"Gilmore Girls," which aired from 2000 to 2007, launched the careers of many of its stars, including Lorelai (Lauren Graham) and Rory (Alexis Bledel). The show is known for its fast-paced dialogue, pop culture references, and, of course, its portrayal of food. Central to the Gilmore girls' characters is their seemingly limitless consumption of junk food without any apparent consequences. This essay delves into the complex relationship between food, body image, and the unrealistic expectations set by the show.
The "Cool Girl" Archetype and its Discontents
Amy Sherman-Palladino, the show's creator, introduced the "cool girl" archetype with Lorelai and Rory, women who could supposedly eat as much as men and still look attractive without exercising. The show often looks down on women who are mindful of their diets or fitness routines, exemplified by Lorelai's disdain for Christopher's slim girlfriend, Sherry, or Rory's succinct summation of her Yale roommate, Janet: "She jogs."
However, the show's portrayal of eating habits is often inconsistent and unrealistic. The characters are frequently seen taking tiny bites of food, chewing excessively, or leaving plates untouched. This behavior contradicts the idea that they are enjoying their meals or have a genuine appetite.
Food as a Plot Device, Not a Pleasure
While "Gilmore Girls" is obsessed with food, its focus is not on eating. The fast-paced food shoveling that Rory and Lorelai supposedly do happens off-camera. The show alludes to eating, but the act itself is rarely depicted with any sense of enjoyment or satisfaction. In the season 1 episode "Kiss and Tell," a pizza is masterfully used to indicate both the passage of time and that these Gilmore girls sure can eat. We don't see Lorelai, Rory, or Dean (who Lorelai invited over for a Willy Wonka movie night) take more than a bite of the pizza, but the point is not that we see them eat the pizza. The point is that we know that they have eaten it. When we do see Lorelai and Rory eat, it feels out of character and unrealistic. I've never seen them relish their food or eat like they have any kind of appetite.
Food Acting and its Shortcomings
Food acting, the way actors eat food as their onscreen characters, can make characters more relatable. Eating can emphasize a character trait, making them feel more like a regular ol' human. Actors like Sandra Bullock and Brad Pitt are known for their ability to use eating to enhance their characters.
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In a cast reunion interview, Graham and Bledel admitted that they actually ate the food. "It really bothers me when actors don't eat the food that's in a scene. Like they're supposed to be having a meal but don't eat it so we would go for it most of the time," Bledel said. Because they would have to do several takes of a scene where they were eating Cheetos or pizza or Chinese, they kept spit buckets nearby so they wouldn't eat too much and get sick. The small bites Graham and Bledel take on camera reveal to the audience that, as actors, they're dealing with multiple takes. That's what makes food acting difficult. That and the fact that an actor isn't eating as themself, but as the character they're playing.
You could argue that Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel missed an opportunity to develop their characters through eating in ways that a script might not have even called for. According to Caroline Liem, what makes Brad Pitt's food acting so good is that "he's just one with food."
Personal Anxieties and Insecurities
The show's depiction of food can be particularly triggering for viewers with eating disorders or body image issues. The idea that Rory and Lorelai can eat anything they want and stay thin is unrealistic and potentially harmful. The food acting on the show indicates a kind of discomfort, revealing a truth: No one can really eat like a Gilmore girl without consequence, be it indigestion or weight gain.
Behind the Scenes: Cast and Crew Struggles
The cast and crew of "Gilmore Girls" have faced various challenges and tragedies in their personal lives.
Edward Herrmann's character Richard Gilmore had a strong presence throughout the entirety of "Gilmore Girls." Though often hardline with his daughter Lorelai, he doted on his granddaughter Rory, and the pair quickly established a close bond. It then came as a huge shock when Herrmann died in December 2014, at the age of 71 as a result of brain cancer. Sherman-Palladino revealed that he kept the illness to himself and not many of the cast members knew he'd been sick. Shortly after his death, the cast and crew began gearing up for "A Year In the Life," though the actor's absence was felt by all. Nevertheless, the loss was present for his scene partner, Kelly Bishop, who played his wife, Emily Gilmore. "I was lonely without him, I must say," Bishop admitted to Radio Times. "It was being in the house or being in the dining room without him. It was so sad because I know he would have loved doing this and there was just sort of an empty feel …
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Lauren Graham - who was a close friend of the late Matthew Perry - suffered another tragic loss while filming "Gilmore Girls." Her mom, Donna Grant, died from cancer in 2005 at age 61. The actor had an unconventional relationship with her mom during the early years of her life. When she was three weeks old, Lauren's mom, Donna, and her dad, Lawrence Graham, relocated the family to Tokyo, where they lived until she was five. with her dad. The actor and her mother were estranged for several years until Lawrence took Lauren to visit her mom in London when she was 11. The "Gilmore Girls" star told Ladies' Home Journal that she struggled when her mom left but moved through it with the support of her dad, and she eventually went on to develop a good relationship with her mom. She continued to visit her in London, experiencing her mom's bohemian lifestyle, which influenced Graham later in life. But sadly, their time together was cut short.
Brian Tarantina played Stars Hollow local Bootsy in both "Gilmore Girls" and the revival series. He was most often seen feuding with Luke, manning his newsstand, or speaking out on town issues. Tarantina appeared in a total of seven episodes, but his portrayal of the character was enough to impress showrunner Amy Sherman-Palladino, as she cast him in a much bigger role in her next hit series, "The Marvelous Mrs. Tarantina played Jackie, the MC at the Gaslight, the club where Midge (Rachel Brosnahan) gets her start as a comic, though he sadly died while they were filming the series' fourth season. The New York Medical Examiner confirmed he died of "acute intoxication by the combined effects of fentanyl, heroin, diazepam and cocaine" in November 2019 at the age of 60, per CNN. If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available.
