But gradually, new and diverse faces started popping up. Six years of an Asian American family consistently on your screen, every Tuesday night, warming themselves into your hearts, saying and doing hysterical things? My poor eleven-year-old mind would have exploded.īack in the day, you had your Full Houses, your Saved by the Bells, your Friends, your My So-Called Lives. As a twenty-something, growing up in the ‘80s, the option of seeing Asians on television wasn't even a luxury, it wasn't expected at all. It's not until you step back and think about the lack of precedents, that you start to realize what a big deal it really is. Isn't that what Asian Americans have been fighting for all these years? To not be typecast? To be represented as normal people? It's the very fact that these characters are so integrated into the storyline - that their Asian-ness is not something that is seen as extraordinary or unusual - which makes Gilmore Girls ground-breaking. That's also what separates them from the pack. The irony of Gilmore Girls' accomplishment, though, is that no one notices. All are great moments and important stepping stones. Margaret Cho in All-American Girl is the first that comes to mind. True, there have been more high-profile landmarks. Who knew that a charming family show about a mother-daughter duo in the small fictional town of Stars Hollow, Connecticut a show that overcame dismal ratings only to become the WB's second highest-rated series a show that, before Arrested Development, obliterated all competition when it came to fast-talking dialogue and densely-packed pop culture references – who knew that this show would also become one of the most notable milestones for Asian Americans in the media in the last few decades. And it's not until we are able to step back and evaluate the bigger picture that we realize – in the end, it's the subtleties that pack the most punch.Įven from the perspective of an avid watcher of the show, Gilmore Girls' influence on society's perceptions of Asian Americans as in-depth, three-dimensional characters was something that had, for the most part, flown under the radar. Often times, it's the things we don't notice and take for granted that have the greatest influence. The black cat with the devil eyes you have to pretend doesn't freak you out because you're convinced it senses fear. The friendship that you suddenly realize is rare and more special than you had ever imagined. Helen Pai, Keiko Agena, and Emily Kuroda helped make it happen. Creator Amy Sherman-Palladino was just trying to find a funny story to tell, and as a byproduct, a door was creaked open. No token characters, no racial identity issues, just people who light up the crazy world we live in. Despite this, Palladino seemed to want the finale she had envisioned from the beginning, so instead of picking up Rory's story at a logical point as an experienced 32-year-old journalist, Palladino dialed Rory's personality back to the end of Season 5, when she was barely 20 and a complete mess.Over these past six seasons of "Gilmore Girls," viewers have gotten a glimpse of what Asian Americans on television can be. Many fans of the series had adopted a more critical lens, recognizing that the Gilmores had always been incredibly privileged however, the service trusted Palladino to put together a nostalgic show with a feminist twist. However, when Netflix brought back the Palladinos for A Year in the Life, several years had passed and the world had changed. This was the right call, and an uplifting finale for fans of the character. The seventh season of Gilmore Girls had David Rosenthal as a showrunner instead, and he and his crew opted for Rory's academic and professional redemption, graduation and open future. Sherman-Palladino seemed to be taking Rory down the first path when her contract, as well as Daniel Palladino's, fell through with The CW network. RELATED: Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life Drops a Summer-Themed Poster
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