The screened episodes of Gilmore Girls address both general perceptions of Millennials discussed throughout the class and elaborate on the aspects of feminism the essay by gamber touches upon.

Gilmore Girls discusses the importance but also the difficulty of being close to your family – an issue that Millennials, according to Millennials Rising, care about a great deal. This does not necessarily entail conservative ideas of family as shown by GG: The relationship of Lorelai and Rory is anything but conventional. The lines between friendship and Mother/daughter relationship are blurred; something acknowledged by Lorelai as she has to play “the mother card” when Rory doesn’t want to go to Chilton anymore. The way Rory and Lorelai interact is more reminiscent of a friendship than the typical parent/child relationship. In a sense it presents an idealized model of how mother and daughter could relate to one another.  This ideal is somewhat put in perspective by acknowledging the hardship Lorelai had to overcome raising a child on her own without her family’s support. Generational differences and conflict play an important role in GG. There is a complex generational dialogue going on, as Lorelai’s parents are trying to come to terms with the issues they had with their daughter, while trying to be a part of their granddaughter’s life. Lorelai’s relationship with Rory is decidedly different from the relationship she had with her parents growing up while Rory is facing the issue of negotiating the way her mother raised her with the world her grandparents endorse for her to participate in.

Rory’s struggle to situate herself within the lifestyles promoted by her mother vs the lifestyle of her grandparents is one of the central themes discussed by Gamber and parallels issues of feminism. Rory, represents the third generation of Gilmores and has several options to chose in terms of female role models. While incorporating her grandparents social aspirations with her mother’s empowerment through independence, Rory has to find her own identity. This negotiation of values and feminist ideals is prevalent in today’s society and puts women in the position of making the call: Career woman or family person? Can both work at the same time? In the second episode we watched, we can see Rory trying more or less successfully to make it all work. She tries to establish herself at the Yale newspaper, while also trying to make time for a boyfriend and most importantly be there for her mother, by protecting her from Christopher (her own father). These struggles should be relatable for Millennials who are ambitious in terms of their careers while still putting an emphasis on family and community.

Gilmore Girls reflects upon an array of topics relevant to this new generation of millennials. Family and career are cornerstones for defining one’s identity. The show presents an unconvential take on family and the relationships between three generations but shows how those structures, despite difficulties and conflict, can provide a support system and a network of relationships that allows a new generation to achieve its full potential. By drawing from varied even contradicting role models and through communication with those older generations, rory is able to negotiate and eventually succeed at finding an identity that allows her “to have it all”.