Gilmore Girls helped raise me into a more confident woman than my parents did. My mother has complained about her size all of my life (and she’s always been a tiny woman). My father has insulted my mother’s size all my life. The Gilmore Girls may be fictional, but they ate and ate, and when Lorelai wanted more ice cream she ate it, and “made a bigger canvas for her Mel Brooks tattoo.”

Lorelai was always herself, often annoying, but she recognized these things about herself. I came out of Gilmore Girls with a sense of confidence, and a “to hell with you” attitude developed by Dorothy Parker (who I first heard about on Gilmore Girls when I was 12 years old). I’m not afraid to be goofy and weird, because being comfortable with who you are is really how you obtain that true sense of happiness.

I feel like the people who know me, but have never seen Gilmore Girls would learn a lot more about me by simply watching it. They’d probably understand so much more about why I act the way I do, and why I don’t give a shit. So many people consider Gilmore Girls to be a show they are embarrassed to like. Well they missed the entire fucking point of Gilmore Girls then. Like whatever the fuck you like, and make no apologies. This is not a guilty pleasure, I have very few of those. If you’re embarrassed by the things I like, deal with it!

I’ll never deny loving Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings, or Gilmore Girls or any thing that doesn’t make me “cool enough”. The appearance I have of myself is much more important than the impression other people have of me. Friends shouldn’t give a shit what TV programs or books you like, they should care that you’re a good person, and fun to be around. That being said, if you want to be my true friend you should read Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings, we can bond over it.

Let’s re-cap, I’ve got me a Jess, a Luke, a Michele, a Sookie/Lane combo, a Sookie, a Jackson, I’m a Lorelai, I’ve got an Emily, a Richard, (Nick Valcich might be my Kirk, and tie in a little Mike Seman with that too), I’ve got a Brian, I mean I’ve got enough character’s in my own life to be honest.

There isn’t really a Christopher I guess. But maybe there has been in the past and he fell in love with me and I wasn’t interested so then he disappeared…Haha I did not plan that thought/sentence out and it led to that hilarious but slightly true statement. I love it.

Is it boring to say I wouldn’t bring in any of the characters? I’d rather stick with my own friends and I’m stuck with my family either way. I’m content learning more and more about them, no need to wish a fictional character was in my life, I’d rather spend it figuring out why my friends are as weird as the inhabitants of stars hollow and myself are.

I can’t think of any that I actually listen to, but I learned about Fugazi from Gilmore Girls. But I’ve still never been too interested. I heard about Bjork first from Gilmore Girls. I do in fact listen to Rilo Kiley more than any other band probably mentioned on Gilmore Girls, but that’s because of Victor not Lane.

I stole my mother’s Carol King record once I bought my record player and listened to it non-stop for like a week. Gilmore Girls doesn’t exactly speak to me through music. Lorelai loves U2 way too much and that is my number one DON’T band. I wish there was more to say about it, but well, Gilmore Girls music does not impress me much. Especially because they make a swipe at going to a Hanson concert, Hanson is my favorite band Lorelai, go listen to U2 some more!

It’s probably best if I don’t talk more about this subject…



But seriously! What’s with the Bono obsession? Ugh! I find U2 to be just as bleh as nickelback!

This vegan would never trust Al’s pancake world. But there is potential that Al’s would have a vegan menu at some point. With that ever changing menu it’s a possibility, but until that day I’d have to have a BWR night.

I would sneak in my own food, and delight in tons of popcorn, my junk food of choice, and make sure to grab “Big Red.” I would be stoked to see Pipi Longstocking because I was obsessed with those films as a kid, but I’m pretty sure there is nothing the $1 movie theater would play I wouldn’t be stoked about. I mean they never play new movies which is the ultimate plus. I never go to the movies. I’ve gone to see Harry Potter, but that’s just about it in the past 4 years. I think I saw The Dark Knight, I even waited for Toy Story 3 to arrive on Netflix before I watched it. I can wait for almost all movies to be on DVD to watch them. It’s not worth the $5-$20 you spend.

But I did go to the release of From the Back of the Room a documentary about women in hardcore/punk. Which Not Normal currently has a few copies of, if you’re interested. I’d like to set-up independent movie nights, to hopefully expose people’s work and sell copies of their DVD when possible. Hopefully to raise money for WITD, and to host when WITD is an official place.

But a $1 movie that probably no one has ever seen because everyone’s obsessed with new films and current celebrity gossip instead of actual story lines is the ultimate dream. Hopefully we can make our own version of BWR. Ah BWR, a theater without expensive tickets and concessions and plastered with faces I’m forced to see on magazine covers every time I leave my house (or when my Grandma gives Ralph the tabloids she’s done reading) that I’m forced to endure at the showplace “insert # here’s.”

Well I have many a best friend. By many I mean 4. And because my love is nothing to compete over, I shall answer this for all of them.

