Rory Gilmore may have many fantastic qualities in Gilmore Girls it makes her beloved, but some of her behaviors and choices would never work if the show came out today. Although each character in Gilmore Girls is important to the plot in some way, Lorelai and Rory Gilmore's mother-daughter relationship is the heart of the series. Without any of the characters, the show wouldn't work.
Both characters go through ups and downs, growing throughout the series. Unsurprisingly, many fans connected with Rory, the studious teenager with big aspirations. In many ways, Rory starts out as a blank slate for viewers to project into the character. However, she becomes an interesting and well-developed character in the end. That doesn't mean it isn't without flaws. There are many harsh realities about Rory Gilmore, and many aspects of her character wouldn't work if Gilmore Girls were released today.
10
Rory shames Dean about his college decisions
Attitudes around college have changed since the release of Gilmore Girls
One aspect of Rory that fits the time it was released, but doesn't work now, is that she's obsessed with everyone going to college. Millennials were fed the message that if we went to college and worked hard, we would be guaranteed a job. However, the cost of college has grown exponentially, saddling people with outrageous student loan debt. Society has also developed a cruel paradox: People need experience to get entry-level jobs—even with a college degree—but they need a job to get experience.
For these reasons, modern audiences would not respond well to Dean's shaming over his plan to attend college. They would react even more negatively if she harassed him for taking time off from college. Between the two, Dean's approach to education is more practical, and Rory has a ridiculous amount of privilege because her grandparents (and later Christopher) can pay for her college.
9
Rory refuses to accept any criticism
Rory's field of work requires her to be flexible and open to criticism
All over Gilmore GirlsRory gets very little criticism because she is the golden child of Stars Hollow. When she receives criticism, she reacts defensively or attacks the person speaking. Her attitude may be forgivable when she is a teenager, but she also maintains this mentality throughout her college years. This may have gone unnoticed when the program launched, but it would never be accepted today due to the desired career path.
Rory wants to work as a journalist, a career that involves frequent constructive criticism and feedback. Modern audiences typically expect more realism in shows, and Rory's inability to accept criticism is simply not conducive to a job in journalism. More people would likely support Mitchum Huntzberger's controversial statement in Gilmore Girls Season 5, even if he wasn't very tactful in the conversation.
8
Rory messes up her internship but is allowed to stay
Job stability isn't what it used to be
When Rory begins her internship at the Stamford Eagle Gazette, she has a disastrous first day. She walks around the office looking confused, doesn't do what she should, and never asks for help. Ultimately, Logan shows up to save the day with his advice. This may have worked when Gilmore Girls was released, but modern audiences wouldn't accept the plot given their employment situation.
These days, it's as difficult to keep a job as it is to get one. There is a late feeling, driven by capitalism, that everyone is replaceable. The fact that she works in journalism would provide her with even less job security, given the frequent layoffs and downsizing. Due to these factors, there is no doubt that the Stamford Eagle Gazette would have dismissed her from the internship with so many errors on the first day.
7
Rory repeatedly engages in cheating
Rory would receive more criticism for her infidelity
All over Gilmore GirlsRory is portrayed as innocent and caring, although she repeatedly cheats on her boyfriends and gets involved with people in relationships. At Sookie's wedding, Rory kisses Jess while she is in a relationship with Dean. Node Gilmore Girls At the end of season 4, she sleeps with Dean, knowing he is married. In season 6, she cheats on Logan with Jess, and he is angry to find out that she is still with Logan.
Although it wasn't exactly accepted back then, she still maintained her image as the golden child who can do no wrong. These decisions would be scrutinized more nowadays, ruining his innocent personality. This is proven by the backlash A Year in the Life faced for having Rory cheat on her boyfriend Paul with Logan - an extremely unpopular storyline in the revival.
6
Rory gives her mom the silent treatment
Modern audiences recognize this behavior as manipulative
Neither Rory nor Lorelai behave perfectly when Rory decides to drop out of Yale. The whole situation is complicated and no one is completely right or wrong. However, the hardest part of this situation is a behavior that today would be labeled toxic and manipulative – the silent treatment. After Lorelai tells Rory she can't live at home, Rory decides to give Lorelai the silent treatment for months. In all fairness, Lorelai also refuses to talk to Lorelai.
