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Gilmore Girls Season 1, Episode 7, "Kiss and Tell": Pop Culture Rewatch
Episode 7 • 24th 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 7, "Kiss and Tell": Pop Culture Rewatch ! In this podcast episode, I share the books and pop culture referenced when Dean kisses Rory in Doose's Market, and she, Dean, and Lorelai have a movie night together.

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Books, Pop Culture, and Other Mentions:

Full Show Notes For Gilmore Girls Season 1, Episode 7, "Kiss and Tell": Pop Culture Rewatch

Time Stamps:

  • 00:30 What Happened in Stars Hollow
  • 07:54 The Gilmores' World of Books
  • 10:55 Oy With the Pop Culture Already
  • 20:03 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

2

:

rewatch of Gilmore Girls.

3

:

We dive deep on each episode featuring

the Gilmore's world of books, as

4

:

well as their fast talk or with the

pop culture already learn what the

5

:

Gilmores are actually talking about so

you can read and live more like them.

6

:

Life's short read and rewatch fast.

7

:

Welcome back Friday Night readers.

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:

Here's what happened in

Stars Hollow in season one.

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:

Episode seven of Gilmore Girls Kiss

and Tell The episode begins in the most

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autumnal of all autumn town squares.

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This is Fall.

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Y'all Lorelai and Rory walk and talk about

underwear as Miss Patty's mini pilgrims

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dance among the pumpkins and haystacks.

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Now that's a vibe at Luke's Diner.

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Taylor Nags Luke about

Thanksgiving decorations.

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This is our introduction to

the one and only Taylor Doose

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played by Michael Winters.

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He was born in Hartford,

Connecticut, so maybe that's why

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he's such a fit for the show.

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He also made appearances on

other popular shows of the time.

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Cheers, friends, home Improvement, the

nanny, Ally McBeal, and so many more.

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But Luke doesn't care.

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He tells Taylor to stick

his decorations somewhere.

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Rory heads to Lorelai market

after school where Dean and Taylor

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arrange Thanksgiving food displays.

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Rory pretends to be highly interested

in cornstarch as she flirts with Dean.

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They have the ultimate Connecticut,

Chicago debate, soda or pop.

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I asked my Instagram followers

and 84% said it's soda.

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16% said it's pop and a few

southerners reach out to add a choice.

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They call it coke there.

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Here in Philly it's soda, but travel

west to Pittsburgh and it's pop.

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It's that much closer to dean's.

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Midwestern roots.

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Then out of nowhere, Dean kisses Rory

and her stunned little mouth utters.

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Thank you.

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As she runs away with the

box of cornstarch at Kim's

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Antiques, she alerts Lane.

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I got kissed.

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And I shoplifted Lane confirms that Aisle

three near the bury is a good aisle.

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So I had to ask my Instagram followers

what their favorite aisle is.

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There was an array of answers.

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Coffee, tea, spaghetti,

produce, cheese, cereal, bakery,

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snacks, books, and frozen food.

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Were among them.

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We are a diverse group of

grocery shoppers around here.

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Personally, I go to Trader Joe's,

which only has three aisles, and

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I think the back where all of them

connect is the best part because it's

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where the new candles and samples are.

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I'm nothing if not a sample lover.

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Lane assures Mrs.

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Kim, that it was quote,

the Lord who kissed Rory.

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Then she and Rory decide to keep

it a secret from Lorelei who isn't

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crazy about Dean back at the house.

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Lorelei struggles with the

crazy refrigerator sound.

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We've all made a strange electrical

noise over the phone, haven't we?

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This is such a funny and

well-written conversation.

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Of course, the repairman refuse

to help in a timely manner.

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Of course, they do.

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Lorelei heads to Kim's antiques

to pick up a chair where Mrs.

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Kim informs her that Rory kissed

the boy in the grocery store.

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Kiss, kiss, kiss Lorelei is

a mix of shocked and hurt.

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Next Lane and Rory, keep gossiping

about Dean and the kiss while dressed

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as pilgrims amidst a cornucopia of

pumpkins at the Autumn Harvest Festival.

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Now I've been to my share of fall

festivals, but this has got to

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be the most festive of them all.

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I think it's the costumes for me.

