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Season One, Episode Twenty: “P.S. I Lo…”

    Season 1, episode 20: “P.S. I Lo…”
    Original air date: 3 May 2001
    Directed by: Lev L. Spiro
    Written by: Elaine Arata, Joan Binder Weiss

    Summary: Rory’s pain over her breakup from Dean leads her to lash out at those close to her. Lorelai begins to worry that she has passed her intimacy issues on to her daughter.

    On this page: All References in Chronological Order | References Sorted by Category | Frequent References | Indigenous Land Acknowledgment

    All References in Chronological Order

    00:00 – 🎧 reference
    Episode title: “P.S. I Lo…”

    • The title “P.S. I Love You” had been used for several songs prior to this episode, and the episode title could refer to any one of them. The earliest notable version, published in 1934, was written by Gordon Jenkins and features lyrics by Johnny Mercer. (Mercer also provided the lyrics to Jimmy van Heusen’s 1939 song “I Thought About You,” featured in episode five. His work appears again later in this episode.) The song was first recorded by US singer Rudy Vallée and has since been performed by numerous artists.
    • English rock band the Beatles also recorded a song by this name. It was released as a single in 1962 and later appeared on their 1963 debut album Please Please Me.
    • Another song by this title, by US singer-songwriter Curtis Mayfield, was released in 1976 on the album Give, Get, Take and Have.

    01:05 – ⭐ reference
    LORELAI: Pass.
    RORY: Why?
    LORELAI: Because I’m not Anna Nicole Smith. Next.

    • Anna Nicole Smith (born Vickie Lynn Hogan, 1967-2007) was a US model, actor, and television personality who began her career as a Playboy centerfold in 1992; she was named Playmate of the Year in 1993. Her 1994 marriage to 89-year-old billionaire J. Howard Marshall received significant media coverage, with many speculating she had married him for his money, a claim she denied. After Marshall died in 1995, Smith pursued a years-long legal battle over a share of his estate, with two cases reaching the US Supreme Court.

    01:10 – ⚖️ reference
    LORELAI: Pass.
    RORY: Why?
    LORELAI: Because I’m not Mary Kay Letourneau.

    • Mary Kay Letourneau (born Mary Katherine Schmitz, 1962-2020) was a US schoolteacher convicted in 1997 for the sexual abuse of her 12-year-old student Vili Fualaau. Letourneau gave birth to two of Fualaau’s children (the first while awaiting sentencing and the second while incarcerated), and the two married in 2005, following her release from prison. They separated in 2019.

    04:25 – 🎥 reference
    LORELAI: Make a gorilla sound!
    MAX: Why?
    LORELAI: I want to play Wild Kingdom.

    • Wild Kingdom is a US wildlife and nature television program that aired from 1963 to 1988, before being revived in 2002. The show is also known as Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom in reference to its sponsor, insurance company Mutual of Omaha. Its original opening sequence can be seen here.
    • The show and its longtime host, Marlin Perkins, were referenced previously in episode fourteen.

    05:15 – 📖 feature
    Rory sits on a curb reading Ulysses by James Joyce.

    • Ulysses is one of the best-known works by Irish writer James Joyce. Set in Dublin in 1904, its plot and characters parallel those of the Odyssey, the ancient Greek epic poem by Homer; the novel’s title, Ulysses, is the Latinized form of Odysseus, the hero’s name in the Odyssey. The novel is known for its variety of literary styles, including stream of consciousness and experimental prose. It was partially serialized from 1918 to 1920 and published in its entirety in 1922.
    • Another of Joyce’s works, Finnegans Wake (1939), was referenced in the title of episode five, “Cinnamon’s Wake.”

    05:20 – 🏷️ feature + 📖 mention
    LANE: Here’s your gum, your soda, your New Yorker, and your dental floss.

    Lane drops a bag of salt and vinegar flavored Lay’s potato chips in Rory’s lap.

