Footnotes to the TV series
RORY: They’re not going to see our pro/con lists.
LORELAI: What if they subpoena them?
Subpoena, a writ issued by a government agency, most often a court, to compel testimony by a witness or production of evidence under a penalty for failure.
Naturally Rory is busy making up pro-con lists to decide whether to accept Harvard or not.
When they get home from the speech contest, they collect the mail and find that Rory has been accepted into Harvard. And Yale. And Princeton. And they all turned up on the same day – although as Kirk is in charge of the mail now, that may not be so surprising. I can only think that’s the reason why the writers made him the mailman for this week, although this job of his was mentioned the previous season. (Planning ahead?).
Fans sometimes think it is unrealistic for Rory to be accepted into three Ivy League universities, but Rory was an excellent student at a good school, a feeder school for Harvard. She was a legacy student at Yale and Princeton, and had assistance from an alumnus when applying to Harvard. She had several extracurricular activities at school, and was a valued contributor to her local community.
Furthermore, her background as the daughter of a single mother who had struggled for many years would have also helped boost her chances – Darren Springsteen said it would work to her advantage.
PARIS: How could I have not gotten into Harvard? Five generations of Gellers have gotten into Harvard.
In “Rory’s Birthday Parties”, Paris said ten generations of Gellers had been to Harvard, which is historically impossible. Now it’s been reduced to five, which still seems unlikely, given that Harvard restricted the number of Jewish students it would take until the 1960s.
PARIS: Harvard. I thought of nothing else. Many of you out there can attest to that fact. I was on my way and nothing could stop me. And here’s the really funny thing – after four years of slaving away, I go home today and I found this. [holds up an envelope] I’m not going to Harvard. I got the tiny envelope, the one that reads, “Sorry, Paris. We’re not interested. Try again next year. Love, Harvard.” And the thing that’s really funny here is, who in the world deserves to go to Harvard more than me? Have you seen how hard I’ve worked over these past four years? I mean, can anyone here believe that I’m not going to Harvard? I can’t. I’m not going to Harvard. I am not going to Harvard. I had sex, but I’m not going to Harvard.
Paris has a very public meltdown, on C-SPAN and surrounded by distinguished guests no less, as she reveals that has been rejected by Harvard, her dream university. It’s as if it’s not enough that Rory succeed, Paris must fail – and fail spectacularly.
RORY: “Apply yourself. Get all the education you can, but then do something. Don’t just stand there, make it happen.” Lee Iacocca. “Education’s purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one.” Malcolm Forbes. “Education is an admirable thing, but it is well to remember from time to time that nothing that is worth knowing can be taught.” Oscar Wilde.
Lido “Lee” Iacocca (1924-2019), [pictured] automobile executive best known for the development of the Ford Mustang, Continental Mark III, and Ford Pinto cars while at the Ford Motor Company in the 1960s, and for reviving the Chrysler Corporation as its CEO during the 1980s. He attended Lehigh University in Pennsylvania, then went to Princeton to do his masters in mechanical engineering. The quote comes from Iacocca: An Autobiography (written with William Novak).
Malcolm Forbes (1919-1990), entrepreneur and politician most prominently known as the publisher of Forbes magazine, founded by his father B.C. Forbes. He was known as an avid promoter of capitalism and free market economics and for an extravagant lifestyle. He served two terms as a member of the New Jersey Senate. He received his degree from Princeton University. The quote comes from Forbes magazine.
Oscar Wilde, previously discussed. He was educated at Trinity College in Dublin, and at Oxford University. The quote comes from his collection of essays, Intentions.
LORELAI: So, California, huh?
MAX: Stanford, actually. I was teaching a class there.
LORELAI: Well, good. It’s about time that dump got some decent teachers.
Stanford University, in the San Francisco area, previously discussed.
Rory tells her mother that she had no plan to enter the speech contest for the Chilton Bicentennial, but now Paris is being so annoying and competitive that she actually wants to win so she can rub it in her face.
Lorelai asks why she didn’t plan to enter it, even though Rory has successfully given speeches before, as Vice-President (and for the debating team). She is said by Paris herself to be the best public speaker at Chilton! (Ha).
Lorelai makes a very good point that if Rory is serious about being a journalist and a foreign correspondent (hm, okay), then she should be comfortable with speaking in public, and that this is her chance to step up. This argument persuades Rory to take part.
TEACHER: Yes, the speech will not go on your record. However, the bicentennial is going to be quite a prestigious affair. Past alumni and faculty will be there, some of these people are now professors at the same schools you’re planning an attending. Plus, C-SPAN will be broadcasting the event live. All in all, it’s shaping up to be a very exciting event. Think about it.
Here we see the high stakes involved with entering the prestigious speech contest – it will be broadcast on C-SPAN, with many illustrious guests who might very well be professors at the colleges the students have applied to.
TEACHER: All right, before we continue, I would like to remind you that the Chilton Bicentennial celebration takes place next week.
Chilton was founded in 1803. Choate Rosemary Hall, the Connecticut school which inspired Chilton, was founded in 1890.
[A teacher is passing back papers]
TEACHER: Well, I must say I’m glad to see that simply because the SATs are over, most of you are still taking your classwork seriously.
SATs, previously discussed.
The teachers comment doesn’t really make any sense, because the senior class would have taken their SATs a year before, in their junior year. There would be no point in taking a college-admissions exam when college acceptances are just about to come out.
The SATs are held in March, as a confirmation of when this episode takes place.
The Annotated Gilmore Girls 