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Gilmore Girls Season 1, Episode 6, "Rory's Birthday Parties": Pop Culture Rewatch
Episode 6 • 17th October 2025 • Friday Night Readers: Pop Culture Rewatch of Gilmore Girls • Friday Night Readers
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Welcome to Gilmore Girls Season 1, Episode 6, "Rory's Birthday Parties": Pop Culture Rewatch ! In this podcast episode, I share the books and pop culture referenced when Rory celebrates her Sweet 16 in Hartford and Stars Hollow.

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Books, Pop Culture, and Other Mentions:

Full Show Notes For Gilmore Girls Season 1, Episode 6, "Rory's Birthday Parties": Pop Culture Rewatch

Time Stamps:

  • 00:32 What Happened in Stars Hollow
  • 06:31 The Gilmores' World of Books
  • 09:11 Oy With the Pop Culture Already
  • 15:45 Book Tease

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About Friday Night Readers: Pop Culture Rewatch of Gilmore Girls :

This is an unofficial pop culture rewatch of Gilmore Girls hosted by Friday Night Readers. We dive deep into each episode, featuring the Gilmores’ world of books, as well as their fast talk. Oy, with the pop culture already! Learn what the Gilmores are actually talking about, so you can read and live more like them as you rewatch. Life’s short; read fast!

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Transcripts

Speaker:

Welcome to Friday Night Readers,

an unofficial pop culture

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rewatch of Gilmore Girls.

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We dive deep on each episode featuring

the Gilmore's world of books, as

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well as their fast talk or with the

pop culture already learn what the

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Gilmores are actually talking about so

you can read and live more like them.

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Life's short read and rewatch fast.

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Hey, Friday night readers.

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Welcome back and let's talk about what

happened in Stars Hollow in season one,

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episode six, Rory's birthday parties.

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We begin at another Friday night dinner.

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Emily casually suggests that Rory and

Lorelai use Post-Its to pick out whatever

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in their home they want to be willed.

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Nothing morbid about that.

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Emily refuses to cancel next Friday

night dinner because of Rory's birthday,

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so two sweet 16 birthday parties.

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It is.

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Now, let's recall back in the Deer Hunters

episode, Rory drove Lorelei's Jeep, so

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that was definitely underage at Chilton.

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Rory is shocked to learn that

her grandmother invited her

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classmates to her Hartford party.

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Now, this sort of happened to me once my

grandmother called a high school friend to

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attend a debutante ball, which I already

didn't want to attend as my escort without

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knowing to put it delicately that he

wasn't into dating me or any other girls.

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Because we didn't have cell phones.

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I had to scrounge a quarter,

then sneak out of class to call

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my mom on the payphone crying.

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So I get you Rory.

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Emily convinces Lorelei to go

shopping for a gift for Rory.

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Though Lorelei suggests a pink

leather guitar shaped purse.

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They settle on a $12

bracelet at Luke's diner.

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Luke jokingly quips to Lorelei.

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Will you marry me?

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And the tension begins to mount.

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This is totally one of those

jokes that isn't really a joke,

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and it's a sign of all the will

they or won't they angst to come.

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On October 8th, 2000 at 4:03 AM

Lorelei Awakens Rory to wish her

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a very precise, happy birthday.

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She recounts the story of Rory's birth

and it's very touching . Rory then

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heads to Luke's with Lane before school

where another suite exchange occurs.

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Luke.

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Hey wrong table, Rory.

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Since when is there a right table,

Luke, since the coffee cake I baked

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for you and the stupid balloons I blew

up are at that table over there, Rory,

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you blew up balloons for me, Luke?

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Yep.

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Rory.

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Oh Luke, you old softy.

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This dialogue perfectly captures

how Luke's grumpiness blends with

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his tenderness, and it also shows

that he has a soft spot for Rory.

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Dean walks in and Rory

immediately perks up.

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He whispers Happy Birthday

as he leaves, and, oh, my

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teenage heart gets butterflies.

