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In his analysis of ‘Kiss and Tell‘ The Gilmore Girls Companion author, Aaron Berman, suggests that Lorelai & Rory’s consumption of an unrealistic amount of junk food ended up “pissing off people the world over.”
Is this true for you? Are you mad – and over what? Over how much they can eat, and stay both thin and with clear skin? Over their insatiable appetites? Over their budgets? Or… ?
Similarly, we’ve previously discussed if Gilmore Girls has ever made you crave junk food.
[...] over at GilmoreNews.com has posted an interesting discussion question based on a line from The Gilmore Girls Companion: Are you mad about the amount of junk food the [...]
[...] Image via Gilmore News. Michelle Konstantinovsky is a student at UC Berkeley's Graduate School of Journalism and an avid admirer of shiny objects and preteen entertainment. She may learn to use Twitter more effectively if you follow her @michelley415. See more posts from Michelle Tweet 01.17.2012 | Comments(0) Click here to cancel reply. connect to post a comment [...]
Mad—nah, as I never took their junk food consumption as anything more than a “cutsy/quirky” plot device to give them something to banter about and certainly did not believe it literally. Interestingly, having read the book, I did not remember this comment. On re-read it is clearly there, but there is so much else interesting going on in the episode [Dean's initial approach, Rory/Lane discussing same, Mrs. Kim's calling Lorelai out, Lorelai's lame interrigation of Rory, and of course the potential disaster to triumph reversal of the first date] and the discussion of these themes in Aaron’s episode synopsis, that this throw-away line was pretty forgettable for me.
After years (literally) of not eating them, Gilmore Girls made me crave Pop-Tarts, which are not sold in Australia (where I live). I finally found them, after months of searching, at an American Candy store in the city.
No – although it felt unrealistic when combined with their hatred of exercise. As mcityrk said, it came across as an inserted quirk.
It felt unrealistic but it made them the GIlmore girls we know!? Without all that eating…hmmm…I don’t know—
Don’t be silly, just another reason to love ‘em.
I wish I could eat junk food and be thin like that. But obviously they didn’t consume that amount of junk food, infact you hardly see them take more than a bite in any given scene.
Gilmore Girls has always made me curious about American junk food, especially ‘candy.’ I, like Julz, live in Australia and I am still curious to try a pop-tart because they aren’t sold here. I also have no clue what beeferoni is or what twinkies are. So, it makes me want to try this strange food. I did find it slightly irritating when Lorelai dropped the pizza box and brushed the crumbs and crusts under the sink. This was in the season 4 episode ‘The Nanny and the Professor’ (I think). Generally I don’t get irritated by their eating habits.
Make me mad? No, but there are a number of things about the show that aren’t remotely realistic. Like good science fiction, the universe that is presented is completely fictitious, but it is what happens in that universe and how the characters react to those events that make good drama.
Do we want realism? I think we know the answer to that, but in case we aren’t, try these on for size:
* a Lorelai who is as addicted to cigarettes as she is to coffee and probably Rory too (this trait is assigned to Miss Patty and treated as a joke)
* girls who are obese because they eat terrible diets and never exercise (this trait is assigned to both Miss Patty and to Sookie, again treated as a joke)
* drugs, simply because they are ubiquitous among the wealthy, the bored, and the music scene (maybe Rory would not have gotten involved, but someone she knows would have)
* alcohol causing real problems, not just being triggers for gags
These are all brushed aside to focus on the impact of sexual relations.
Personally I like it that way. I don’t find the “realistic” shows enjoyable to watch at all. Parenthood is borderline. If not for Lauren Graham I probably never would have given it a chance.
@Alia
I’ve had them all, but I can’t tell you what they are. Their ingredients lists read like science experiments!
I’m really fascinated by your responses to this question, everybody. I only included that line in the book because of all the women I’ve heard from over the years about this particular issue on GG. Off the top of my head, I’m wondering if this comes down to age and culture.
For years in the U.S., there has been a vocal group of people who have railed against American TV and magazine covers, saying that the abundance of extremely thin actresses and models in the public eye has made young girls in this country not only feel bad about their own bodies, but also has led to health threatening conditions like anorexia and bulimia.
Also, regardless of your country, I would guess that women under the age of 25 or so are less likely to have a problem managing their weight, and therefore less likely to have issues with the Lorelais’ ability to put away so much junk food without negative results. Though genetics is always crucial to how your body processes these things, young people tend to burn through calories a lot quicker than older people. And of course, some people just have more “energy” with this topic than others, usually based on their own genetics and life experiences.