Jared Padalecki's "Gilmore Girls" character Dean Forester was Rory's first boyfriend, and likely a lot of viewers' teenage crushes. He was a big part of the show until he left Stars Hollow suddenly in Season 5. The real reason for Dean's abrupt departure was Padalecki's thriving career. After 15 years of "Supernatural," Padalecki swiftly moved on to another impressive TV series, playing the titular character in the crime drama "Walker." However, tragedy struck while he was filming the show in Austin, Texas, in April 2022. The TV star was involved in a serious car accident. Padalecki's friend and former "Supernatural" co-star Jensen Ackles broke the news at a fan convention in New Jersey, explaining that Padalecki was "lucky to be alive" following the accident (via CNN). A few days later, Padalecki tweeted a update in response to his fans' vocal support. He wrote: "I'm definitely on the mend and hoping to return to filming later this week. I'm so lucky to have had the best care and be surrounded by people who love me.
Linda Porter might be best known for her role as Myrtle in "Superstore," but "Gilmore Girls" fans will always remember her as Fran. The bakery owner played a small but integral part in the series, as she also owned the derelict Dragonfly Inn, which Lorelai and Sookie hoped to buy. The duo put the project on the back burner and hoped to one day change Fran's mind, but before they could get the chance, Porter's character passed away. She was given a beautiful send-off, and once Lorelai and Sookie bought the inn from her estate, they raised a toast to celebrate her. After "Gilmore Girls," Porter had several memorable guest roles on popular shows like "How I Met Your Mother," "American Horror Story," "The Mindy Project," and "Bunheads." In 2015, she snagged a main role in the America Ferrera-led comedy "Superstore" and starred in the show for four seasons until her death. He wrote: " R.I.P. Linda Porter, who was always smiling and always brightened up the Superstore set. This is a hard one.
Liz Torres played the outrageously funny Miss Patty on "Gilmore Girls." Having got her start in "this business we call show" performing on Broadway, Patty eventually settled down in Stars Hollow as the town's dance teacher. Interestingly, Torres entered the entertainment business in a similar fashion as her character, playing Morticia Addams in the 1973 musical "The Addams Family Fun House" before bringing her comedic talents to the screen. In the years between "Gilmore Girls" and "A Year in the Life," Torres underwent a dramatic physical transformation, and she looked totally different when she returned to play the character. Miss Patty's weight is never really discussed in the series, but it's something Torres has been very candid about in interviews. In 1997 she told The Los Angeles Times that her weight has fluctuated her entire life. "I'm always striving to lose weight," she told the outlet. "Being heavy isn't good for you. How long can your heart take the strain? So, I never give up, but it's hard. Being on the television show helped a lot," Torres added.
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Chad Michael Murray had a serious medical emergency when he was a teenager that left him fighting for his life. "My intestines twisted when I was 15 and they didn't know what was wrong," he revealed on SiriusXM's "The Jess Cagle Show." "When I started bleeding internally, my stomach didn't expand. So the doctors couldn't tell that I was bleeding. … Thankfully, the "Riverdale" star found comfort in movies and TV shows while he was recovering, motivating him to pursue an acting career. "The one thing that really saved me from that moment in life … was television and film. I said, 'I want to do that, man. I want to give people something to smile about.' …
Sally Struthers stepped back from her work with the charity after the frightening encounter. "I thought, 'What am I doing? I've got a child, a real-life child of my own, and I'm gonna make her an orphan.
The production of "Gilmore Girls" had been going well for six seasons, but the show hit a roadblock when, ahead of Season 7, The WB merged with UPN and rebranded as The CW network. At the time, co-creators Amy Sherman-Palladino and her husband Dan-Palladino wrote and helmed the show, and were thinking about how it was going to end. They wanted to bring the series to a close with an eighth season and expand the writers' room to alleviate some of the pressure on them. As a result, a new creative team was brought in, but it's widely acknowledged that Season 7 fell flat.
Alexis Bledel announced she "had to step away" from the show after four seasons (via Variety). Although she didn't confirm the reason for her exit, it's possible that the dark nature of the series became too much for Bledel. The "Gilmore Girls" star previously told The Daily Beast that she "felt sick to [her] stomach" while filming some of the show's upsetting scenes. "Thank goodness it's the reason to tell this story, to tell a cautionary tale. Otherwise, it would just be too upsetting, I think," she added. Bledel also told Deadline that she prefers to limit the amount of time she spends in character so the "darkness" doesn't creep in too much.
These experiences highlight the challenges and complexities faced by the cast and crew, both on and off-screen.
The Unrealistic Eating Habits of Lorelai and Rory
One of the running jokes in "Gilmore Girls" is Lorelai and Rory's eating habits. In real life, Lauren Graham has had a much more complicated relationship with food, and she definitely didn't feel like she could eat whatever she wanted whenever she wanted. "I've pretty much always been on a diet since I was born," she said during a 2011 interview with Health.com (via CNN), where she was also asked about her weight loss methods and she promoted a soup diet and juice cleanse. In her second memoir "Have I Told You This Already?" Graham revealed that for her, being thin didn't equate to being healthy. If you need help with an eating disorder, or know someone who does, help is available.