Why Do I Watch 'Gilmore Girls' So Much?

This might just be the question of all questions, so it only seemed appropriate to not only hold one Starbucks cup, but two. Confession: the second cup belonged to my friend and it contained hot chocolate, but I find it hard to believe that Lorelai and Rory don't enjoy hot chocolate as it contains heaps and heaps of sugar, chocolate, and love. This isn't the first, nor second, nor probably even tenth time that I've written a post about or containing Gilmore Girls. It's become a vital part of my being, personality, and all around personal brand, so it's no shock that this post, or at least a post similar to it, is here.

In case you've been living under a rock or just don't follow me and somehow came across this post, I watch a lot of Gilmore Girls. And by a lot, I mean I've seen the show in full probably about eight times now. There are probably a few episodes I've seen in the double digits not because I seek them out, just because re-runs exist. Then there are some that I pull out of the archives to get the tears flowing when I just need to let it out (Rory's Chilton graduation and the series finale at...well, if you haven't seen it yet, I'm not going to spoil it for you!).

Beyond the fact that I've seen it plenty of times, I also don't shut up about it. Deadass, I reference Gilmore Girls on a daily basis. I'm partially convinced that the reason I talk so fast is not 100% caused by my family, but is partially influenced by the Gilmores as I started watching it for the first time when I was in elementary school when I randomly caught re-runs on TV. It's honestly so ingrained into my entire being that I've had dates bring that shit up and have had to physically extract myself from the conversation to avoid talking about all things Gilmore and debating whether or not Logan was a good boyfriend (I'm Team Jess but I actually don't hate Logan and urge anyone who does to rewatch the series and remember that Dean probably voted for Trump).

It's not a question that I ask myself as often as I should, but I'm sure it's something that pops up into the minds of anyone close to me who finds out that I'm rewatching again (I'll have you know that yes,  I'm currently rewatching it again and am in season 4 but I've taken a break so I can rewatch Friday Night Lights because Tim Riggins and Coach Taylor are certified Hotties™ and I needed some Dillon Panthers in my life one more time): why do I, Francesca Pauline Gariano, watch Gilmore Girls so often?

Truthfully, the answer to that question is probably more complicated than I'd ever think. I probably have deep-rooted issues that I'm masking with a quirky obsession, but to me it's simple: Stars Hollow feels like a fictional home and all of its characters feel like friends, almost.

Years ago when I worked at a boutique in Cleveland, I went over to my boss' loft/HQ and discovered her watching Friends on repeat. Well, she wasn't so much watching as Friends just was on in the background while she was working. She told me that she liked to keep it on because she had seen the series so many times that she didn't need to pay attention, but when she was working alone all day long, it was nice to have people's voices and conversation instead of music because it felt comforting, like she had people around. That's always kind of resonated with me and I think that's a big chunk of why I like to have Gilmore Girls on. 

I'm a homebody by nature and I struggle sometimes to make plans first. I'll typically accept any plans that people throw my way but I have the tendency to just assume people won't want to hang out if I make the plans or it makes me seem desperate. I realize just how dumb that sounds, but deep-rooted insecurities stemming from middle school never quite disappear and assuming people don't actually want to be my friend is a super immature but real fear I have. That's another story for another time, but this usually leaves me at my apartment alone a lot. Which like, I totally don't mind. I'm comfortable being alone, but when it's too silent I start to lose my mind a bit. Music can only fill so much of the silence, so I like to put on Gilmore Girls to fill my space with humor, laughter, and dialogue, even if it's not my own. It's comforting, in a way.

That makes my obsession with Gilmore Girls almost sad, but really, it just brings me a lot of joy. I love the characters, even if Rory isn't nearly as perfect as I thought she was when I was a kid, I love dialogue, I love the wit, and I love that it's my show. People have their own obsessions. Some people love The Bachelor, some people love cartoons, some people like watching sports every single hour of the day they can. I like watching Gilmore Girls when in doubt and it just brings me lots of laughs and happiness. Can't ask for much more than that!

Coat: H&M

Pants: Zara

Shoes: Adidas

Purse: Target

Photos by Becca Glasser-Baker