A really interesting discussion, all. Thank you for having it :)
Much like mcityrk, I viewed their food choices as one of those cute things they added in the plot for comedic effect. However, I loved the way it played off of Emily’s distaste for junk food. Luke was another character that opposed their eating habits, which also made for some good comedy!
Yeah! I hate them for being able to eat like that! I would loooooooooove to be able to do that =’(
I loved when they stared in front of tv with all that junk food, that’s something i used to do not so far away…it’s great when they go to the supermarket and buy all that food and then Lorelai says”it’s expensive to destroy your own stomach” or something like that..meaning she had bought nothing but junk food and she had wasted a lot of money-..in nothing healthy….
Anyway, i loved them and i miss them all, i miss the show, the satff, the dialogues, the town itself..the tiny lights..the way they lived their lives…….the best show i’ve ever seen..
As someone with a high metabolism, particularly when I was a teen, it didn’t seem impossible to me. A better question would be how two people who lived a casual, small-town life on a limited budget always had so many dresses and outfits suitable for Friday night dinners.
Hum, I don’t remember exactly this episode. Yet, I don’t think that absorbing any kind of food occasionally can really affect the body appearance. Both are still young enough to eliminate occasional excesses. We can also remember that what we witness about their lives are just some particular points chosen by the authors and not their total lives. What they do aside what we see, we don’t really know, just guessing. Lorelai works in a restaurant, and we can guess that the girls eat the left overs, which are rather well prepared. Both have an active life that help them to eliminate any excess.
Yet, some spectators, can be influenced by what they are witnessing at the very moment and act the same way to often, which could be more or less damageable for their health or body appearances. In fact, nothing is really so neutral in any human act, and so are the series. They obviously influence our comportment in a way, or another. How many students discovered that they wanted to go to university while watching the series, then worked harder in high school to achieve this dream as Rory’s? That a positive effect, some maybe less positive…
@Aaron-
I think the more forgiving attitude of the readers of this blog compared to the cross section of viewers you have spoken to over the years as related to the junk-food habits of the girls boils down to a couple of points: 1] Since we are many years out from the end of the show and have had ample time to review the episodes multiple times, this bad habit seems less innocuous now than it would have on first viewing as we see it more as a plot device and part of the show’s mythology than behavior to be emmulated. 2] This dispassionate point of view I’m sure contrasts starkly with say the working single mom who back in 2002 had heard all about the positive role model aspects of the show but then gets home just in time to see her 13 year old daughter polishing off three bowls of coco puffs and two Hershey bars while watching this episode. Thus, the point of view expressed on this question is likely dependent on whether you are either directly hurt by or know someone who could be hurt by replicating this behavior, or if you are lucky enough to be able to sit back and merely chuckle at the absurdity of the behavior.
You can also buy pop-tarts from IGA in Australia.
Hi mcityrk,
Some good points there. I should point out that the people I’m referring to who had a problem with the way they ate didn’t dismiss the show because of it, it just seemed to irk them. It’s probably just down to that aspect of human nature that gives everybody some “energy” with one topic or another. We all have our hot button issue. (Or if you’re Paris, MANY hot button issues.)
How can someone be mad at that? It’s like being mad at Christopher Reeves for being able to fly when he acted on Superman. As it turned out (very tragically), Reeves couldn’t fly in real life and I bet that both Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel were (and still are) much more cautious than their characters about what and how much they eat. And as Caro pointed out, if every unrealistic element was removed from Gilmore Girls, it would be quite a different show (and much more boring for sure). Besides, I don’t know about you, but I personally don’t watch tv shows or movies to be reminded of how things go in real life very often. I get enough of that in……well, real life.
i love their eating habits. im on a strict diet atm but i did search for twizzlers, milk duds and pop tarts here in australia and luckily i found them all in my local supermarket along with many other american candy and drinks. when i reach my goal weight an maintain it for a while im going to reward myself with a gimore girls style movie night or better yet same style but a gilmore girls marathon. only a few kilos left cant wait. anyway each time they ordered take out or listed junk needed for movie night the only thing that came to my mind was budget and how they have never really been well off, how could they spend so much on junk but i love the unrealistic aspect of the show
I was never really mad watching them, I just have always wished that I had a fast metabolism like they did. I know people who eat very similarly to the way they do and are stick skinny, I however was not lucky enough to be in that fast metabolism gene pool. One thing that did kind of irk me however was the money it takes to buy the things they did. I mean they always had multiple kind of pop tarts in the house and those are not the cheapest things to buy, I mean yes they’re not that expensive either but when you’re buying four different kinds at $5 a box, that’s $20 out of your food budget. But besides that, they go candy shopping for movie night (in season 1) and spend over $40 jut for one night’s worth of junk food. (maybe this isn’t as extreme for some ppl but my mother was very strict on not spending unnecessary grocery $$ on junk food). Also, numerous times they order food and never eat it, for example in season 3 I believe, Lorelai brings food from Al’s international grab bag night and then they decide they don’t like it so they go and eat at Luke’s.
