How often do you hear the name Lorelai? Outside of (one of my favourite films) Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, hardly ever. It’s just not a Top 100 kind of name, is it? Which makes it all the more awesome that both of the titular Gilmore Girls are called Lorelai. And that’s just the tip of the awesome iceberg.
Gilmore Girls is about a single mum Lorelai (the brilliant Lauren Graham), and her daughter Rory (Alexis Bledel) who live in a sleepy New England town filled with a full cast of sleepy town TV staples – kooky older blonde with a possibly scandalous past, camp gay man, chubby best friend, gruff but sincere diner guy/possible love interest, power crazed busybody, cutesy town event calendar… I could go on, but I think you get it. The real feat of achievement here is that while it all flirts dangerously with the twee side of the street, it’s done with such panache that you forgive it, like it, and then move swiftly onto loving it.
Much has been made of the unlikeliness of the central relationship – to be fair, their closeness, believable here, stills falls into the ‘slightly weird’ camp. Then again, they’re only 16 years apart, and have lived in each other’s pockets forever. Somewhat annoyingly though, they are of that exclusive-to-TV tribe; y’know the one: they eat mountains of junk food and coffee-based drinks without ever going to the gym and yet remain curiously svelte. I mean, there’s good genes… and then there’s telly genes. The one true consequence of their consumption habits is the speed of their speech. It’s frantic – packed to the rafters with wit, pop culture and political references, social commentary and the occasional gibberish.
"Lard Chips? Seriously, Ma?" The Gilmore Girls, talking fast and wittily, no doubt.
GG is often disparaged as being “women’s television”, but I fail to see the insult here. I see Lorelai and Rory as (privileged, sure) feminists, making their way through life – making decisions, unbeholden to men (much) and trying to do the right thing. They are not in competition, they have a relationship that is based on love, support and honesty. In a world where Girls of the Playboy Mansion is aspirational viewing, honestly, we could do far, far worse.
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Love this post
. We could do worse, couldn’t we?
I have never watched this show – I have glimpsed at it while channel hopping but never taken any notice. I only know of it because I saw Alexis Bledel in ‘The Summer of the Travelling Pants’ but after reading this I am going to check it out.
Great post! I love this series and still constantly go back to the DVDs to re-watch various seasons. I’ve seen these episodes countless times, but it’s still so much fun to hang out with the Lorelais.
Thanks, alitareads!
Isn’t it the best? I discovered it shortly into the final season and did a massive catch up – it’s such a brilliant show. I equate it to pulling on a sweater and socks – it’s such comfort viewing.
‘Comfort viewing’ is a great way to describe it! A few years ago, when I first moved to the city I’m living in now, whenever I’d feel a bit homesick or lonely, I’d pop in a season of GG and instantly feel much better.
I love the Gilmore girls (glossing over season 6 and 7)!! I readily come to the shows defense when I tell people I’m spending the weekend rewatching a season. The writing is great and the characters are loveable. It’s crept into my life…I too have stored post it notes with things to tell friends when they are away and part of my birthday last year consisted of a fast food extravaganza. We had pizza, burito, fries, kfc, subway topped off with milkshake…one item of each shared between 4 instead too bad? This year I think a eastern food extravaganza will be on the agenda thanks to the GG