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No matter what you think of

Dean's character Arc, this is one

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simple moment of first love bliss.

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Emily gets ready for party number one,

and Rory does her best to oblige, but

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it quickly gets stuffy and awkward,

especially when Lorelei gets insulted

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about her teen pregnancy, and Rory

sees her frenemies, Paris and Tristan.

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Rory crashes out and Emily learns that.

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Rory's not a perfect

little princess after all.

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She hides in Lorelei's old bedroom

where we see Lorelei's, beloved

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Dollhouse, which kind of reminds me

of Lorelei's own house, just bigger.

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Lorelei cheers her up, but Emily

refuses to accept Rory's apology.

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This is really a battle

between duty and authenticity.

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A common theme in the show, Emily's Savage

Burn in this episode follows Here, I'll

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find you a pen so you can write down your

insults so that you won't forget them.

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Rory heads to the college fair

where she learns that Paris is also

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interested in Harvard, though they spat.

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There's a hint that Paris is softening

up to Rory, especially after Rory

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reveals she isn't interested, in Tristin

in Rory Stars Hollow party begins,

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and this particular scene makes this

a top five episode for so many fans.

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I polled my Instagram followers and

33% said it's in their top five.

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So it's definitely popular, but not.

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Overwhelmingly popular in our community.

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Those who loved it said they love

the moment between Luke and Lorelei

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and Dean and Rory, the cool birthday

moments of surprises, shopping

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and fun cakes, and also simply the

love and joy and family feel of it.

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I totally agree with that one.

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Now, this party looks fun.

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It's casual, it's warm, and it's quirky.

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There's a Rory cake by Sookie

chatter by Miss Patty and Babette,

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A toast by Lorelei and Rory's in a

feather boa and a birthday crown.

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All the feels Lorelei gives Rory

a turquoise blue apple eye book.

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And I've got to tell you, this was

the hottest thing in tech at the time.

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I couldn't dream of getting one.

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As Rory says, they were so expensive.

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Richard and Emily decide to show

up after all, and I give Emily

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credit for swallowing her pride.

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Like Luke, she has a soft spot for Rory.

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Emily is impressed by Sookie's cooking

and Luke's chemistry with Lorelei.

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Meanwhile, like any good insurance

executive, Richard inspects the

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house while everyone else relaxes.

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That is until Rory convinces

him to read a magazine.

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He takes a quiz and learns,

as we fans all know.

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I am an autumn.

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This is my favorite Richard Gilmore quote,

and I actually am an autumn as well.

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I'm really interested in the color

seasons, and so I made a little collection

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of the autumn makeup that I wear, and

I linked it in the show notes for you.

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They leave and Emily realizes she

doesn't know her daughter after all.

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Here we see my second favorite

part of Emily after her Savage

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burns, her vulnerability.

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This is really what makes Emily my

favorite Gilmore girl because with a

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character as mean as Emily, we would

want to hate her, but because she's also

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so vulnerable, we can also love her.

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After the party, Dean shows up and gives

Rory a bracelet, which Lorelai happens to

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witness through the window in utter shock.

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So begins her daughter's love

life, the Gilmore's world of books.

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Let's break down this episode's most

iconic literary references for those

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taking the Rory Gilmore Reading

Challenge with us on Friday night.

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readers.substack.com

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where we read from the list of

books mentioned on Gilmore Girls.

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First Lorelai suggests to

Rory, maybe we should really

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embrace the whole tulle thing.

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Go totally modern.

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Cinderella, what do you think?

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It's your birthday, since you probably

already know she's referring to

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this character's ballgown.

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Let's just dive into a fun factor too.

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Cinderella is a classic fairytale that

dates back to ancient Greece, but was

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popularized by Charles perrault in 1697

who added the fairy godmother and glass

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slipper, and it was later adapted by

the brothers grim in the 19th century.

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Of course, many of us also know

and love the Disney version.

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Lorelei then says Edith Wharton

would be proud of Emily's party.

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She's referring to the American author,

known for portraying the American upper

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class during the early 20th century.