I’ll start with the obvious Ralph. Ralph is so clearly my Jess that he cannot be profiled as anything else (See Day 21 post for full details).

Victor! Victor is a Luke best friend. He pretty much is there for all of his friends whenever they call. Luke seems like he’s only there for Lorelai, but he’s there for Liz, Jess, April and Rory too. He’s insanely self-less, he could use a little more selfishness, and Victor’s gaining cockiness (haha actually confidence), so he’s getting there.

Rachel! Rachel is a Sookie best-friend, honestly I don’t see that much difference in Sookie and Lane’s bestfriend-ness though. They are both pretty supportive of their best-friends, they are in their lives fairly regularly, Sookie a bit more I guess, so maybe Rachel is a Lane cause we are parted by distance and don’t work together everyday. But they both catch-up on big things constantly, very little fighting, tons of supporting and living their own lives, but being there for each other. Personality wise, Rachel is more of a Lane than a Sookie. Let’s call her a mixture.

Next! Zac….Hm…I argue with Zac more than I argue with anyone else….He’s probably a Michele best friend. He gets annoyed with what I say and do, but he secretly loves me, just like how Michele secretly loves Lorelai and Sookie and even Rory. He acts like he hates everything but really he doesn’t. Zac is definately a Michele. How perfect!

Pretty stoked I can find all of my best friends in Gilmore Girls.

Me and Victor (HAHA)


Me and Rachel


Me and Zac (HAHA)

Kirk would be a fantastic date! I’d get to learn so much about his mom, and find out what happened to cat Kirk. He’d have so many interesting facts and life experiences to talk about. The man has worked at every business in Stars Hollow. He knows all the inner workings of every top dog in the Hollow.

Not to mention, if the night went well and I ended up sleeping beside him, he has night terrors that can only lead to a night to remember. They always end with him naked somewhere too. Hunting him down in the middle of the night to find him naked on someone’s roof throwing pillows he thinks are bombs at lamp post he thinks are Russian spies would only be the cherry on top of the best and most interesting date I could ever go on.

I would absolutely go on a date with Kirk, and if you are boring enough to say no, you need a Kirk date in your life to liven up that dull life you chose to live.

That would be “There’s the Rub”

The episode where Lorelai and Emily go to the spa. Back at home Rory plans a night all to herself, but Paris and then Jess show up. I love the interactions between Lorelai and Emily at the Spa.

Emily: We plan to leave her completely different people.
Lorelai: I’m going to be Ted Nugent.

Back home Rory is ordering Indian food. “Planning on burning the house down afterward? Only way to get the smell out.” I love Indian food and if my house smelled like it every day I would not be upset at all.

But Jess brings Rory a care package from Luke’s diner. Ohhhhhhh. This is my actual biggest dream in the world. To be surrounded by a bunch of food from a diner (preferably free food). Possibly Chicago Diner take-out. But to also have tons of Indian food, and hangout with friends eating and talking about books, movies, and music all night! Oh what a dream! When I move to Chicago and if I have money at all to spare/if I can convince my parents to give me cash as a moving in present, it will be spent on all the food I can think of to pick-up/have delivered to my apartment, and split between Ralph, myself and Rachel (or our roommate?).

I have never had enough money to quite accomplish this dream. I feel like it’s totally better in theory than in execution. But at least it’s a goal that once accomplished doesn’t tack on extra problems like “becoming a teacher” which isn’t the end, but a new beginning. I will probably get sick after I eat all the take-out or not and simply repeat every time I get extra cash.

It’s the little things in life that really bring you joy.

Well I commonly write off script anyways, but I do believe it is possible for a dad to be a Lorelai or an Emily or an Anna.

That being said, my dad is probably a Richard (to me). Seeing as my father has more than one child, his personality could come off differently to all of them. My dad has the same work ethic as Richard, he works to provide for his family, and that is his contribution, getting to know me wasn’t really all that important when I was younger.

I think my dad has potential, just like Richard, to be less shitty. He’s in the category of “makes a better grandfather than an actual father.” But he’s become more and more aware of his mortality lately, and is clinging to the father-daughter bond with fewer and fewer strings attached. He just wants to be in our lives. But he finds our life-choices baffling. He could understand eventually, and I don’t give up hope, or give-up during a screaming match when his prejudices come out in conversation. I’m not wasting my life trying to make him a decent person, but I’ll give him time and an alternative view point to help him in the right direction. 

My dad is much more fun than Richard personality wise though, he’s the “life of the party.” His drunk nights are incidentally not my favorite, but he does entertain everybody else. My dad has been a biker all of my life, just without the bike. But now that he’s hit 50 and doesn’t have young kids to support, he’s finally got the Harley my mom made him get rid of when I was little. He’s sported a ponytail almost all of my life, and he is insanely charismatic. He knows someone everywhere he goes, proving it’s not what you know, but who you know.

