To this day, Gilmore Girls is still a coming-of-age classic that many people continue to rewatch. It's packed with witty banter, quirky small-town characters, and heartwarming portrayals of the mother-daughter dynamic between Lorelai Gilmore and Rory Gilmore.
However, while the show remains extremely popular, even among new generations, there are some undeniable issues that make Gilmore Girls feel outdated. From problematic portrayals to underrepresentation and flat-out bad character behavior, here are 10 ways the series hasn't aged well.
Scroll to see all the ways Gilmore Girlsjust didn't really age well...
1. Cultural Stereotypes Are Everywhere
Warner Bros. Television
It's no secret that Gilmore Girls relied on stereotypes, particularly when portraying non-white characters. The most notable example of this is Lane's mother, Mrs. Kim.
She's supposed to be an overbearing, traditional Asian mother who has a rigid sense of discipline and is obsessed with her daughter's academic success. This portrayal might've been intended to reflect cultural differences, but Mrs. Kim's character often just comes across as a caricature.
2. Where's The LGBTQ+ Representation?
Netflix
The show also largely overlooked the inclusion of any LGBTQ+ characters, despite it featuring plenty of recurring roles over its seven seasons. While the 2016 revival Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life briefly revealed that Michel was married to a man, the OG show never mentioned his orientation or love life.
It's particularly glaring since, aside from centering on mother-daughter relationships, the series frequently navigates the main characters' romantic issues. For modern audiences, the inclusion of only straight relationships just isn't relatable or representative.
3. Rory Needs To Check Her Privilege
Warner Bros. Television
There's no doubt that Rory feels tension between her working-class upbringing and the privilege she ultimately gets from her grandparents, Richard and Emily Gilmore.
As a young kid, she was raised by a single mother who worked tirelessly to provide for her. So, at the beginning of the series, Rory is a lovable character who values hard work.
However, she becomes increasingly entitled as Gilmore Girls goes on. For instance, remember when she dropped out of Yale (which was paid for by her grandparents), got to live in their luxe pool house for free, and acted like the whole experience was such a hardship? Many fans have to skip over this cringey time in Rory's storyline altogether.
4. Fatphobia Isn't Witty
Warner Bros. Television
During the 2000s, fatphobia was a go-to comedic device, and Gilmore Girls fell into that trap. It's a shame, too, since the show was so revered for its quick, eclectic wit.
Nonetheless, characters like Lorelai, Rory, and even Emily made fatphobic comments that came across as cruel as opposed to funny. Perhaps the worst instance of this came in Season 4, when Rory reported on a Yale production for the newspaper and called a ballerina a "hippo."
The ballerina later confronted Rory out in the cafeteria, calling her review "mean, petty, and despicable," but Rory didn't apologize and responded, "This was all in the line of duty. It was an assignment from my editor, so it was nothing personal."
5. Rory's Affair: Need We Say More?
Warner Bros. Television
Rory's affair with her married ex-boyfriend, Dean, marked one of the most controversial moments in the show. They previously dated at the very beginning of Gilmore Girls, but after they broke up, Dean finally moved on and married someone else.
Well, when Rory felt lonely, she started an affair with him while knowing he was married. It was a particularly low point for her as a character, showing her selfishness and disregard for the consequences of her actions.
6. Christopher Got Too Much Positive Screen Time
Christopher is arguably one of the most frustrating characters, considering the show's tendency to paint him in a surprisingly positive light. He's largely absent during Rory's childhood, and even when he does re-enter his daughter's life, he isn't a stable parent.
Even so, Gilmore Girls continues to present him as funny, charming, and deserving of multiple chances at romance with Lorelai. Nowadays, modern audiences would probably find it hard to overlook his repeated shortcomings.
7. Emily Gilmore Serves Up Classism On The Regular
Warner Bros. Television
We get it: Lorelai's parents, Richard and Emily, needed to be kind of horrible in order to make the storyline work. Why else would Lorelai flee her home as a pregnant teen and cut them off?
Regardless, Emily maintains an elitist attitude throughout the entire series and never stops looking down on people she deems beneath her, especially those with less privileged backgrounds.
For instance, she's infamous for treating her household staff terribly and firing them frequently. Her disapproval of Rory's relationship with Dean, who's a working-class boy from Stars Hollow, also couldn't have been more different than her warm welcome of Logan, a wealthy Yale student. The discrepancies are glaring.
8. Rory And Lorelai Lack Healthy Boundaries
Warner Bros. Television
Rory and Lorelai's mother-daughter relationship is critical for Gilmore Girls, but their bond often crosses into territory that feels uncomfortably codependent. It might've been more understandable when Rory was still a teenager living at home. Yet, even when she goes off to college, the strange dynamic continues.
In fact, Rory actually begged Lorelai to visit New Haven on her first night at Yale and stay over in her dorm room. Not only did Lorelai agree, but she also threw a party for Rory and her new roommates!
9. Zack Shouldn't Have Been Lane's Consolation Prize
Warner Bros. Television
After watching Lane fight back against her mother's controlling tendencies throughout high school, Gilmore Girls fans had high hopes for her future. Unfortunately, those were squashed when she got married to Zack and wound up pregnant with twins.
She was always supposed to end up with the character Dave Rygalski, played by Adam Brody, but Dave was written off the show due to Adam's commitment to The O.C. So, Lane was stuck with Zack, and the relationship felt forced. More importantly, her character arguably never reached her full potential.
10. Michel Deserved More
Warner Bros. Television
Finally, we believe that Michel, the sole Black character on the show, deserved more. Instead, his uptight and snobby role was just used for comic relief.
Gilmore Girls never delved far into his personal life or explored his character in any meaningful way. The lack of depth is especially noticeable today. Plus, Michel's surface-level storyline feels like a missed opportunity considering actor Yanic Truesdale's talent.
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