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My personal favorite, though, was

the mushroom festival we attended

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in a small town near us this year.

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When I tell you I tasted mushrooms

in every form imaginable.

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At Luke's Diner, Lorelei watches

Rory from a distance, and you

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can almost read her thoughts.

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She feels like she doesn't

know her daughter anymore.

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When Rory enters, she tries to nudge

her into talking about Dean in the kiss.

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And I've been there, albeit

at age 30 in my life.

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Social media friends had already

been blabbing to my mom that

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I seem to be dating someone.

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This is my now husband, but I wanted to

make sure the relationship was sticking

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before telling my family, so she would

always ask me pointed questions like,

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exactly who is going somewhere with me?

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Then Doubtfully Mutter.

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Mm-hmm.

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I didn't give in for six whole months

when she visited and I said, there's

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a surprise waiting to meet you.

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Lorelei seeks Luke's emotional

support and even compares Dean to

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Christopher Rory's dad, do you see any

resemblance looks, or personality wise?

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Personally, I think she's just spiraling.

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She convinces herself

that she will show Rory.

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She's not a regular mom.

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She's a cool mom who is okay with it all.

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She finally blurts out to Rory.

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So kissed any good boys lately.

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They talk.

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Then head downtown for movie night junk

food, and Rory introduces Lorelei to Dean.

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All goes well.

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That is until Rory runs to the

video store and Lorelei invites

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Dean over to watch Willy Wonka in

the chocolate factory with them.

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Rory displays her utter horror in

this hilarious exchange, repeatedly

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emphasizing the word Mother Lorelei.

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Stop saying mother like that.

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Rory.

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Like what?

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Lorelei like, there's supposed

to be another word after it.

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Rory compares Lorelei to

Emily and Ouch, it hurts.

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Lorelei says she needs

therapy back at the house.

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Lorelei helps Rory pick an outfit,

and Rory is both amazed by Lorelei's

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dating skills and nervous about her own.

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Dean arrives late after

getting accosted by Babette.

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Then the girls give him a house tour

including the stove filled with shoes.

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This reminds me of my grandmother who used

to store her purses in her dishwasher.

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I honestly can't imagine

preferring hand washing dishes to

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buying storage for my handbags.

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But hey, to eat her own Sookie

arrives with dessert and Lorelei

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begs her to leave, but she

manages to stay and continue the

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Rory Humiliation tour of 2000.

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The threesome proceeds to eat

everything pizza and talk about oompa.

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loompas..

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We learned that Dean has

sisters that's with an s.

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Yet.

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Note that we only ever meet

one Clara later in the series.

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Soon enough, Lorelei realizes she should

leave Rory and Dean to themselves.

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So she reads a magazine in the kitchen.

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I wonder if it's the one that

Richard read in the last episode.

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Now, this actually becomes

a pretty good first date.

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In my humble opinion, Rory gets private

time with Dean, but also the safety and

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comfort of her mother is just a room away.

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She seeks Lorelei's help and

Lorelei praises her politeness

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and thanking Dean for the kiss.

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Turns out that Rory doesn't

want her mom to be a friend

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anymore, but rather a mother.

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Oh, the many hats that she and

all moms wear, she advises Rory,

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this oddly philosophical line.

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I'm afraid once your heart is

involved, it all comes out in moron.

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Lorelei heads back into the living

room with Dean and while I usually

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like to remark on Emily's Savage

Burns, she's not in this episode and we

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actually have a Lorelei one sweetheart.

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The whole town is watching you.

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That girl in there is beloved around here.

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You hurt her.

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There's not a safe place within

a hundred miles for you to hide.

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This is a very small, weird

place you've moved to.

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They come to the agreement that Rory

quote won't go on his motorcycle

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and I'll just leave it at that.

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Then Dean fires back at her

that he's not going anywhere.

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Was he out of line?

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Sort of.

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He has the confidence and ego that

only a teen can have in talking

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back, but then again, Lorelei

was also kind of rough on him.

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Dean and Rory share a goodnight

kiss and Rory apologizes to Lorelei

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for not telling her about the kiss.

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She spills everything and like

Lane Lorelei confirms that

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Aisle three is a good aisle.

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Such a sweet, full circle ending.