This is difficult. Seeing as Luke is totally committed to health, I feel like after a few annoying (but charming) visits from me, a Lorelai knock off, he would give in to my desperate attempt to get vegan food on the menu. I would then, of course, eat there every day, just like Lorelai (but without the coffee).

However, Emily Gilmore has a trained cook and an endless supply of money, so she could potentially have extraordinary vegan meals prepared for me every Friday. But then again, professional chef’s aren’t always that great at cooking vegan food, and she fires her employees so often….

But Caesar is so forgetful that he might accidentally cook my food with the meat or something, so I’d have to beg Luke to make my food and he’d get all mad.

Now when it comes down to company, the inhabitants of stars hollow are always entertaining, but Emily and Richard are constantly tearing the place up with their witty one liners and comebacks.

Looks like I’m at a stalemate. I’m sorry for the brief glimpse into my thought process. This is only fictional food I’m eating, when it comes down to real food, I’m even more paranoid.

Well I admit to personal fantasies about this one. It comes down to this, I would come in at any point that Jess was in the mix, and I would bang him. Was that crude? Well look, no offense to Milo or anything, you’re a great actor, but I’m not attracted to you, but I am attracted to your character, and I would marry him, fuck him, (would not kill him) and I’d be happy either way.

Jess is a smart ass, he doesn’t like Ayn Rand, he reads constantly, his music taste is never quite established enough for me to weigh in on, but I’m sure he could learn to like some great music if he and I hung out at that record store in New York everyday. He realized that what he wanted and what everyone else wanted from him were two different things. He figured shit out for himself. He sat down and accomplished something. He fucked with all the jocks and assholes in high school. He matured and realized his mistakes and apologized/made up for them. He’s also not bad looking. Though I must say I’m not attracted to Milo’s character Peter in Heroes at all so I know his looks are not a major factor.

That being said I pretty much have a boyfriend who fits all of those descriptions, so I need not Jess Mariano so much as I once would have. My boyfriend has exceptional taste in music too I might add (though he still needs to give in to the power of Ke$ha). Also Ralph has the perk of being real and shit.

Jess:


Ralph:

I can’t classify myself as a part of any particular “fandom,” because I don’t interact via the internet with other fans. I try to get my friends and family to watch the shows I like and read the books I like, but I don’t argue over who Hermione should have ended up with or anything.

That being said, I love the following:
The Preacher
Veronica Mars
Harry Potter
Lord of the Rings
Fruits Basket
Heroes
Y the Last Man
Instant Star
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
The Office
Glee
Parks and Recreation
30 Rock
Scott Pilgrim

I’m sort of a believer in taking the things you learn in fiction and fantasy and applying them in some way to real life. So I won’t be chatting on websites about fictional characters, but I did join the HPA (Harry Potter Alliance) and I took a Tolkien Lit class and got to nerd out with a bunch of people on a weekly basis. I’m a pretty firm believer that nostalgia is poisonous, so I like to move on after a series ends, probably cry my eyes out, and desperately search for something new. I do revisit things, but I like to revisit them with friends, clearly Harry, Ron and Hermione are my friends (and that’s why I’ve re-read the books dozens of times haha).



If you are interested in what fandom can achieve outside of the internet check out the HPA who take the lessons of Harry Potter and apply them to life.

“Copper Boom”



Gilmore Girls inspired Copper Boom Necklace on etsy

I think my cousin and I have a lot of Gilmore Girls moments. Our moms watched the show, but neither of them remember half of the quotes and jokes that she and I remember. I also bought her an “Oy with the poodles already!” shirt one year.

Everything reminds me of Gilmore Girls. The other day I told Ralph that if I wrote a review of Poison Planet I would describe them as “winningly naive” instead of “almost melodic” (see bwcity paper website for full PxP bham set review haha). Brad, the Chilton student who is terrified of Paris, had a role on Broadway and the New York Times called him “winningly naive.” My life is one big reference, but so is everything the Gilmore Girls say.

In short…Life will always remind me of Gilmore Girls


A couple years ago I bought Ralph this Teddy Bear with Carol King’s song “Where you lead” written on the t-shirt. It’s pretty cute.

Whenever I got the DVD box sets, I watched all of the episodes. One year I got seasons 1-4. I clearly spent all of winter break watching Gilmore Girls. Also Ralph and I watched all 7 seasons within the first few months of dating. I’ve started Gilmore watching parties with a lot of my friends. Ralph. Tony and Randy. And currently Victor and I are on season 3, disk 1.

Once again I really can’t say. I would swear to keep it to myself if Amy Sherman-Palladino would tell me what her plans for Rory were. I’m sure she’s off doing something fabulous, and by that I mean the opposite of fabulous (but a Rory fabulous). She’d be traveling, but earning almost nothing, and reporting on real world news. She’d also be calling her mother every day, because she’d miss her like crazy. She might have a boyfriend, but she’s not glued to his side.