    • The New Yorker is a US magazine founded in 1925. “Although its reviews and events listings often focused on the cultural life of New York City, The New Yorker has gained a reputation [throughout its history] for publishing serious fiction, essays, and journalism for a national and international audience” (Wikipedia). The magazine was mentioned previously in episode sixteen.
    • Lay’s is a US brand of potato chips (British English: crisps) owned by PepsiCo and sold by Frito-Lay, Inc. The chips come in a wide variety of flavors including barbecue, salt and vinegar, and sour cream and onion, though the availability of different flavors varies by region. The brand also uses different names internationally, including Walkers in the United Kingdom and Smith’s in Australia.

    07:30 – 🪶 reference
    LUKE: They underpay employees and overprice merchandise. They contribute to urban sprawl. They encourage materialism. And the parking’s a horror! You drive in, you pay a buck, and even if you’re only there for five–
    LORELAI: Okay! Emma Goldman, I’ll tell you what.

    • Emma Goldman (1869-1940) “was a Lithuanian-born anarchist revolutionary, political activist, and writer. She played a pivotal role in the development of anarchist political philosophy in North America and Europe in the first half of the 20th century” (Wikipedia). A renowned public lecturer, she was arrested and charged with “inciting to riot” after speaking to a crowd of almost 3,000 unemployed workers in New York City in 1893.

    08:30 – 🪶 feature
    A Third Liberty Loan poster hangs on the wall of Kim’s Antiques next to the door where Dean enters.

    • Liberty bonds were a type of war bond sold by the United States government to members of the public in order to finance military participation in World War I; war bonds were, in essence, loans made by citizens to the government, to be repaid with interest. Liberty bonds were issued four times during WWI, with the Third Liberty Loan being enacted on 5 April 1918. The poster hanging in Kim’s Antiques can be seen here.

    09:40 – 🎥 reference
    DEAN: So, that’s your mom.
    LANE: That’s my mom.
    DEAN: Has she seen Patton?

    • Patton (dir. Franklin J. Schaffner, 1970) is a US epic war film depicting the career of US General George S. Patton during World War II. The film’s famous opening scene shows a stern and uncompromising Patton delivering a motivational speech to the Third Army prior to the Allied invasion of France. Patton won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry in 2003. George C. Scott was named Best Actor for his portrayal of Patton, though he refused the award (citing a dislike of acting competitions), becoming the first actor to do so.
    • Mrs. Kim was previously compared to another military man, the fictional Wilbur “Bull” Meechum of The Great Santini (1979), in episode twelve.

    11:35 – 🏷️ feature
    Rory is asleep in bed wearing the same Julius the monkey pajama top Lorelai wears in episodes two and eight.

    • Paul Frank Industries is a US apparel company established in 1995 by Paul Frank (born Paul Frank Sunich, 1967), a US cartoonist and fashion designer. The brand features several cartoon characters on its products, the most famous being Julius the monkey, whose face was a common sight in the 2000s.

    13:05 – 🏷️ reference
    RORY: Whatever.
    LORELAI: Hey. Love the enthusiasm. Hey, does Up with People know about you?

    • Up with People (abbreviated: UWP) is a US youth organization that aims to promote multiculturalism and social equality through musical performance. It was founded in 1965 and incorporated as a non-profit in 1968. UWP achieved peak visibility in the 1970s and ’80s when they performed at a number of high-profile events, including the 1982 World’s Fair, the 1989 presidential inauguration of George H. W. Bush, and five Super Bowl halftime shows.
    • A 1990 episode of The Simpsons, “Bart vs. Thanksgiving,” features an upbeat, squeaky-clean singing group called Hooray for Everything, a parody of Up with People. The creators of the 2011 Broadway musical comedy The Book of Mormon have also cited Up with People as an influence.

    13:50 – 📖/🎥 mention + 🏷️ feature
    LORELAI: Last week, we were talking about Meryl Streep and the whole accent thing, and Rachel said that she loved Out of Africa, but she’d never read the book. Remember?
    LUKE: No.
    LORELAI: Okay. So, I was like, “Are you crazy? Isak Dinesen is amazing, I love her!”

