clark & chloe — 2020 VISION: GILMORE GIRLS

By: Cheryl Cho

In continuing with the quarantine binge watching habits, maintenance is key. I have spent the past 2 months traveling back and forth from Stars Hollow and Hartford, Connecticut. I had never been before but heard great things, so of course I was excited for my first-time visit.

The Gilmore Girls, written by Amy Sherman-Palladino, is heavily rooted in portraying different mother daughter relationship dynamics - Lorelai (portrayed by Lauren Graham) and Emily Gilmore (portrayed by Kelly Bishop), Lorelai and Rory Gilmore (portrayed by Alexis Bledel), and Lane Kim (portrayed by Keiko Agena) and Mrs. Kim (portrayed by Emily Kuroda). Each episode was overflowing with quick witted verbosity that could ALMOST challenge John Moschitta Jr. [If you were born after the year 2000 and have no idea who he is, don’t bother looking him up, you won’t get it]. Hats off to Lauran Graham for her ability to process an insane amount of dialogue and spitball it so seamlessly as if it came naturally to her. This ability is what defined Lorelai and made her a standout favorite.

Lorelai’s daughter, Rory, made a strong first impression and then her charm faded out and she became increasingly less amiable as the series progressed. The character came across like a discount version of Joey Potter from Dawson’s Creek, except this one would make poor life choices and never really figure out what she wants out of life once the series came to an end.

Source: gilmore-girls.jpg (2040×1360) (denofgeek.com)

Both women had a very different relationship with Emily Gilmore. Bishop brought a sophisticated sass to Emily Gilmore and made her a formidable opponent against Lorelai’s quips. The dynamic between Emily and her daughter, Lorelai, and then her granddaughter, Rory, made each episode full of heart, laughter, and comical drama.

After binging through every episode of Gilmore Girls, there are so many questions begging for answers:

1) Who hates Lauran Graham in the costume department? If only to bring peace of mind, I told myself that her stylist was partially blind when choosing her looks for every episode. The looks became more and more ridiculous with every season. It was like the stylist was trying to outdo herself.

2) Help me to understand why I went from investing all of season 1 into rooting for Rory only to finish season 6, and even the Netflix special: A Year in the Life, where I ended up finding myself feeling like she was a complete waste of my time?

3) Why did Dean go from the personification of the ideal boyfriend to a pathetic unemployed adulterer left pining for an emotionally unhinged Rory? So many levels to explore on this topic that it could likely make for its own separate article.

4) Why did Lane Kim and her mom have to be specifically Korean if both roles were going to be played by Japanese- American women?

This series did not age well over time and looks just as bad as Nick Nolte’s mugshot. Written in the 90’s, where including one BIPOC means you have fulfilled the diversity requirement and thus makes you not racist, other themes woven into the series include but are not limited to fat shaming (i.e. Sooki), homophobia (i.e. Michel), and [the rampant] white supremist attitudes that are very much present throughout the series. But being the overachiever of its day, Gilmore Girls included a diverse group of supporting actors: a disgruntled Frenchman, Michel (portrayed by Yanic Truesdale), and Ms. Patty (portrayed by Liz Torres) who runs the neighborhood dance studio, and the spunky auto mechanic, Gypsy (portrayed by Rose Abdoo).

As for the casting of Lane and Mrs. Kim, I am not in the least bit upset at the actresses. They needed a job, they auditioned, got the part, and I assume studied their butts off to be as Korean as they could be. Their rent was paid and they had a stable job to add to their resumes.

I am, however, sorely disappointed at the people who created these characters and made the decision to contribute to the distasteful portrayal of Korean Americans in a ridiculous caricature-like light. Let’s also note how this show contributes greatly to the stereotype that all Asians look alike. They are exchangeable, replaceable, because they’re all the same so what’s the big deal if a Japanese actor plays a Korean? Well, how about the fact that many Americans like to replace Koreans with the Asians who committed genocide against them. So yeah, kind of a stinging big deal.

