Category: S3Ep9: A Deepfried Korean Thanksgiving

Kirk’s Medicines

KIRK: Oh, nothing, just a little scratch.

LORELAI: Looks like a big scratch. Wow, Bactine, Neosporin, Mercurochrome – what’s with all the pharmacologicals?

Bactine: an antiseptic treatment containing lidocaine anaesthetic, first marketed in 1950.

Neosporin: broad spectrum antibiotic cream containing anaesthetic, approved for use in the US in 1971.

Mercurochrome: a topical antiseptic with a dye which stains the wound bright red. First developed in 1918, its distribution in the US was halted in 1998, due to concerns about it containing mercury. Somehow it is still available for sale in Stars Hollow in 2002! It is now manufactured in the US without any mercury.

Frank at the Sands

RORY: This will get better over time, I promise. But until then, let’s just play it cool.

JESS: Hey, I’m Frank at the Sands.

Frank Sinatra was a regular performer at the Sands Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, with his first performance there in 1953 – he later bought a share in the hotel. There is a 1966 live album of one of his performances called Sinatra at the Sands, which includes many of the biggest hits and a comedy monologue. The album was reissued in 1998, and Jess may have bought it.

Lane is also a fan of Frank Sinatra, and this seems like another thing she and have in common that could bring them together, but somehow the two never become friends.

Three Stooges

RORY: I promise, we can kiss secretly.

JESS: Yeah, or we can wear Three Stooges masks all the time, that way no one will know who we are.

RORY: I can be Curly.

JESS: I’ll be Moe.

The Three Stooges was an American vaudeville comedy team active from 1922 until 1970, best remembered for their 190 short films. Their hallmark styles were physical farce and slapstick. Although six actors played the Three Stooges, the classic line up was Moe Howard (played by Moses Horwitz), Larry Fine (played by Louis Feinberg), and Curly Howard (played by Jerome Horwitz). Their peak popularity was from 1934 to 1946, but television syndication made them one of the most popular comedy acts of the early 1960s.

Rory was proud to be seen with Dean, and kiss him in public. Now her relationship with Jess begins with her hiding their relationship away as if it is something shameful. It doesn’t feel as if the relationship is getting off to a very healthy start.

Social Security

JESS: For how long? … Before we’re on Social Security?

In the US, Social Security is the commonly used term for federal welfare payments to old age pensioners, widows and orphans, and the disabled, all administered by the Social Security Administration. With few exceptions, all legal residents working in the US will have a social security number.

The standard age to receive payments for old age is 67, although you may receive it at 62 by taking a lower amount, and if you work until 70, will get a higher payment. Jess humorously raises the possibility of he and Rory having to wait until their sixties before they are able to kiss in public.

Rory Won’t Allow Public Kissing

RORY: We shouldn’t flaunt it.

JESS: But I want to flaunt it.

RORY: It doesn’t feel right.

Jess had to put up with Rory and Dean “flaunting” their relationship by kissing in public, sometimes right in front of him. But any chance of getting a bit of revenge is taken away when Rory says they can’t show any PDA in case it upsets her ex-boyfriend. Even though they’ve broken up, Rory is still very concerned about not upsetting Dean. It can’t be doing Jess’ confidence much good to know Rory is already prioritising her ex’s feelings over his.

“It is for us”

JESS: It’s not the first time a couple’s broken up.

RORY: It is for us.

In fact, Rory and Dean broke up before, in “Star-Crossed Lovers and Other Strangers”. However, as they got back together again, Rory might think it doesn’t count, and was only “being on a break”. It’s interesting that she doesn’t share this detail with Jess, as if not wanting to expose the cracks and weaknesses in her prior relationship with Dean.

Cranberry Sauce

[On Thanksgiving morning, Lorelai and Rory are walking toward the market]

RORY: What’s on the list?

LORELAI: Flowers for everyone we’re visiting and cranberry sauce for the Kims.

Cranberry sauce is a relish made from cranberries. In the US, the word “cranberries” refers to Vaccinium macrocarpon, a North American species of cranberry, grown commercially for its berries. Cranberry sauce in the US is more heavily sweetened than the tarter, more astringent version common in Europe. Cranberry sauce is traditionally served with turkey at Thanksgiving, and sometimes Christmas.

Michelle Kwan

LORELAI: It’s not too much food. This is what we’ve been training for our whole lives. This is our destiny. This is our finest hour.

RORY: Or final hour.

LORELAI: No, no. Get inspired and tomorrow I guarantee you, we will be standing on the Olympic platform receiving our gold medals for eating. We are not Michelle Kwan-ing this.

Michelle Kwan (born 1980), retired figure skater. She competed at the senior level for over a decade and is the most decorated figure skater in US history. Known for her consistency and expressive artistry on ice, she is widely considered one of the greatest figure skaters of all time. For well over a decade, Kwan maintained her status not only as America’s most popular figure skater but as one of America’s most popular female athletes. She is now the ambassador to Belize.

Kwan was a breakout star at the 1998 Winter Olympics, winning a silver medal. At the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, which took place in February, she fell during the free skate and received the bronze medal instead of the hoped-for gold.

The Grinch and Cindy Lou Who

RORY: He actually likes it when we come for Thanksgiving. All these years and we never knew.

LORELAI: Hm, he’s the Grinch and we’re Cindy Lou Who.

Another reference to the 2000 Christmas film How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Cindy Lou Who (played by Taylor Momsen) is a little girl from the Christmas-loving town of Whoville while the Grinch is a grumpy Christmas-hater who learns to love the holiday with the help of Cindy Lou (showing that he was really good-hearted all along).