Gilmore Girls and the Politics of Identity

<p> This work examines the <I>Gilmore Girls</I> from a post-feminist perspective evaluating how the show's main female characters and supporting cast fit into the classic portrayal of feminine identity on popular television. The book begins by placing <I>Gilmore Girls</I> in the context of the history of feminism and feminist television shows such as <I>Mary Tyler Moore</I> and <I>One Day at a Time</I>. The remainder of the essays look at series' portrayal of traditional and non-traditional gender identities and familial relationships.</p><p> Topics include the hyper-real utopia represented by <I>Gilmore Girls</I>' fictional Stars Hollow; the faux-feminist perspective offered by Rory Gilmore's unfulfilling (and often masochistic) romantic relationships; the ways in which mean girl Paris Geller both adheres to and departs from the traditional archetype of female power and aggression; and the role of Lorelai Gilmore's oft-criticized marriage in destroying the show's central theme of single motherhood during its seventh season. The work also studies the role of food and its consumption as a narrative device throughout the show's development evaluating the ways in which food negotiates defines and upholds the characters' gendered and class performances. The work also includes a complete episode guide listing the air date title writer and director of every episode in the series.</p>