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Okay.

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The Gilmore's world of books.

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Now let's break down the

Gilmore's world of books.

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This episode's most

iconic literary references

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For those, 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 things first, the phrase, kiss

and tell the name of this episode

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originated in William Congreves 1695.

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Play Love for Love.

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This play is a fast-paced satire

about love, money, and social

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manners in England's upper class.

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Sounds a bit like Gilmore Girls a.

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Oh, these writers are so smart.

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Next to Luke Lorelai says, I'm not gonna

talk about how good you'd look dressed

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like one of the guys from The Crucible.

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This classic play centers on the

Salem Witch trials a parable.

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Its purpose is to convey the harm that

violence sanctioned by society can cause.

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It's a great fall book, but I

actually preferred the movie

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adaptation starring Winona Rider.

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It is just not as immersive to

read a play versus watch it.

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Then Lorelei calls Dean a quote,

Lethario, this name originated from

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the fair penitent by Nicholas Rowe

and means a womanizer or seducer.

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In this tragedy, Lothario is a

handsome, smooth talking seducer

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who leads a young woman to haroun.

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So you can almost smell

Lorelai's fear here.

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The name is also famously

known from Miguel De Cervantes,

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Spanish Classic Don Quixote.

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Lorelai tells Luke not to

quote Freud to her after she

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compares Christopher to Dean.

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Sigmund Freud is the founder of

Psychoanalysis and an author known for

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his methods of treating mental illness,

and exploring the unconscious mind.

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He believed that children have unconscious

desires and conflicts, especially

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involving their opposite sex parents,

otherwise known as the Oedipus Complex.

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So Dark Lorelai tells Rory

she'll be as cool as Shaft in

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front of Dean at Doose's Market.

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While Shaft is best known as

a movie starring Samuel L.

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Jackson, it was first a

book by Ernest Tidyman.

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Since Lorelai doesn't

specify book or movie.

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I'm assuming it's the book.

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This approach just gives us more to read.

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Shaft is a tough but stylish

private detective from the:

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New York, known for his confidence,

swagger, and fearlessness.

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Later, while Lorelei helps Rory get

ready for movie night, Rory calls

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her a quote, crazy Elsa Klensch.

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Born in 1930 in Australia, Elsa

Klensch was a pioneering voice in

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fashion journalism and a television

host best known for creating and

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hosting CNN's style with Elsa Klensch,

which aired from:

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Despite growing up during this

timeframe, I, unlike our very

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cultured Rory, never heard of her.

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I am curious about every single

book mentioned in this Gilmore

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Girls episode, even the obscure

references most people miss.

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Like all the books on the Gilmore shelves

in this episode, I've got them for you.

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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 printable episode guides

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for every Gilmore Girls episode.

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Perfect.

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We're tracking your own 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.

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First, let's talk about food.

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I couldn't help but note all the movie

night junk food mentioned in this episode.

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Marshmallows, jelly beans, Hershey

Kisses, cookie dough, peanut butter, fun

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dip, red vines, pizza, and caramel bars.

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If that doesn't sound like

the recipe for a stomachache.

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My personal favorite movie, night

Food is Simply Pizza and Popcorn.

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I asked my Instagram followers and popcorn

was the most popular answer with you.

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Two.

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Some readers also love

Chocolate Sour Patch, kids,

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ice Cream, Pop-Tarts, m and ms.

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Chips, Raisinettes,

milk Duds, and Cookies.

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I think Lorelei and Rory would get

along well with you movies and tv.

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First Lorelei tries to coax Rory to

tell her about the kiss by talking about

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one on the soap opera General Hospital.

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She mentions the old and new Lucky,

and I've got a great fun fact for you.

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The old lucky was played by Jonathan

Jackson who co-starred with Alexis

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Bledel in the movie adaptation of the

Children's Classic Tuck Everlasting.

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A few more fun facts.

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I actually think they look

like they could be siblings.

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They look so much alike.

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It's kind of in the eyes for me.

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And lastly, Alexis narrates the audiobook

for the 50th anniversary of the book.

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I both listened and watched this

year and enjoyed both probably

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the movie a little bit more.

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It's great for all ages on a family movie

night, and I want you to see how similar

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they look and what the movie is like.