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She's probably referring to the age

of innocence, which portrays upper

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class New York Society in the 1870s.

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There lawyer, Newland Archer

must choose between duty to his

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fiance, may Welland and Passion

for the Countess Ellen Olenska.

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Now, I liked this book,

but I didn't love it.

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It felt slow to me, and I think

I would've liked it more if I

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also watched the movie version.

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Lorelai says that Rory freaking

out at Emily felt like freaky

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Friday by Mary Rodgers.

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This book is about 13-year-old Anabel

Andrews, who magically switches

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bodies with her mother for a day.

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The experience forces each to live

the other's life, and Anabel learns

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how difficult and underappreciated

her mother's responsibilities are.

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Sounds pretty good, right?

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Wrong.

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This is one book that I and other readers

taking, the Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge

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have consistently disliked over the years.

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It just does not date well from its

outdated gender roles to its stereotypical

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language and its preachy tone.

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But there is good news.

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The 1976 film adaptation starring

Jodie Foster and the:

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adaptation starring Jamie Lee, Curtis

and Lindsay Lohan are well received.

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I think Lorelei and Rory would love

the latter, even though it was released

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after this episode first aired.

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Curious about every single book mentioned

in this Gilmore Girls episode, even the

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obscure references most people miss.

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Head to this episode's page at

Friday night, readers.substack.com

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When you upgrade to a paid membership,

you'll get principal episode guides

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to every Gilmore Girls episode

perfect for tracking your own

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Rory inspired reading journey.

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Oy with the pop culture already now,

because I want you to understand even

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more of the Gilmore Girls fast talk.

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Here's what some of this episode's best

pop culture references mean fashion.

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Of course this episode is most known for

Rory's birthday outfit particularly her

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pink feather boa and happy birthday crown.

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I actually wore this on Rory's

birthday, and I uploaded my picture

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and links of the exact products I used

in the show notes for you movies and tv.

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Lorelei says Emily's quote, got

her Vulcan death grip on that one,

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meaning Rory's official birthday.

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This is a reference to the

sci-fi outer space show.

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Star Trek.

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Vulcans on the show have

a Vulcan nerve pinch.

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In other words, a death grip that

can instantly knock someone out.

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I'm not a sci-fi gal and was

never into this show, or its many

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spinoffs, which were constantly

rerun on tv, but it was very popular.

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Then upon entering the house,

Lorelei calls out Lucy, I'm home.

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This is a famous line from I Love

Lucy, a hilarious:

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show, Cuban musician, Ricky Ricardo

would come home to find his real life

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wife and CoStar Lucille Ball, having

gotten herself into comedic situations.

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He was the serious one and her comedy

was very slapstick and over the top.

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My parents loved.

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To watch these reruns and some of the

best episodes, both in my opinion and

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generally are when Lucy worked in a

chaotic assembly line at a chocolate

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factory and when she drank way too much

Vitametavegamin during a commercial shoot.

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In the show notes, I have linked

a YouTube video of some of the

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funniest moments from I Love Lucy.

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I definitely recommend you watch,

even though it's an old show.

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It's still really funny today.

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By the way, Lorelei is a big fan.

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Later in this season, in episode

15, Christopher Returns, she

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wears, I love Lucy Pajamas.

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We all want a pair of those, don't we?

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I actually already looked for them myself.

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And when Lorelei tells Rory about

her birth, she says, I wonder

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if the Waltons ever did this.

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This is another old show

I'm oddly familiar with.

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It's an American Family Drama TV

series that aired from:

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set during the Great Depression

in World War II in rural Virginia.

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The story focused on a large,

close-knit family navigating the

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everyday struggles of life at the

time as narrated by the eldest son,

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John Boy, while it wasn't my personal

favorite, it's another old classic.

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My parents love to watch, and I most

recall it for the phrase, goodnight, John

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Boy, which my dad said to me every night.

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Famous people.

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Emily calls Lorelei, my daughter, Henny

Youngman, who Lorelei Explains is a Jewish

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comedian then about Rory's Hartford party.

