The Gilmore Girls - Pure Television Comedy with Satire
Choosing the Gilmore Girls television series for this assignment was extraordinarily easy because I greatly enjoyed watching many of the seasons of this show previously in my life. It is not that I was so often guffawing , crying, and just smiling because of this show, but that I shared many of those experiences with my mother, making those moments ones that I treasure as memories to refer back upon as bonding time with my mom. The irony involved is that as Rory Gilmore strengthened and weakened her relationship with her mother, my relationship with my own mother grew. There was a period of time where my mom and I would watch an episode of Gilmore Girls a day, and then we would spend time just talking to each other, bonding as mother and daughter. Not only is this television series entertaining, hilarious, and addictive to watch, but it holds a personal connection to me and that is the main reason why I chose Gilmore Girls for this assignment.
Reviews and Commentary
Reviews of Gilmore Girls vary from high praise to harsh criticisms. A review that criticizes with more praise than insult by Catherine Seipp goes as follows: "One show that constantly pushes the envelope back and forth between wholesome and edgy is the WB's Gilmore Girls." When talking about a few shows playing in the twenty-first century Seipp elaborates on the plot of one show that was a favorite of girls and their mothers all of the States: "Take the Gilmore Girls, for instance, a single mother in her mid-30s who had her daughter as an unmarried 16-year-old. They both have model-perfect figures even though they never exercise and subsist entirely on a diet of greasy restaurant food, which is of course every bit as fantastic as its fairy-tale portrait of unwed teen motherhood. This isn't to say I don't love Gilmore Girls — I do — even though it can be occasionally (O.K., more than occasionally) cloying. But as a single mom myself, I often wonder about its rather loopy version of reality. Lorelei Gilmore's daughter Rory cheerfully accepts all her impulsive mother's peccadilloes, even when they border on the deranged."
One example this critic shared of Lorelei Gilmore's, Rory's mother's, often insane actions: "When Lorelei suffered a broken romance a couple of seasons ago, for instance, she dragged Rory off for a road trip and then made the girl miss dinner, just because she couldn't bear to mingle with the boring crowd at a cutesy B&B. Then there's her nutty habit of waking her daughter out of a sound sleep at 4 A.M. every year to celebrate the exact moment of her birth. Rory, unbelievably, just goes along with it. Just for one of those birthdays, I'd like to see mom get a well-deserved slap." "The sad truth is that you cannot enjoy a Gilmore Girls appearance on a Gilmore Girls diet, although the world would certainly be a prettier place if you could. I don't know what color-warning light I'd give it for that particular transgression, but I do know I'll continue to watch." (Seipp) Catherine Seipp complained somewhat about the questionable material shown in this show, but behind her witty facade she seems to have truly liked the television series The Gilmore Girls.
One example this critic shared of Lorelei Gilmore's, Rory's mother's, often insane actions: "When Lorelei suffered a broken romance a couple of seasons ago, for instance, she dragged Rory off for a road trip and then made the girl miss dinner, just because she couldn't bear to mingle with the boring crowd at a cutesy B&B. Then there's her nutty habit of waking her daughter out of a sound sleep at 4 A.M. every year to celebrate the exact moment of her birth. Rory, unbelievably, just goes along with it. Just for one of those birthdays, I'd like to see mom get a well-deserved slap." "The sad truth is that you cannot enjoy a Gilmore Girls appearance on a Gilmore Girls diet, although the world would certainly be a prettier place if you could. I don't know what color-warning light I'd give it for that particular transgression, but I do know I'll continue to watch." (Seipp) Catherine Seipp complained somewhat about the questionable material shown in this show, but behind her witty facade she seems to have truly liked the television series The Gilmore Girls.