    Lorelai pulls this edition of Out of Africa out of a Barnes & Noble branded bag.

    • Out of Africa is a 1937 memoir by the Danish writer Karen Blixen, sometimes published under the pen name Isak Dinesen. The book recounts Blixen’s seventeen years spent on a coffee plantation in Kenya, then called British East Africa, during the last decades of the British Empire. A film adaptation directed by Sydney Pollack and starring Meryl Streep as Blixen was released in 1985. It won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture. A clip from Streep’s performance appears in this video showcasing her accent work across different films.
    • Barnes & Noble Booksellers (often referred to as simply Barnes & Noble) is a US bookseller founded in 1886. It is the largest chain of booksellers in the US.

    14:55 – 🏷️ feature
    LORELAI: I’m buzzed on the sugar and jazzed about the purchases, and I decide to take a victory lap through Bloomingdale’s.

    • Bloomingdale’s Inc. is a US luxury department store chain founded in 1861. It is known for its brown paper shopping bags, like the ones Lorelai dumps on the counter of Luke’s Diner at 13:15. The bags, labelled “big brown bag,” “medium brown bag,” and “little brown bag” according to size, have been in use since 1973.

    15:45 – 🏷️ reference + 🏷️ feature
    LORELAI: Just try them on.
    LUKE: No way.
    LORELAI: You might like how you look.

    Lorelai is holding up a suit with a Hugo Boss hanger during this exchange.

    • Lorelai’s phrase, “You might like how you look,” may not be a reference at all, but it reminds me of the advertising slogan, “You’re going to like the way you look; I guarantee it,” used by men’s apparel brand Men’s Wearhouse. The brand was founded in 1973 and is currently owned by Tailored Brands, Inc. The slogan can be heard in this television commercial from 1999.
    • Hugo Boss AG (stylized: HUGO BOSS) is a German luxury fashion brand founded in 1924. Its founder, Hugo Ferdinand Boss, was a member of the Nazi Party, and the company produced military uniforms for the Nazi government during World War II. The brand shifted its focus to men’s suits following Boss’s death in 1948, and today, it is one of Germany’s largest clothing brands.

    16:05 – 🎥 reference
    LORELAI: It’s not like the lumberjack look will ever go out, it won’t, but just once wouldn’t it be nice not to be dressed like an extra from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers?

    • Seven Brides for Seven Brothers is a 1954 US musical film directed by Stanley Donen. It follows a group of brothers, living in the 1850s Oregon wilderness, who kidnap a group of women with the intention of marrying them. The film is based on the Stephen Vincent Benét short story, “The Sobbin’ Women,” which is, in turn, a retelling of the ancient Roman legend known as “the rape of the Sabine Women.” The film’s choreography by Michael Kidd is known for transforming routine frontier activities, such as wood chopping, into dance numbers.
    • The film features music by Gene de Paul, whose 1953 song “Teach Me Tonight” was featured in episode three, and lyrics by Johnny Mercer, whose work was featured in episode five and referenced earlier in this episode. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry in 2004.

    16:10 – 🎧 reference
    LORELAI: Just once, be too sexy for your shirt and do a little dance on the catwalk!

    • “I’m Too Sexy” is a 1991 song by English pop band Right Said Fred. The song features humorous lyrics parodying the supposed vanity and affectation of male models and bodybuilders. Lorelai specifically references one of the song’s verses, “I’m too sexy for my shirt,” and its chorus, “I’m a model, you know what I mean / And I do my little turn on the catwalk.”

    16:25 – 📖 mention
    MAX: I strongly urge you, if you have not already read “The Art of Fiction,” read it. It is a remarkable manifesto that contains basic truths that still apply to fiction in any form. All right, so, Henry James, the man of the moment.