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Lorelei says, quote, the

government will close that day.

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Flags will fly at half mast.

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Barbara Streisand will give

her final concert again.

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Now the Pope's previous plans, but

he's trying to get out of them.

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However, Elvis and Jim

Morrison are coming.

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And they're bringing chips.

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You all know who these very

famous musicians are, right?

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Tell me you do.

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Then she mocks Rory, who's talking

on the phone with this quip,

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and Justin is just so dreamy.

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He just can't marry Brittany.

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I'll just cry and cry and cry.

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This friends is none other than

Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears

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the hottest celebrity couple of

the time, especially amongst teens.

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But their young love wasn't

all it was cracked up to be.

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Brittany pulled the curtain back

and made shocking allegations like

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his cheating and her abortion in

her recent memoir, the Woman In Me.

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It's a great read if you're a fan and

on audio, it's narrated by Michelle

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Williams from Dawson's Creek, and she

does a really great job doing Britney's

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Southern accent and conveying her story

for even more about Boy Band Star Justin

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Timberlake, including that time I took

his picture at a:

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Go back and listen to the episode

of this podcast about Kill Me Now.

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Next, while shopping, emily mentions

how Lorelei picked a t-shirt

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with the Farrah Fawcett face.

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Who Lorelei calls a hero to many who

aspire to the perfect feather flip.

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Farrah Fawcett was an American

actress and model who became

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a household name in the 1970s.

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Through her role in the TV show,

Charlie's Angels and her famous Red

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Swimsuit poster her long feather layers,

which flipped back at the end, became

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a hairstyle just as popular as she was.

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Now, here's a reference

I had to look up to.

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Emily Lorelei says, i'm shopping for Rory.

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You are shopping for your imaginary

granddaughter, Barbara Hutton.

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My research tells me she was a

rich, lavish American heiress

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at Rory's birthday party.

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Lorelei Hands, Rory a Shirley Temple

drink and says she's having a Shirley

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Temple Black adding, I got your

good ship Lollipop right here, Mr.

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Shirley Temple was a

person and is a drink.

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She was a very famous child actress

in the:

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hair dimples, singing and dancing.

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Good Ship Lollipop was her signature

song, and I've linked a YouTube video

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in the show notes for you so that you

can see her singing it if you want to.

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But now let's get into these drinks.

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A Shirley Temple drink is a

non-alcoholic cocktail made with

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ginger ale or lemon lime soda

Grenadine and a Maraschino cherry.

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We loved to order these as kids.

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It's basically sugar in a cup.

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On the other hand, a Shirley Temple

Black is a play on the actress's.

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Married name black.

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For adults simply add dark rum.

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These two drinks perfectly represent

Lorelai and Rory, don't they?

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One child, one adult.

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Both sugar fiends.

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Cool music.

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Lorelai says she did.

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Get her mother to agree to

make the string quartet.

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Learn like a virgin at

Rory's Hartford party.

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This was a very popular and

very controversial:

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by Pop Superstar Madonna,

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her public performances of this very

sexualized song, especially at the

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1984 MTV Video Music Awards in a

wedding dress drew years of backlash,

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especially from religious groups.

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So Lorelei's Joke blends, Emily's

music style with her own, and I've

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also linked the official video in the

show notes for you so you can watch

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it if you're not familiar with it

or if you just wanna watch it again.

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Lastly, happy Birthday by Altered

Images plays when Rory finds

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out, Emily has sent her birthday

invitations to her Chilton classmates.

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I wasn't familiar with this

song myself, but I did find the

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music video and I linked that in

the show notes for you as well.

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Book tease.

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Lastly, the time has come for me to be

what Jess called Rory, a book tease.

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Tune in next week when

we dive into episode 1.7.

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Kiss and Tell, that's a big one.

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And books like The Crucible by

Arthur Miller, which Lorelei thinks

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Luke would look good, dressed like.

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You'll learn why the movie is

better than the book in this case.

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See you next time.

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