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So I have linked the trailer from

the movie in the show notes for you.

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Lorelai says that by the time

news of the Kiss gets to Miss

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Patty, the story will look like a

scene from nine and a half weeks.

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This is an erotic 1986 movie starring

Mickey Rourke and Kim Basinger, which

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follows a brief but very intense affair

between a mysterious Wall Street man

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and an art gallery worker who goes

increasingly obsessive and controlling.

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The movie night feature is Willy

Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

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This Oscar nominated 1971 film remains a

classic and it's based on a book Charlie

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and The Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl.

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It's about a poor boy who wins

a golden ticket to tour Willy

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Wonka's magical chocolate factory.

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There.

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However, children who misbehave face

dire consequences of their greed.

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Now I've seen the original movie, read the

book and watched the recent adaptations.

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There's 2005s Oscar nominated Charlie

and the Chocolate Factory, which

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stars Johnny Depp and 2023's Wonka,

which stars Timothy Chalamet, by far.

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I personally prefer the book.

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It is so well written and it

really impressed me, especially

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for it children's novel.

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Next, I'd probably pick the original film.

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Gene Wilder's Performance

is simply Iconic.

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I will also note that the

newest adaptation Wonka veers

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in a different direction.

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Story-wise.

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If you want to experience this story

like a Gilmore, have yourself a

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whole weekend of reading, watching,

and binge eating Wonka goodies.

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Then Rory admits to Dean that she

once had a crush on Prince Charming.

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But she clarifies that it was not the

Cinderella one, the sleeping beauty one.

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Since she's talking about physical

crushes, and since it's in the

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context of talking about movies

here, I assume she means the movies

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Both Disney adaptations were

popular around the time Rory

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would've been a child next

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during movie night, Lorelei

and Rory teased Dean about

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his embarrassing secrets.

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First, Rory guesses that the theme

song from Ice Castles makes him cry.

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All I've got to say is Rory, how

dare You Mock Melissa Manchester

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through the Eyes of Love?

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One of the most noteworthy love songs

of the:

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a figure skater who becomes blind

after an accident learns to skate

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again with the help of her boyfriend.

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Now you better believe I found this

scene from the movie and the song that

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goes with it, and I link the YouTube

video for you in the show notes.

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Next, Lorelei says, the Dean must

have wished at the end of the way, we

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were for Robert Redford to dump his

wife and kid for Barbara Streisand.

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They described this movie, which he's

never seen as quote, heartache, laughter,

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and communism all in one package.

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And I think this entire scene shows the

depths of Lorelai and Rory's connection.

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Why?

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Because this movie also has

a very famous theme song.

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I have linked that in the

show notes for you as well.

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This film.

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Is a 1973 American Classic for all

who strive to be avid moviegoers.

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It's one that I borrowed from the

library during the pre streaming days

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to expand my own pop culture catalog.

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Lastly, Dean wants to recommend Boogie

Nights for movie night, but Rory says

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he'll never get that past Lorelai.

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He questions whether she

doesn't like Marky, mark

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and Rory says that Lorelai quote

had a bad reaction to Magnolia.

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She sat there screaming for three hours.

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I want my life back.

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Now we've got a lot to unpack here.

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First, boogie Nights is a very

popular:

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the rise and fall of a young porn

actor, Eddie Dirk Diggler, in the

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1970s and 1980s adult film industry.

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This was one of those movies that

everyone was talking about at the

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time, mostly for its salacious content.

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I've never seen it, but I've heard that

there's some pretty stark nudity in it.

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Here.

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I thought that's what Lorelei wouldn't

approve of, but no, it's Star Mark

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Wahlberg, formerly known as Marky Mark.

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You may know this famous American actor

from movies like The Departed and Ted,

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but did you know that to 1990s Kids?

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He was Marky Mark from the pop group,

Marky Mark, and the Funky Bunch.

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He was also the brother of

:

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on the block, Donnie Wahlberg.

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What a background.

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Now I can assure you that every

tween girl at the time danced

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to his pop hit good vibrations.

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I certainly did to us.

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He was known for his shirtless

video featuring his buff

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chest and his low slung jeans.

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And yes, of course I have linked the

music video in the show notes for you.

