Footnotes to the TV series
LORELAI: Charo?
EMILY: No.
Charo, previously discussed.
The Spanish-American music star moved to Hawaii in the 1980s, where she produced and starred in the variety show Tropical Heat at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Resort in Waikiki. For ten years, it was the most successful show in Hawaii. She moved back to Beverley Hills in the 1990s.
RORY: My point is in ninety tries, there wasn’t one other picture that was good for the group and didn’t have me looking like I’m in Cirque du Soleil?
Cirque du Soleil, previously discussed. The circus show was covered in a 2002 reality TV series called Cirque du Soleil: Fire Within, and the production Alegría was broadcast on TV in 2002. The chances are very high that Rory and Lorelai watched them, considering their fascination with circuses.
It is clear from this exchange that Paris is still angry at Rory, and they are still in a fight. Rory refused to talk about Jamie with Madeline and Louise, in order not to further aggravate Paris, so she seems to be trying to improve the situation.
LORELAI: Jackson brought pea tendrils instead of Brussels sprouts.
MICHEL: Well, aren’t we Evel Knievel?
Robert “Evel” Knievel (1938-2007), stunt performer and entertainer, who was especially popular in the 1970s. Over the course of his career, he attempted more than 75 ramp-to-ramp motorcycle jumps. Knievel was inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1999.
As a point of interest, a biographical TV series called Evel starring Milo Ventigmiglia as Evel Knievel is currently searching for a TV network.
FRANCIE: Hey, no one is denying Gidget a chance to snag Moondoggie for the clambake, but the rest of us have things to accomplish.
A reference to the film Gidget, previously discussed. In the film, Moondoggie (played by James Darren) was Gidget’s love interest and eventual boyfriend. They didn’t really attend a clambake, but a luau. Presumably Francie thinks a clambake is the closest thing to a luau in New England.
RICHARD: Let’s get this show on the road.
Let’s get this show on the road, an American idiom meaning “let’s get started, let’s get going”. It’s from show business, especially travelling theatre companies, vaudeville troupes, and circuses. It dates to around 1910, but the first citation of it is in the 1951 novel From Here to Eternity, by James Jones.
TAYLOR: Have you ever levitated a rottweiler? … Not easy. But in a cape with a wand and a shiny black top hat . . .
Rottweiler, a large powerful breed of dog which is one of the oldest surviving dog breeds in the world, going back to ancient Roman times. The name comes from the German city of Rottweil, where the original breed interbred with native dogs to produce the modern breed we know today.
Rottweilers are highly territorial and protective, meaning that they can sometimes be aggressive towards strangers if they are not properly trained and socialised.
As Rory predicted, Taylor begins talking about his dream of becoming a stage magician in the final hour of the marathon.
EMILY: She was sitting at the table giving all the peas voices.
LORELAI: With a little encouragement, I could’ve been the Senor Wences of the vegetable set.
Wenceslao Centeno, known professionally as Señor Wences (1896-1999), Spanish ventriloquist and comedian. His popularity grew with his frequent television appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show during the 1950s and 1960s. Later, he became popular with another generation of fans on The Muppet Show.
MICHEL: Your mother called. The auction people dropped the lamp that we bought at her place and dropped hers off here and she’s desperate to have it for some soiree at her house this evening.
A soirée is a sophisticated evening party, often with some kind of cultural or musical focal point, such as a classical music performer, or an intellectual discussion. It dates back to the 18th century in France and England, when wealthy, well-married ladies would invite accomplished guests to their home for refreshments in the evening. The word is simply the French word for “evening”.
LORELAI: And look, if it’s a total bust, we’ll grab a pole and Trixie and Bambi’ll take it on the road. That’s something to put on your application, huh?
Lorelai refers to erotic pole dancing, first introduced in the US in the 1920s as part of circus sideshow acts, later part of burlesque dance performances.
LORELAI: My mother will be there, too. She’s terrific . . . All right, I’ll see you this weekend . . . Mm, bye. [hangs up]
RORY: You’re no Danny Gans.
Daniel “Danny” Gans (1956-2009), singer, comedian, and vocal impressionist. He was a performer in Las Vegas since 1996, billed as “The Man of Many Voices”, and was named Las Vegas Entertainer of the Year for ten years in a row until 2008.
The Annotated Gilmore Girls 