Smashing Pumpkins

RORY: Look, we’re not always going to like the same things. Like, you like Smashing Pumpkins and I don’t.
LANE: But that’s only ’cause you’re close-minded and blind.

The Smashing Pumpkins, often just called Smashing Pumpkins, alternative rock band from Chicago. Formed in 1988 by frontman and guitarist Billy Corgan, who has been the sole constant member since its inception.

Their debut album Gish was released in 1991, and was a minor success. Siamese Dream came out in 1993, and despite the band being torn apart by personal problems, including drug addiction and severe depression, it debuted at #10 on the album charts. Their biggest success was the 1995 album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, which went to #1, and was the best-selling double album of the decade. It had several hit singles, including “Bullet with Butterfly Wings”, “1979”, and “Zero”.

The band broke up in 2000, but reformed in 2005, and are still recording and performing.

“It’s okay not to like Jess”

RORY: It’s okay not to like Jess.
LANE: I said I was happy for you.

Rory has that awkward conversation with her best friend where she gently lets Lane know that she knows she doesn’t approve of Jess, and that’s okay. She doesn’t need to pretend. Lane immediately feels bad about not liking Jess, but says that she’s protective of Rory, and doesn’t want her to be hurt.

Rory asks her to give Jess a second chance (even though she just said it was okay for Lane not to like him), and Lane gamely says that maybe they can double date with she and Dave some time. Double dating seems to be the default position on Gilmore Girls!

We never see if the two couples ever did go out together, but I imagine Jess would have refused – even though he would have a lot in common with Lane and Dave. It seems like a missed opportunity.

Peggy Lee

[Lane retrieves some makeup from under her floorboard]
LANE: Well, I’ve got the good stuff right here, right next to the Peggy Lee.

Norma Egstrom, known professionally as Peggy Lee (1920-2002), jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, composer, and actress, over a career spanning seven decades. From her beginning as a vocalist on local radio to singing with Benny Goodman’s big band, Lee created a sophisticated persona, writing music for films, acting, and recording conceptual record albums combining poetry and music. Called the “Queen of American pop music,” Lee recorded over 1,100 records and composed over 270 songs.

Peggy Lee has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She has been cited as an inspiration for the cocktail called the Margarita, the Spanish version of Margaret, which Peggy is short for. She was also the inspiration for Miss Piggy from The Muppet Show – the muppet was originally called Miss Piggy Lee.

Runner

MRS. KIM: This is Ho Kyung, she’ll sing with you … Watch the high notes, she’s a runner.

In singing, a run is when a singer starts off at a very high note and drops quickly down the scale on a single syllable. It’s quite a showy move, designed to feature the vocalist’s performance over the music.

You might remember Ho Kyung from the episode, “A Deep-fried Korean Thanksgiving”.

Shahaela Lodge and Spa

ALEX: Uh huh. I made lunch reservations at the Shahaela Lodge and Spa afterward. Think she’ll like that?
RORY: She’ll love that.

A fictional inn and spa near one of the lakes around Stars Hollow. In real life, there are a couple of spas on lake shores in Connecticut, although not very close to the general location of where Stars Hollow is meant to be. It feels like another fictional version of the Mayflower Inn and Spa in Washington Depot.

Rooked

LUKE: Why didn’t you tell me?
LORELAI: I don’t know. I just felt stupid getting rooked into the thing in the first place, and then . . . plus, you don’t wanna hear about my personal life.

Rook, informal language meaning to cheat or swindle, especially in a game of cards. The word in this sense dates to the 16th century, and is assumed to be after the bird, a member of the crow family, regarded as very cunning.

I can’t see how Lorelai was actually tricked into going fishing – Alex asked if she liked fishing, and she said yes! Maybe she means she tricked herself. After all, she was the only one who was in any way deceptive.

“Think long and hard”

HEADMASTER: Ms. Gilmore, you will not be quitting the student council, is that clear? …The student body has elected you and therefore you will fulfill your commitment. And in the future, I would advise you to think long and hard about accepting any responsibility if you intend to run away from it at the first sign of conflict.

Rory doesn’t quite take this advice on board – she has some spectacular moments of running away from responsibility at the first hurdle in later seasons.