Liberace

LORELAI: Okay, I think we just found the first room in the history of the world that would’ve made Liberace say, “Whoa. Step back. No one’s that gay.”

Władziu Liberace, known professionally as Liberace (1919-1987) was an American pianist, singer, and actor. A child prodigy, he had a career spanning four decades of concerts, recordings, television and film. At the height of his fame, from the 1950s to the 1960s, he was the highest-paid entertainer in the world, with residencies in Las Vegas, and an international touring schedule. He was known for his flamboyantly excessive lifestyle, earning him the title “Mr. Showmanship”.

For years, Liberace denied allegations he was homosexual, successfully suing publications that hinted at his sexuality (hence his famous catchphrase: “I cried all the way to the bank”.) He continued denying them, even when his chauffeur and former lover sued him for palimony (it was settled out of court). He died of AIDS, having been diagnosed as HIV positive 18 months previously, with other of his lovers dying of the same illness.

Moving Wallpaper

LADAWN: I get so many compliments on this room.
LORELAI: Yeah, are [the flowers on the wallpaper] moving?
LADAWN: It looks like it, doesn’t it? There’s foil in the paper and it gives it that illusion. Isn’t it terrific?

A possible allusion to the 1892 short story, The Yellow Wallpaper, by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. In the story, a woman is sent by her husband for a “rest cure” after suffering postnatal depression. It gradually becomes apparent that the woman is actually imprisoned in a single room, and as her mental state deteriorates, she begins to believe the pattern on the yellow wallpaper is changing and mutating. It is based on Gilman’s own experience, who was forbidden to read or work after suffering what was then called “nervous depression” after giving birth (she got better after eventually ignoring this medical advice).

Reader Stina Töyrä has pointed out the many connections this story has to Lorelai and her situation. Charlotte Perkins Gilman was from Hartford, the grand-niece of Harriet Beecher Stowe, and her surname is similar to Gilmore. The wallpaper at the Cheshire Cat is a creamy yellow colour, and is apparently designed to give the illusion of a moving, changing pattern. The next morning, Lorelai is convinced that the flowers have become taller, and that there are more of them than the night before. Furthermore, as with the woman in the story, Lorelai is mysteriously unable to leave her room at the B&B.

The allusion to the story would provide another example of Lorelai feeling trapped by her situation, and seeing marriage to Max as an imprisonment. Interestingly, it also hints that she may feel that her child has been the catalyst for this, as in the story it is brought on by giving birth. It may be that Lorelai would never have become engaged to Max so quickly if she didn’t have Rory to consider, and that on some level she (unfairly) blames Rory for the mess she’s in.

Thanks to Stina for making this suggestion!

The Cheshire Cat

LADAWN: Welcome to the Cheshire Cat.
LORELAI: … Okay, she’s named the place after an Alice in Wonderland character. This is my worst nightmare.

As Lorelai says, the Cheshire Cat is a character in Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, previously discussed and frequently referenced. The cat likes to engage in amusing philosophical conversations, and is known for its distinctive grin; even when it disappears, as it does a few times, the grin will be the last thing to vanish.

The character is a personification of the English saying, “to grin like a Cheshire cat”, meaning that the person has a very wide smile. The saying dates to the 18^th century, but its origins are obscure. Cheshire was known for its dairy industry, with milk and cream making cats happy, so that’s one possible explanation.

Presumably LaDawn chose the name of her B&B after her large cat, Sammy. In real life there are numerous B&Bs in the Portsmouth area to cater to the tourist trade. Scenes at the Cheshire Cat were filmed in the same set used for the Black White Read Bookstore.

Nicolas Cage and Captain Corelli’s Mandolin

RORY: A cool B&B?
LORELAI: Yes.
RORY: That’s like saying an understated Nicholas Cage movie.
LORELAI: Listen, I myself am not usually a fan of the B&B, but Donald’s place is different.
RORY: Captain Corelli’s Mandolin.
LORELAI: I’m serious.
RORY: “Bella bambina at two o’clock.”

