Footnotes to the TV series
LORELAI: Oh, but I am good for the money. I, uh, pay off all my debts and I work really hard. I’ve been the executive manager of the Independence Inn for the last four years now.
We now learn that Lorelai has been the executive manager at the Independence Inn since early 1998. We don’t know what her position was before that, but the pay was good enough that Lorelai was able to buy a house even before her promotion.
MILES: Oh, you’ve taken out two previous loans on this house?
LORELAI: Um, yes.
This explains the difficulties Lorelai has been having in getting a loan – she has already taken two previous loans against her house, and is presumably in the process of paying them back (maybe cut down on the junk food buying?).
It doesn’t explain how she got turned down by a loan shark (fictionalised by Lorelai as Jacko’s Loans and Stuff), as the more desperate and in trouble you are, the more likely they are to loan you money at an exorbitant rate to make you suffer even more. I’d like to think Lorelai herself turned down the loan shark, knowing it was financially irresponsible.
LORELAI: I swear, one of these days, Alice. Pow! Right to the moon.
EMILY: What on earth are you talking about? Who’s Alice?
Lorelai references the television series The Honeymooners, originally broadcast from 1955 to 1956, and based on comedy sketches from Jackie Gleason’s variety show. The sitcom revolved around the Kramdens, a working-class couple in Brooklyn, and their marital spats (they’d actually been married over a decade, so weren’t literally on their honeymoon).
During their arguments, short-tempered bus driver Ralph Kramden (played by Jackie Gleason) would make empty threats of domestic violence to his more level-headed wife Alice (played by Audrey Meadows), such as “One of these days, POW! Right in the kisser”, or “You’re going to the moon!”. Alice was never fazed by these threats, and would reply, “Ah, shaddap”. A hint that Lorelai’s threats to Emily are equally empty.
The Honeymooners has been shown continuously since its cancellation due to syndication, and has an iconic status as a highly-popular television show which embodies postwar ideals and working-class masculinity. It’s been referenced in other shows numerous times, and been an inspiration for others, most notably The Flintstones. NASA named its infrared imaging instrument on the New Horizons space probe after Ralph Kramden, in parallel to the Alice instrument used on the Rosetta (not named after Alice Kramden, but an acronym).
LORELAI: You’ll say hello, you’ll ask how his wife is, and that’s it. After that, you will say nothing, you will do nothing, you will sit in the corner and offer no opinions and pull a full-on Clarence Thomas, am I making myself perfectly clear?
Clarence Thomas (born 1948), associate justice of the US Supreme Court since 1991, the longest-serving member of the court to this date, and often cited as the most conservative.
At the time of his confirmation hearings that would see him confirmed for the Supreme Court position, Thomas was already reticent on answering questions from senators about his philosophical stance, in the belief that his conservative views could see him rejected.
However, he refused to answer any questions as his final approval was being debated, when a woman named Anita Hill accused him of sexual harassment involving making sexual comments to her. Hill was questioned aggressively, and Thomas defended his right to privacy. He said that they were turning his appointment into a circus, and he refused to participate in what he saw as a racist exercise. He was voted in a week later.
I think this is what Lorelai is referring to, telling Emily to keep her mouth as tightly shut as Clarence Thomas during his confirmation hearings.
[Rory walks up the porch steps]
LORELAI: Hey, uh, Dean called twice.
RORY: Rah, rah, rah. [goes into the house]
Rah, rah, rah is a typical cheerleader chant meant to create greater enthusiasm and excitement. Rory says it very snarkily.
Also note that Rory has only just had coffee with Dean, and had a short interaction with Lane on her way home. By the time she’s walked back to her house, Dean has already phoned twice before she even gets in the front door. That seems worryingly insecure, and even rather controlling. Rory’s ironic cheer may be a sign that she doesn’t welcome Dean’s constant calls.
LORELAI: Luke, that’s a loan.
LUKE: No, it’s just a temporary exchange of money for services that will be paid back when you finally have the . . . it’s a loan.