However, this feels more frustrating when it comes to Rory for two big reasons. Firstly, Gilmore Girls treats Lorelai as flawed, while presenting Rory as perfect. The behavior doesn't seem strange to the mother, so it's less upsetting to see from her. Secondly, Rory rubs salt in the wound by running to her grandparents, knowing it would hurt Lorelai. This seems like an especially cruel decision.
5
Principal Charleston doesn't kick Rory out of Chilton
Principal Charleston gave Rory a warning but never followed through
When Chilton admits Rory, Principal Charleston makes it very clear that Rory does not need to be in school and may not succeed. After her first outburst in class, he explains that nothing like this will be tolerated again, which feels like a warning. However, she has at least three other notable outbursts at school. The first happens when she and the Puffs invade the school. She and Paris also fight at Franklin. So they scream at each other in front of the director.
These incidents completely ignore the fact that she scored low on some assignments and dropped out of school. In a normal school that might be fine, but she's in a prep school. If it weren't for the fact that Gilmore Girls wants her to be the perfect teenager, she would have been expelled from school based on Principal Charleston's initial statements. Today's modern work culture adds extra educational pressures, making patience for failure much lower. It seems less likely that Rory would have stayed at Chilton.
4
Rory responds to her Yale professor
Rory Gilmore gets bold when talking to Asher Flemming
When Gilmore Girls came out, society essentially required young adults to obtain a college education. This was seen as the only way to be successful in life, without discussing the lasting impacts. As such, some of Rory's reckless decisions at Yale were less egregious than they would be if the program were launched now. One of the most notable is the fact that Rory talks back to her college professors on two separate occasions, which seems like an immature and privileged thing to do.
The first time, she talks back to her Game Theory professor when he tries to give her advice. The second time, she responds to Asher Flemming, questioning his assessment practices. These days, students know that a college education is a privilege that many people cannot afford, so it seems less likely that a student like Rory would disrespect his professor in this way.
3
Rory stigmatizes therapy
Therapy has become more normalized in the modern day
While Gilmore Girls It looks timeless, some elements have aged poorly. Notably, all of the Gilmores degrade and stigmatize therapy throughout the series, including Rory. After her mandatory therapy meltdown, she calls Lorelai and says, “Guess who’s crazy?” She explains that she needs to go back to the therapist every week for a few months because she had a nervous breakdown. This depiction, along with the others in the series, is incredibly frustrating to watch these days.
Therapy and mental health treatment are considered much less shameful than they used to bewith many individuals being open about their mental state. If the show were released today, they would need to approach the subject in a very different way. Rory would need to speak in a less stigmatizing way. If a character talked about these subjects this way, most modern audiences would hate them.
2
Rory does not recognize wealth and class differences
Rory Gilmore pretends to be ignorant classism
All over Gilmore GirlsRory acts happily, unaware of class divisions and attitudes surrounding wealth. She doesn't know how privileged she is that her grandparents can go in and pay for Chilton and Yale, thinking she's broke. At the same time, she believes that because she is a Gilmore, Logan's parents will accept her. She doesn't seem to realize that there are different levels of class divide and old money versus new money.
His complete lack of awareness seems unrealistic these days. Society has become more vocal about the growing pay gap between the working class and the upper class. If Gilmore Girls were released today and Rory exhibited the same views, she would be completely unlikable to most viewers, which is not the point of the show. As such, she would have to have some sort of understanding about these topics instead of acting naive all the time.
1
The whole town idolizes Rory
Rory being loved by everyone isn't realistic on Gilmore Girls
One of the most flagrant elements Gilmore Girls What's simply unrealistic is the fact that the entire town of Stars Hollow adores and idolizes Rory. She is the golden child, and anyone who criticizes her even mildly is ostracized for her views. The show puts a lot of pressure on her to be perfect and adorable to the extent that everyone in town is protective of her. For many reasons, this part of the story wouldn't work if the show came out today.
Besides the fact that no one is liked by everyone, Viewers have now become more critical of “Mary Sue” characters who have been approved of in the past. They've repeatedly dismissed other characters in this vein as unrealistic, so there's no reason to believe Rory would be any different. A modern version of Gilmore Girls would need to present the main character as being more flawed and nuanced, and that means including characters in Stars Hollow who don't like her and aren't villains.