Because you know, Asians aren’t supposed to speak English and/or have double lids.
That model thing is interesting, I never noticed before but I’m sure now it’ll be so obvious.
I was thinking to about why Mrs. Kim is offensive and Michel is not and it comes down to faking an accent and poor grammar. Michel is a stereotype, though being French/North African makes him different then the expectation but he never speaks broken English. His accent is heavy but his grammar is flawless.
Ugh, it turns my spine every time Mrs Kim says “you no phone after 9” or whatever.
I completely agree. And realistically, a mother would most likely speak to her kids in her native language rather than say something like “you no phone after 9.” First, because it will help the kid preserve some part of their culture, and second…it’s much less embarrassing…
Totally! BTW I just followed you on twitter :DD
I love the show, but it’s also kind of refreshing and interesting looking at it from someone else’s perspective. I even agree with some things you mentioned, like the mother/daughter relationship sometimes is too much. But I can’t help it, I still love Lorelai!
The more I watch it the more I notice how present mothers in general are throughout the show. It’s pretty fascinating the depth of the examination of this specific relationship.
Two other things I like about the show: Rory’s wardrobe. They don’t dress her like some sexed up mini woman, they dress her like a teenager should. Not too tight clothes, not too short whatever. They don’t rush her through her teenage years, which most TV does for teen girl characters. Hypersexualizing them.
I also like that Rory remains very true to her ideals and aspirations even in the face of the cool kids and boys. That this intelligence and ambition isn’t something she is ashamed of or would make her uncool or unattractive somehow. Girls need more examples of this on TV and in our culture.
That’s exactly what I think! We need more characters like Rory on TV. She’s everything you said without being ludicrous, because usually that’s how they portraits people like her on movies and TV. That’s something I’ve always appreciated about the show.