Tag: Television

Family Feud

RORY: I told her yes, you were going.
JESS: Well, as they say on the Family Feud, good answer.

Family Feud, game show where families compete to name the most popular answers to survey questions in order to win cash and prizes. First broadcast in 1976, it has three separate runs on different channels. At this time, it was on CBS, hosted by Richard Karn.

The Adventures of Gumby and Pokey, Pee-Wee Herman

PARIS: I was flipping through Harvard class schedules when you were still delighting to the adventures of Gumby and Pokey.
RORY: I was more of a Pee-Wee Herman kind of gal.

Paris refers to Gumby Adventures, a clay animation children’s show centred on a green clay humanoid figure named Gumby, with a sidekick named Pokey. Gumby was created by Art Clokey in the 1950s, and after becoming a hit on Howdy Doody, had his own show which ran from 1957 to 1969. It was revived in 1988 and lasted until 2002, when Rory and Paris were aged four to nine, as Gumby Adventures.

Pee-Wee Herman, previously discussed as Rory’s favourite childhood show.

Ricardo Montalbán

MISS PATTY: I was Ricardo Montalban’s receptionist for six months and he never complained.
MICHEL: Who?

Ricardo Montalbán, born Ricardo Montalbán y Merino (1920-2009), Mexican-American film and television actor. Montalbán’s career spanned seven decades, during which he became known for performances in a variety of genres, from crime and drama to musicals and comedy. He starred in Fantasy Island, previously mentioned.

Here we get another insight into Miss Patty’s past life, this time as receptionist to an actor. This may have been in the 1970s or ’80s?

Michel is ignorant of Ricardo Montalbán, even though he was a surprisingly extensive knowledge of American television.

Shari Lewis

LORELAI: Hey Shari Lewis, how’s the show going?

Shari Lewis, born Phyllis Hurwitz (1933-1998), award-winning ventriloquist, puppeteer, children’s entertainer, television show host, dancer, singer, actress, author, and symphonic conductor. She was best known as the puppeteer of the sock puppet Lamb Chop. Although she had been on TV since 1956, Rory might remember her from Lamb Chop’s Play-Along, which was broadcast on PBS from 1992 to 1998 (when Rory was aged 7 to 13).

Charlie Rose and Billy Joel

LORELAI: No, you go on ahead, I’ll catch up.
RORY: Okay. Try and make it home in time for Charlie Rose. Billy Joel’s on, and he might cry or something.

Charlie Rose, previously discussed. Billy Joel, previously discussed.

In real life, Billy Joel did not appear on Charlie Rose in 2003. He has been a guest on the show several times, and the one previous to the episode was in October 2001.

Lorelai suggests that Billy Joel “might cry or something” because he suffers from severe depression, and attempted suicide in 1970. In 2002, the year before this episode of Gilmore Girls, he entered a rehab centre and psychiatric hospital in New Canaan, Connecticut for treatment. This show is very insensitive about mental health issues.

Charlie Rose was on Wednesday nights at this time, letting us know the day of the week.

“Picture the audience in their underwear”

RICHARD: You are going to be wonderful, trust me. Now, did anyone ever to tell you to picture the audience in their underwear? … Well, don’t do it. I did it once and I had nightmares for a week. Bulgarians in Speedos.

An old piece of advice for coping with being nervous before speaking in public is to imagine the audience naked or in their underwear – a stock phrase often used in film and TV, such as on The Brady Bunch, when Jan is given this advice, which somehow assists in calming her nerves.

The idea is that the image of everyone being in their underwear will make the audience seem less intimidating, and you feel more confident. As Richard says, it’s quite useless, and a discredited piece of advice that may very well make you feel more uncomfortable.