Luke makes an attempt to help Lorelai by advancing her the money to pay for the home repairs, as well as getting in a “good contractor” who did some work at the diner for him. I wonder if this is Tom the Contractor, who appears later in the show, and may be the same Tom who assisted Rory in her volunteer work for Rebuilding Together?
Lorelai thanks Luke but turns his offer down. She is refusing help from both family and friends, apparently determined to go it alone.
LORELAI: So, let me get this straight. Uh, you and some guys who actually know what they’re doing are gonna come over and fix my house, and I can pay them back whenever I want?
LUKE: That’s right.
LORELAI: ‘Cause I’m Tony Soprano?
Tony Soprano (played by James Gandolfini) is the central protagonist of the crime drama television series The Sopranos, shown on HBO from 1999 to 2007 (a similar run to Gilmore Girls, oddly enough). Tony becomes the head of the DiMeo crime family, and is the patriarch of the Soprano household.
The Sopranos was a ratings success, despite being on a premium cable service, and was hailed by many critics as the greatest and most ground-breaking television series of all time, with writing, acting, and directing all singled out for praise. It has won numerous awards, and is regarded as extremely influential on the development of television drama as an art form. A prequel film set in the 1960s and ’70s called The Many Saints of Newark was released this year.
As Lorelai loves the Godfather films, it makes sense she would enjoy The Sopranos as well.
In this episode, Lane has been mysteriously unavailable whenever Rory tries to catch up with her to share her news, such as her stellar PSAT results, or their termite disaster. While talking to Dean at Stars Hollow High School, Rory suddenly notices that Lane is one of the cheerleaders who are staying late for practice. Aghast by this discovery, Rory heads off for coffee with Dean.
When Rory sees Lane at the school on her way home, they have a confrontation. Rory is upset that Lane hid her cheerleader tendencies from her, while Lane says she couldn’t tell her the truth because she feared being mocked or Rory getting upset. Rory is actually quite rude to Lane, insulting her cheerleader outfit and reminding her that they always made fun of cheerleaders like Janie Fertman.
Lane points out that Rory isn’t around much any more, always being busy with Chilton stuff or Dean, that she wanted to try something new, and doesn’t have to justify her choices. This is all perfectly reasonable, and it’s great to see Lane get to do something for herself for a change. Rory is in a bad mood because of the fight with Lorelai, and gets in a temper with her, and it ends with both girls raising their voices at each other.
(In an episode about secrets, this is the third secret: Rory keeping her PSAT results a secret from Paris, Lorelai keeping her termite problem a secret from Emily, and Lane keeping her cheerleader secret from Rory).
EMILY: You have any idea who Miles Hahn is? … He’s the president of the First National Bank. We’ve been doing business with him for years. He’s become a very dear friend of ours actually.
A name sometimes given to local banks in the US; there have been many of this name, most of which have closed down or been taken over by now. There are still examples in Florida, Utah, Nebraska, and Pennsylvania, but there’s never been one in Hartford.
It is unclear if Emily means that they use the First National Bank themselves, or if she means that Miles Hahn has been doing business with Richard through the insurance company he works for. I presume the first one.
MICHEL: Well, you’ve tried to convince them of your virtue, perhaps it’s time to offer them a lap dance … You know in Thailand, women do this trick with a Ping-Pong ball that is a big crowd pleaser.
Lap dance: An erotic dance performed at strip clubs where the dancer, who may be nude or topless, has body contact with a seated client, grinding in his lap. They have been around since the 1970s, and are legal in Connecticut – apparently Hartford is known in some circles for being extremely relaxed and tolerant in this regard.
Ping-pong show: Michel refers to a type of entertainment performed in some strip clubs, where women use their pelvic floor muscles to expel objects from their vagina. Although a variety of objects can be used, ping-pong balls are the iconic choice. They are common in Thailand, where they are performed for tourists. Human rights concerns have been raised with the practice, and it has been denounced as inherently misogynistic and racist.
The Annotated Gilmore Girls 