Stars Hollow, the home of mommy issues and questionable choices
Reflecting on “Gilmore Girls” and what it means to young women in college
By Rayan Abdulkadir
“Gilmore Girls,” a television show that ran from 2000 to 2007 on The WB and later The CW, follows main character Rory Gilmore (Alexis Bledel), a young girl growing up in the fictional small town Stars Hollow with her single mother Lorelai (Lauren Graham). The show follows them both on their journeys of growing up and growing old. The series investigates bad choices, bad taste and plenty of mommy issues, with Rory and Lorelai’s complex relationship being a main point of the show. Humor shines through, even in moments of distress and sadness. Needless to say, the cinematics and incredible music choice make it even easier to continue watching.
As the show goes on, we are quickly introduced to Rory’s first love interest in the pilot episode: Dean. They bump into each other in the hallway amidst the Stars Hollow High lockers and quickly connect, becoming a Stars Hollow couple. Lorelai, meanwhile, is seemingly crushing on local coffee shop owner Luke. Both of these tumultuous relationships lead to even more heartache, heartbreak and tea breaks at the local cafe. Later, Rory and Dean face trials and tribulations when Rory gets accepted in the prep school Chilton, and later into Yale, while he begins to fall behind her and her ambitious dreams. Her focus becomes school, while his focus becomes her. That is just the beginning, and it only gets better.
My first day at St. Kate’s, I referred to it as Stars Hollow in Minnesota. I was enthralled by the fall leaves and beautiful arches, the stone roads and historical buildings. With Cecil’s Deli nearby reminding me of Luke’s coffee shop and a quirky gift shop run by an eclectic woman who manages to tell the best stories across the street, it was literally my dream. It reminded me so much of “Gilmore Girls.” The close-knit community and poetry cemented into the sidewalks — it was jaw dropping.
I quickly realized that both St. Kate’s and Stars Hollow were my ideal communities: small with charm, all necessities nearby and my friends even closer. The show also happens to be popular around campus. My peers and I study in the library and refer to our regular study sessions as our “Rory Gilmore Era.” We wear cable knits and sip on hot coffee to emulate what it would be like to live in the Stars Hollow utopia.
The St. Kate’s obsession with “Gilmore Girls” is only a microcosm of a larger trend, as the show has been increasingly popular in the past few years. This universally understandable coming-of-age story of girlhood, including the bad choices and rocky moments, feels like home. Despite being released in 2000, girlhood never gets old. Seeing two young women create lives of abundance and hope is inspiring, even more so at our historically women’s college.
I will be the first person to tell you to watch “Gilmore Girls,” mid-fall and cozied up with your curtain lights on. Immerse yourself in the world that Rory lives in, and relate to her bad decisions like getting bangs on a whim. Or maybe don’t, considering she had an affair with a married man and dropped out of school because of a comment from a terrible journalist. Either way, the plot pulls you in, the aesthetics keep you there and the characters make you want more.
If you are looking for a new show to base your identity around (admit it — we all do it), “Gilmore Girls” is the one for you. Buckle up, start drinking coffee, put on your cable knits and flare jeans, sing the “Gilmore Girls” theme song and get cozy.