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And I've gotta say it is

still a pretty catchy song.

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I found myself singing and dancing along.

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Now we have also got

to talk about Magnolia.

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This emotionally intense film with an

ensemble cast was one of those movies

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that was critically acclaimed at the

time, so you heard a lot about it.

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Yet it wasn't widely seen

by the general population.

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In other words, it wasn't

a huge box office success.

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It was more of a critical success.

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It weaves together multiple interconnected

stories set in Los Angeles, exploring

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themes of love, regret, coincidence, and

redemption, and it has the same director

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as Boogie Nights, Paul Thomas Anderson.

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So that's the link here.

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I've always wanted to see it, but always

skipped it for the reasons I just listed.

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Famous people.

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The Doose's market, cashier and Dean Spar,

over which Gene Hackman or Wilder Stars

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in Willy Wonka in the chocolate factory.

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And I've gotta believe that these

two famous acting genes of the same

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generation got this all the time.

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Both have since passed.

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Hackman was recently found dead in his

home with his wife, who has also died.

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Babette says, the Dean

has a quote, Chuck Heston.

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He was an American actor known

for his roles as larger than life

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characters in Epic films like Ben

Hur, for which he won an Oscar, the 10

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Commandments and Planet of the Apes.

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And yes, he does have a strong jaw.

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Rory tells her mother that around

Dean, there shall be no James Dean

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jokes or Nancy Walker impressions.

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James Dean was an American actor

and cultural icon of the:

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Famous for his brooding good

looks and his rebellious style.

351

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It was all about his wavy hair and

the way his eyebrows really stood out.

352

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His movie performances An untimely

young death in a car crash

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cemented his status as a symbol

of youthful deviance everywhere.

354

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He's actually a lot more like

Jess than Dean now, Nancy Winkler.

355

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She played Ida Morgan Stern.

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The mother of character Rhoda Morganstern

on one of my favorite TV shows ever.

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The Mary Tyler Moore show.

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This 1970s sitcom was groundbreaking,

and then it followed a single,

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:

independent working woman.

360

:

Walker was known for being sharp

and overbearing to her daughter

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:

on the show, yet also lovable.

362

:

I watched this on Nick at night every

single night when I was younger, and I

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:

still watch reruns of it on Hulu today.

364

:

I personally think that if you appreciate

the smart female driven humor on

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:

Gilmore Girls, you will appreciate

it on the Mary Tyler Moore show too.

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:

It is very sharp in its comedy music.

367

:

This is a pretty quiet episode when

it comes to music, but Lane does

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:

say that Dean likes Nick Drake,

Liz Phair, and the Sugar Plastic.

369

:

Nick Drake is actually

one of my favorites too.

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:

He was an indie folk singer

songwriter, known for his

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:

intimate sounds, particularly

through his acoustic guitar work.

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:

His music feels so haunting

and emotionally layered.

373

:

Perhaps this is why Dean says this.

374

:

How much does it suck that they use

Pink Moon in a Volkswagen commercial?

375

:

I went to YouTube and found the

commercial for you with the song

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:

Pink Moon, so you can see it and

listen to the song at the same time.

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:

Find it in the show notes.

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:

Next up is Liz Phair.

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:

She's actually a Connecticut native.

380

:

This American singer songwriter

was a staple of:

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:

rock, particularly in women's music.

382

:

Her song, why Can't I was practically

an anthem for angsty young women.

383

:

Here are two of her lyrics

that I love from this song.

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:

Why can't I breathe?

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:

Whenever I think about you, why can't

I speak whenever I talk about you?

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:

This is another very smart

reference by the showrunners

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:

for this particular episode.

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:

Last of all, is the sugar plastic.

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:

I'm not actually familiar with them,

but I gave them a listen and I described

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:

the sound as Talking Heads meets Weezer.

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:

Does that make sense?

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:

There are a 1990s

California alternative band.

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:

Book tease.

394

:

Lastly, the time has come for me to be

what just called Rory, a book tease.

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:

Tune in next week when

we dive into episode 1.8,

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:

love and war and Snow.

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:

This is when Lorelai first smell snow

and books like Pride and Prejudice,

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:

which Rory and Dean surprisingly share.

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:

See you next Friday.

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