Excerpts of the review of television show Gilmore Girls by the critic, Brian Orndorf, truly glorify this show: "'Gilmore Girls' draws to a close on May 15th (2007), and I couldn’t be more depressed. I’m never one to fall in love with a television show that didn’t star yellow cartoon characters, so to watch “Gilmore” end after a seven season run breaks my rusted, cancerous critic heart." "No matter how verbose, romantically tangled, or slapsticky the program became, a critical dramatic magnetism was always maintained by Graham and Bledel. Two actresses pitch-perfect in their river deep, mountain high roles, the girls of Gilmore always grounded their show in intelligence and open-hearted humor. Over the run, Bledel grew slowly into Rory’s skin, cautiously feeling around the gracelessness of teendom (privileged teendom no less), blossoming into a young woman of anxiety but unswerving in her intellect and curiosity." "I know for some fans, saying adios to “Gilmore” isn’t such a difficult task. After leaving the series last season due to a contract dispute, Palladino was replaced by semi-quack David Rosenthal (do yourself a favor and Google his backstory), who had the grueling task of making the show hum just as efficiently while also dealing with the demands of his newly empowered cast. The seventh season certainly hasn’t been as thoughtful, passionate, or sharply blueprinted as previous years, but, at the end of the day, it’s still “Gilmore.” Like pizza, sex, and the Nintendo Wii, when it’s bad, it’s still pretty good. Tuesday nights just won’t be the same without Luke’s wet blanket charm, Kirk’s buffet of impulse, Sookie’s irresistible spunk, Lane’s ubercool way of the drummer, Taylor’s megalomania, Paris's destructive social skills, Richard and Emily’s unrelenting WASPness, Rory’s plucky educational spirit, and Lorelai’s coffee-stained oneness with the sprawling and tranquil Stars Hollow universe. 'Gilmore Girls' was classic comfort food television that, if there’s any justice in this world, will be cherished for years to come." (Orndorf)
If there is anything to say about this review, it is that Brian Orndorf knew this show like the back of his hand, and it is nice to know that someone else, even an adult man, shares the similar feelings toward the Gilmore Girls that I have.
One critic that seems to wholeheartedly enjoy criticizing and complaining about this show is D. Kuan. Kuan's review goes into detail describing what is wrong with The Gilmore Girls, and it seems as if Kuan enjoyed talking about this show just a little to much. A few parts from this long review show some insight to what Kuan says she "thinks" about this show: " 'I guess it’s just so bad you can’t stop looking at it.' This is sort of the way I feel about “Gilmore Girls,” a show I used to watch in shame and secret. Despite S Shirazi’s recent claim that some episodes—the ones written by Amy Sherman-Palladino—are good, in actual fact, the series is just bad across the board—so amazingly bad that I couldn’t stop myself from watching." "The main problem with the show, as far as I can tell, is that nothing ever happens and no one ever gets together." "If drama is the incitement of conflicting forces, then suspense is the balance struck between giving and withholding such incitement. It shouldn’t be a difficult task, which is why even the most formulaic TV shows can be so absorbing. Mix together a few culturally available archetypes and the same human conflicts will naturally emerge, potent as ever; intersperse with other storylines to prevent quick unfolding, and voilà: addictive TV. What is difficult, it would seem to me, is transcending genre and formula with good writing, good acting, good chemistry, and all the rest. But the GG writers seem not even to get the formula. They’ve somehow mistaken withholding with mere delaying. I call it delaying because the primary plotlines are not interspersed between minor or peripheral plotlines. Rather, they’re interspersed with (or, in some cases, being shoved to the very end of the episode by) mere filler, since the townspeople’s stories rarely, if ever, get carried over from one episode to the next." (Kuan)
D. Kuan literally cracked me up because of the endless detail portraying the "bad" about this show. Why would someone who dislikes something so much, know so much about it and write such a long, detailed review about it? Kuan's review truly was hilarious to read, so I believe I enjoyed it the most out of all of the reviews because it seemed ridiculous to me.
If there is anything to say about this review, it is that Brian Orndorf knew this show like the back of his hand, and it is nice to know that someone else, even an adult man, shares the similar feelings toward the Gilmore Girls that I have.
One critic that seems to wholeheartedly enjoy criticizing and complaining about this show is D. Kuan. Kuan's review goes into detail describing what is wrong with The Gilmore Girls, and it seems as if Kuan enjoyed talking about this show just a little to much. A few parts from this long review show some insight to what Kuan says she "thinks" about this show: " 'I guess it’s just so bad you can’t stop looking at it.' This is sort of the way I feel about “Gilmore Girls,” a show I used to watch in shame and secret. Despite S Shirazi’s recent claim that some episodes—the ones written by Amy Sherman-Palladino—are good, in actual fact, the series is just bad across the board—so amazingly bad that I couldn’t stop myself from watching." "The main problem with the show, as far as I can tell, is that nothing ever happens and no one ever gets together." "If drama is the incitement of conflicting forces, then suspense is the balance struck between giving and withholding such incitement. It shouldn’t be a difficult task, which is why even the most formulaic TV shows can be so absorbing. Mix together a few culturally available archetypes and the same human conflicts will naturally emerge, potent as ever; intersperse with other storylines to prevent quick unfolding, and voilà: addictive TV. What is difficult, it would seem to me, is transcending genre and formula with good writing, good acting, good chemistry, and all the rest. But the GG writers seem not even to get the formula. They’ve somehow mistaken withholding with mere delaying. I call it delaying because the primary plotlines are not interspersed between minor or peripheral plotlines. Rather, they’re interspersed with (or, in some cases, being shoved to the very end of the episode by) mere filler, since the townspeople’s stories rarely, if ever, get carried over from one episode to the next." (Kuan)
D. Kuan literally cracked me up because of the endless detail portraying the "bad" about this show. Why would someone who dislikes something so much, know so much about it and write such a long, detailed review about it? Kuan's review truly was hilarious to read, so I believe I enjoyed it the most out of all of the reviews because it seemed ridiculous to me.