Keep in mind, this was at a time when the only reference Americans had of Korea was the war and a repulsive 70s TV show called MASH - where they rallied up any Asian extras they could find with the exception of actual Koreans (because why strive for authenticity), to play Korean village people and dressed them up in heinous rags and had them say unintelligible gibberish to pass off as the Korean language. Wouldn’t be surprised if this was Sherman-Palladino’s favorite show back in the day.

To the Gilmore Girls’ credit, I found out that Lane Kim is based off of a real life Korean, Helen Pai, who happens to be friends with Sherman-Palladino and has producer credit. As if it would exonerate them from the racist and inaccurate portrayal of Koreans, claiming Pai as their source for all things Korean on this show, is like an Anglo-Saxon man claiming there’s no way he’s racist because his wife is Asian. Mmmm… but you are.

NEWSFLASH – You can be married to an Asian and still be a raging racist.

Separately, I am still trying to figure out why Lane ended up in community college and then dropping out, joining a rock band, and falling in love with the band leader, unexpectedly becoming a young mom, and living a rather white trash existence for the remainder of the show. Helen Pai, is this you? Meanwhile, Rory is attending Yale University and causing mischief with all the future young republicans. The irony is, given that this show likes to work off stereotypes, realistically Rory most likely would’ve ended up with Lane’s storyline and Lane should’ve ended up at an ivy league college. Lane deserved so much more. She started off as Rory’s best friend since childhood, the friend who is always there for her, and then she gets sideswiped and replaced by the neurotic Paris Geller (portrayed by Liza Weil). As if Lane wasn’t dealt with enough white trash problems of her own, she has to put up with Rory showing up randomly from time to time whining about Dean, Logan, or Jess. The ideal scenario would have been that Lane was able to join Rory at Yale, without having a Chilton background and continuing their friendship. Let’s not forget Season 4, episode 12 where Lane runs away and seeks refuge at Yale to avoid the wrath of Mrs. Kim. During her stay there, she resorts to becoming a dorm maid of sorts to “earn her keep” waking up the privileged Paris and Rory for classes with morning coffee in hand, organizing the dormitory, and being accused of “chasing the dragon” by Paris. Why was this necessary? Why can’t she just be the friend who is staying with her friend without having to do chores and waiting on two privileged white girls at Yale?

Dare I say, whoever wrote Lane’s fate may have been sus to the fact that they were quite aware of Asians high academic performances and wanted to watch an unraveled Asian for the first time in their life, thus the white trash existence Lane was handed via script.

It does leave me to question whether Pai was going through her own self-loathing identity crisis that most Asian Americans experience in a longing to better assimilate to American culture and be “accepted”. Regardless, it does very little to help Americans change their views on how they see Asians as “other”. Instead, it further adds the extra layer of perspective that makes Koreans look downright crazy through the one-dimensional caricature that is Mrs. Kim. There’s not enough context for an American audience, especially in the 90s, to be able to differentiate between how much of the absurdity resides only within the relationship dynamic between Lane and her mom and how much of the absurdity is based on just being a Korean. Thus, likely, the audience walked away thinking all Koreans are religion obsessed, drinks something called salad water (as a Korean, I have no idea what this is in reference to), and children are the prisoners of their own home. In conclusion, this show is offensive to any Korean-American and it does not rid them of the offense just because they claim to have a [most likely self-loathing] Korean-American advising them on the sidelines.

After weeding through the thickness of racist sentiment, fat-shaming mindsets, white privilege culture, and homophobia, the Gilmore Girls has its moments. If you focus on just Lorelai, Rory, the guys who come in and out of their lives, it’s a fun watch. However, this show has no place in 2021+ when we live in a world where unapologetically blatant Asian hate is a real problem and Black Lives do Matter. It’s better off resting safely in the 90’s. Stay in your lane.