Nicolas Cage, born Nicolas Coppola (born 1964) is an American actor, director, and producer. He is the nephew of director Francis Ford Coppola, and the cousin of director Sofia Coppola. After making his debut in Fast Times at Ridgemont High in 1982, in his early career, Nicolas Cage starred in slightly off-beat films such as Valley Girl (1983), Raising Arizona (1987), and Wild at Heart (1990). In 1995 he won the Academy Award for Best Actor for Leaving Las Vegas, and gained mainstream success in films such as The Rock (1996), Con Air (1997), and City of Angels (1998). His acting style has been described as “operatic”, while he himself refers to his method as “Noveau Shamanic” – hence Rory’s inference that a Nicolas Cage movie can never be understated.

Captain Corelli’s Mandolin is a 2001 war film directed by John Madden, and based on the 1994 novel of the same name by British novelist Louis de Bernières. Nicolas Cage has the title role of Captain Antonio Corelli, and the film is set on the Greek island of Cephalonia during World War II. The film received poor reviews.

In the film, when Captain Corelli first spots his love interest Pelagia (Penelope Cruz) in a crowd, he shouts out to his men: “Bella bambina at two o’clock! Eyes right!”, so that they can all witness and acknowledge her beauty.

The film was released in the US on August 17 2001, so Rory mentioning it is slightly anachronistic – according to the show’s timeline of events, Rory can’t have seen it yet, as it won’t come out for a another few days from her perspective.

Lorelai and Rory apparently now hate B&Bs, even though Lorelai and Sookie were talking about opening one a few episodes ago.

Portsmouth

RORY: Now, to the best of my map reading abilities, we’re headed towards Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

Portsmouth is a city in New Hampshire, a historic seaport with a strong naval tradition and a population of around 20 000. It is a popular tourist destination during the summer months.

Portsmouth is around three hours drive from the area where Stars Hollow seems to be located. As Lorelai has been on the road for at least six hours, quite possibly longer, they must have taken a very roundabout route.

“The engagement is off”

[on the phone]
LORELAI: Yeah, Rory and I decided to hit the road.
SOOKIE: But how can you be hitting the road? You’re supposed to be getting …
LORELAI: The engagement is off, Sookie.
SOOKIE: What? What happened?
LORELAI: Well, it’s a long story. I don’t really wanna go into all the whats and whys and gory details right now, but you should know we all still love Max, and to figure out exactly what happened, you’d have to dig up Freud himself and have him work on me full time.

Lorelai’s engagement to Max is off, but there is never any real explanation for how that occurred. Did Lorelai even call Max to let him know, or has she just run away?

Sookie has of course already finished making a beautiful elaborate wedding cake for Lorelai when she gets the news. Being a good friend, she pretends she forgot to make the cake.

Behind the Music

LORELAI: You know, if I was in a rock band touring and stuff, I’d make the bus driver stop at every Haden’s Nut House we pass.
RORY: Wow, your Behind the Music is gonna be really wild.

Behind the Music is a documentary music television series. Each episode, a particular band or musical artist is profiled and interviewed. The show has been broadcast since 1997.

Haden’s Nut House

On their trip, Lorelai and Rory stop at a roadside stand called Haden’s Nut House for snacks. Its name is another sign of how “crazy” Lorelai feels right now, while Haden is very close to Christopher’s surname of Hayden.

In real life, roadside nut stands are far less common in New England than they are in California, where the show was written. The filming location for Haden’s Nut House was Griffith Park, Los Angeles.

Hootie & the Blowfish

RADIO: Coming up, a three song super set from Hootie & the Blowfish.
LORELAI: Aghhh!!!

Hootie & the Blowfish are an American rock band formed in 1986 by Darius Rucker, Mark Bryan, Dean Felber, and Jim Sonefeld. Their debut album Cracked Rear View (1994) was an instant success, being one of the fastest-selling debut albums, and the #1 album of 1995. They were named Best New Artist at the 1996 Grammy Awards, while their song Let Her Cry was named Best Pop Performance. The band have been on hiatus since 2008.

The band plays what has been described as a middle of the road pop version of blues rock, so are far too mainstream for Lorelai.

Perfect Situation for a Fool

A small part of this country song written by Jai Josefs and Roy Brown and sung by George Highfill plays on the radio before Lorelai switches stations. It seems to have been written as music for film and television, and has been included on the soundtracks of other shows, including Supernatural.

Rather unbelievably, there is nothing on New England radio except country music and Christian rock – they are driving through Massachusetts, not Alabama!