‘Gilmore Girls’ Unpopular Opinion: Miss Patty Wasn’t Funny, She Was Creepy
Gilmore Girls is one of those shows that has managed to transcend the times. It’s just as relatable today as it was when it first aired in the early aughts. That doesn’t mean times haven’t changed or there aren’t issues with the series. Gilmore Girls has come under fire for its sex-negative tone, homophobic jokes, and body-shaming tendencies. There is one more issue that we don’t talk about enough; just how problematic Miss Patty, as a character, was. Miss Patty is considered funny and quirky. When you watch the show back, though, she was pretty creepy. Her behavior could be regarded as predatory.
Miss Patty was labeled as a liberated flirt during ‘Gilmore Girls’ original run
Stars Hollow was packed with interesting and unique residents. There was a disproportionate number of residents who had odd backstories. Babette, for example, revealed that she was once thrown from a moving car. Kirk Gleason had a dozen siblings but appeared to be his mother’s least favorite. Miss Patty was perhaps the most interesting of them all.
The resident dance instructor spent time in “show business” before leaving New York to start a dance school in the tiny hamlet of Stars Hollow. Miss Patty had a flair for the dramatics and was a champion storyteller, often sharing her exploits with anyone who would listen. Initially tagged as sexually liberated and incredibly flirtatious, she was accepted as just that. The character was largely beloved by Gilmore Girls fans, but were there problems with Miss Patty?
Looking back, Miss Patty’s comments about teen boys were disturbing
While she was originally labeled a flirt, Miss Patty’s behavior went way past flirtatious. It can be firmly described as predatory when you think about her comments, especially those about teenagers. In the show’s earlier seasons, Miss Patty made comments about Dean Forrester and directly to Dean that were wildly inappropriate, considering he was still a teen at the time. In season 3, she said, “Deano, Deano, Deano, you grow any taller, I’m gonna have to get myself some mountain climbing equipment.” She made several more comments about Rory’s first love interest during the show’s first three seasons. Miss Patty also made inappropriate conversation with 15-year-old Rory.
The more problematic issue might be that everyone in Stars Hollow was A-OK with Miss Patty’s behavior, often making jokes about it. Lorelai Gilmore commented on what Miss Patty would do to Jess Mariano if they were in a room together, alluding to Miss Patty’s interest in the then high school junior.
Miss Patty sexually harassed the adult males in Stars Hollow, too
Miss Patty’s playful, oft inappropriate comments extended to the adult men who found themselves in Stars Hollow, too. Her inappropriate behavior started in season 1, when she flirted with Richard Gilmore in front of his wife, tried to curry favor with Kirk Gleason by being seductive, and making suggestive comments to Christopher Hayden. Along the way, she flirted with just about anyone who showed up in the town. Even established townspeople weren’t immune to her comments and odd breathy flirtations.
In 2000, her behavior was largely considered playful, but much of what she said and did could be labeled harassment. While Miss Patty remains a beloved character on Gilmore Girls, we must admit that some of the character traits that made her such an interesting addition to Stars Hollow can certainly be considered problematic.