The Gilmore Girls is a show that took place within the first decade of the twenty-first century. Wit, humor, drama, and both the good and bad sides of human nature and relationships make this show what for what it is: pure entertainment. At times, yes, it was not at its best, especially when the new writer, David S. Rosenthal, replaced Amy Sherman-Palladino when she was not able to keep her contract. The idea for this show was thought up on the spot by Sherman-Palladino and when the lead actresses, Lauren Graham, playing Lorelai Gilmore, and Alexis Bledel, portraying "Rory" the daughter of Lorelai, entranced the crowds with the addicting show they starred in, Amy Sherman-Palladino must have been more than pleased. A complicated best friend relationship between mother and daughter is what this show is all about, and behind the little town guise of "Stars Hollow", a lot more is taking place and relationships are both nurtured and destroyed in multiple, clever ways. One show that pleased the crowds was The Gilmore Girls. With all there is to say about this one show I decided short and simple would suffice and keep the integrity of the show without giving too much away: The Gilmore Girls truly is satisfying and addicting to watch and will hold some special meaning to whoever cares to watch multiple showings of this creative comedic drama. (Authors)
From the use of wit and plain humor, to the use of sarcasm, dramatic comedy, and human folly, practically all types of comedy and satire are used somewhere within the seven seasons of Gilmore Girls. Because of the widely seen use of comedy and satire in this show, all types of audiences may enjoy different bits and pieces of this television series. However, the main audience that this show seems to have targeted was that of the family and more especially of mothers and their daughters. My own mom and me definitely fall into that category of mother and daughter as we tried not to become to attached to the characters we watched often on this show. What many people probably do not realize, however, is the affect this show can have on them. My mom's and my relationship grew and strengthened when we watched this show together and as we discussed the many things occurring in this show. And I am definitely sure that my mom and me were not the only ones changed- for the better or for the worse- because of this show.
Seipp, Catherine. "At Home with the Gilmores Wholesome and edgy on WB."
From the Left Coast - Cath'ys World. Catherine Seipp, 08 02 2005. Web.
Web. 28 Sep. 2012. <http://old.nationalreview.com/
seipp/seipp200502080732.asp>.
Orndorf, Brian. "Bitchslap TV - Oy with the Poodles Already: The End of "Gilmore Girls"."
hollywoodbitchslap. HBS Entertainment, Inc., 21 05 2007. Web.
Web. 23 Sep. 2012. <http://www.hollywoodbitchslap.com
/feature.php?feature=2183>.
Kuan, D. "Why the Gilmores Are Just Plain Bad."
Print Culture. printculture, 07 10 2006. Web.
Web. 28 Sep. 2012. <http://www.printculture.com/
item-999.html>.
Authors, Multiple. "Amy Sherman-Palladino."
Wikipedia. Wikipedia Foundation, Inc., 23 08 2012. Web.
Web. 28 Sep. 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Amy_Sherman-Palladino
(Unable to make links- hyper linkable , I apologize. However, I do suggest using the tools "Paste" and "Copy")
From the Left Coast - Cath'ys World. Catherine Seipp, 08 02 2005. Web.
Web. 28 Sep. 2012. <http://old.nationalreview.com/
seipp/seipp200502080732.asp>.
Orndorf, Brian. "Bitchslap TV - Oy with the Poodles Already: The End of "Gilmore Girls"."
hollywoodbitchslap. HBS Entertainment, Inc., 21 05 2007. Web.
Web. 23 Sep. 2012. <http://www.hollywoodbitchslap.com
/feature.php?feature=2183>.
Kuan, D. "Why the Gilmores Are Just Plain Bad."
Print Culture. printculture, 07 10 2006. Web.
Web. 28 Sep. 2012. <http://www.printculture.com/
item-999.html>.
Authors, Multiple. "Amy Sherman-Palladino."
Wikipedia. Wikipedia Foundation, Inc., 23 08 2012. Web.
Web. 28 Sep. 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Amy_Sherman-Palladino
(Unable to make links- hyper linkable , I apologize. However, I do suggest using the tools "Paste" and "Copy")