Good point on the outfits – that’s why I loved the pilot, because it was realistic to run out of clothes. Alas, that didn’t last!
I actually love their eating habits because my sister and I relate. We are both thin, and eat copious amounts of junk food daily. And without exercise. Unhealthy? Absolutely. Lucky? Definitely. But hey, we just figure that we may as well enjoy it while we can. One day we won’t be able to live like this so we just take advantage while we can! As far as the budget goes…yes they are ridiculous! However, if what you WANT to spend your extra cash on is tons of junk food, then go for it! I don’t spend like this constantly, but when my sis comes to visit we are known to spend at least $70 on snacks and candy. Yes that is a lot of money, but we would rather sit at home and eat all that together than spend it going out somewhere. It’s not like the Gilmore Girls are spending all this money on food and junk and then going out to paint the town red. They just spend their budget on things that suit them better!
Can I also just add that not many shows will repeat outfits like Gilmore Girls does? I love that Rory could be wearing a dress that we have seen in a previous episode. Even Emily repeats outfits! And that Paul Frank pajama shirt…some episodes we see Rory wearing it, and other episodes we see Lorelai in it. So realistic! Other shows would never do that. Just another one of those nice touches that makes Gilmore Girls seem like it’s real life…off somewhere just out of reach from us who love it.
That is insane. I’ve never gotten mad over their eating habits.
Also…..for those of you who don’t know what pop tarts or twinkies are…..pop tarts are pastries that have fruit or chocolate filling in them. They are typically eaten for breakfast & are not considered candy. Twinkles are yellow cake filled with cream. They are disgusting lol
I don’t see how anybody can be mad about fictitious eating habits. Worry about your own. I am a naturally thin person and I can eat whatever I want, just like them. It is my personal philiophy that you should eat whatever it is that makes you happy, unless there’s a medical reason why you shouldn’t. If you see yourself slidding down a slippery slope to fatness, then be fat. Who cares! All that matters is what you think about you. If you know in your heart that you don’t have enough will power to hit the gym if you should become of an unacceptable weight to yourself, then have enough will power to not get there in the first place. So don’t blame or hate on the Gilmore Girls, because they got it like that, because at the end of the day, you are what you eat….so are you a celery stick, or cupcake, with icing, the real creamy kind, not that cool whip mess!
I agree with most of you lovely people and say that it doesn’t bother me. actually, it’s just a little add-on, like their love for pop/rock music. I however have a slightly different perspective, which I wanted to share with you!
I am currently in recovery from an eating disorder with which I’ve struggled for 14 years. so you see, I’ve been very sensitive to that topic. and here is the twist: so many of my favorite shows have some kind of negative effect on me. the actresses either are stick figures like the desperate housewives or worry about food/weight at some points (can’t give you a good example here but I’m sure you know what I mean).
So the GG are very refreshing to me. I would even say they help me in my recovery because food is just not a big deal to them, they simply enjoy it and don’t worry about a thing, just go on with their lives. I guess this is kind of a big goal in recovery as well. yes I know this is fictional – just like any show – and there are barely any people who can really lead a lifestyle like that and stay slim. but maybe you can see where I’m coming from?
and no, it doesn’t make me crave anything. maybe coffee sometimes, it just makes a GG episode a little more perfect ;) guess in my head it’s kinda like “they are so happy and beautiful and intelligent even though they don’t eat super healthy’ which is my goal too. thank you for reading!
Anita always dresses like the Gilmore Girls.
Don’t forget….they WALK EVERYWHERE they go!!! :) :)
I want the cast to get back together so they can make the Gilmore Girls movie. I think Lorelai should wear glasses more often.
I Hate to watch them nibble on their pizza slices while trying to fake that their mouths are full! They never eat anything.
It never annoyed me because I myself know it to be possible, I’m thin and can eat whatever I want, I think some people just have fast metabolisms, honestly I deserve to be so fat the amount of crap I eat, No what annoyed and aggravated me was that they talk about how much they eat and then in a scene you like NEVER SEE THEM ACTUALLY EATING THE FOOD, haha thats what got on my nerves. they’d take a dainty bite and never eat again for the rest of the scene.
How could i be mad?
Gilmore Girls is the beast show in the world!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!