‘Gilmore Girls’: 3 Things About the Residents of Stars Hollow That Would Be Problematic Today

Stars Hollow was the quaint and quiet town that served as the backdrop for Gilmore Girls. Fans of the series largely agree that the town was part of the show’s overall appeal. In the early 2000s, nothing seemed strange about it. When you look back at the series through a 2021 lens, there are some pretty alarming elements to life in the tiny hamlet. In fact, there are at least three things about Stars Hollow that would be considered incredibly problematic today. 

Miss Patty smoked around small children frequently 

Overall, Miss Patty was a fun Gilmore Girls character. She was charming, hilarious, and always available to share the latest gossip. Still, the mysterious broadway starlet who settled in Stars Hollow and opened a dance studio wasn’t all that innocent. Miss Patty did a few things that would send most parents running with their children in the other direction today. 

Never mind the fact that she openly hit on young adults at an alarming rate. That’s a problem for a different day. Her most troubling behavior was her penchant for smoking cigarettes while teaching dance classes. Miss Patty smoked at the door of her studio when she had a class full of pre-k aged children frequently. Such behavior certainly wouldn’t fly today. 

The adults of ‘Gilmore Girls’ were far too involved in teenage drama 

Gilmore Girls really blurred the lines between teenagers and adults. Not only did some of the adults act like oversized children, but they also liked to involve themselves in the drama of teens. Lorelai Gilmore and Luke Danes were the worst offenders. 

Luke and Lorelai both got overly invested in Rory Gilmore’s romantic endeavors. When she was just 16, Rory experienced her very first heartbreak. In response, both Luke and Lorelai attacked her ex-boyfriend, who, by the way, was also 16 years old. For example, Luke got into a shoving match with Dean Forrester to keep him out of the diner. Lorelai, who initially admonished Luke for his behavior, later verbally attacked Dean at his after-school job. Dean seemed to have absentee parents, but more involved parents probably would have been pretty angry. 

Taylor Doose used his power to better his own life 

Taylor Doose was the difficult town selectman who believed in following the rules to the letter. At the very least, that’s how it was presented back in the early 2000s. If you look at Gilmore Girls again today, you may notice that Taylor’s decisions were often incredibly self-serving or just downright mean. The fact that he was the town’s selectman and a member of several committees in Stars Hollow is a conflict of interest in and of itself. 

Let’s take a look at how Taylor wielded his power for personal gain in Gilmore Girls. Taylor attempted to alter the parking rules to accommodate his store. He also used his leverage with the town to make it impossible for Lorelai and Sookie St. James to open the Dragonfly Inn. He caused trouble to force Lorelai to talk to Luke for him. Taylor even attempted to destroy Jackson Belleville’s greenhouse, which would have been considered his direct competition. Taylor was power-hungry and self-serving/ He only wanted to follow the rules when they served him.