    • Henry James (1843-1916) was a US-born British writer “regarded as a key transitional figure between literary realism and literary modernism, and…considered by many to be among the greatest novelists in the English language” (Wikipedia). He is known for his novels and novellas, including The Portrait of a Lady (1881), The Turn of the Screw (1898), and The Wings of the Dove (1902), many of which examine social relationships between Americans and Europeans. (James, himself, relocated to Europe from the US as a young man.)
    • James was also a noted literary critic, analyzing the craft in essays like “The Art of Fiction” (1884). In that essay, he opposes the imposition of formal rules on writers, arguing that unfettered experimentation with content and form is essential to narrative fiction as an art form.

    19:20 – ⭐ reference
    CUSTOMER: Hey, Fabio, I need the ketchup.

    • Fabio Lanzoni (known professionally as Fabio, born 1959) is an Italian model and spokesperson. Known for his long hair and muscular physique, he appeared on the covers of romance novels throughout the 1990s, making him synonymous with the genre. He has also served as spokesperson for the US margarine brand I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter (as seen in these television commercials from 1996 and 1999) and the American Cancer Society.

    19:35 – ⭐ reference
    LUKE: I’m not wearing a black suit with a black shirt.
    LORELAI: Regis does.

    • Regis Philbin (1931-2020) was a US television presenter and host. From 1999 to 2002, he hosted the popular US version of the game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. His wardrobe on the show “popularized the monochromatic look in men’s formal wear that emphasizes color rather than pattern… His look [consisted of] a suit, shirt and tie coordinated in solid, slightly varying shades of the same, usually dark or muted, color” (Wikipedia).
    • Philbin was mentioned previously in episode nine.

    19:40 – 📖 reference
    LUKE: This how you like your guys, all GQ‘d up, huh?

    • GQ is a US fashion and culture magazine marketed toward men. Founded in 1931 as Apparel Arts, it rebranded as Gentleman’s Quarterly in 1957 and shortened its name to GQ in 1967.
    • The magazine has been closely associated with “metrosexuality,” a portmanteau of “metropolitan sexuality” coined by English journalist Mark Simpson in 1994. The term refers, often derisively, to affluent, urban men who are concerned with personal style and partake of stereotypically feminine grooming activities. The term has been criticized for its homophobic undertones and enforcement of gender stereotypes.

    22:00 – 📖 reference
    LORELAI: You’ve been in this mood for a week now, and while I love the unexpected ups and downs of motherhood, I gotta say, I’m tired of Goofus, and I’d like my Gallant back.

    • Goofus and Gallant is a US children’s comic strip created by Garry Cleveland Myers and introduced in the magazine Children’s Activities in 1940, before moving to Highlights for Children in 1946. The comic uses side-by-side panels to contrast Gallant, a well-behaved boy, with Goofus, a badly behaved boy. For example, “Goofus takes the last apple” while “Gallant shares his orange,” and “Goofus bosses his friends” while “Gallant asks, ‘What do you want to do next?'”

    22:40 – 🎧 reference
    LORELAI: He dumped me. I was completely crushed, and I could do nothing but lie around and cry and listen to Air Supply. Very low point in my life.

    24:05 – 🏷️ mention
    LORELAI: I got some Silly String in case things get really ugly.

    • Silly String is a toy consisting of colorful, clingy, plastic string dispensed from an aerosol can. It is often used during celebratory occasions and sometimes as a prank – see it in action in this vintage television commercial. The toy was patented in 1972 and licensed to the US toy company Wham-O Inc. Today, it is sold by Car-Freshner Corporation, which acquired the trademark in 1997.

    30:15 – 📖/🎥 reference
    LORELAI: That house is not safe. It’s like The Amityville Horror without all the good times.

    • The Amityville Horror is a 1979 US supernatural horror film directed by Stuart Rosenberg and based on Jay Anson’s 1977 book of the same name. Both book and film tell the allegedly true story of the Lutz family, who, in 1975, moved into a house in Amityville, New York where a mass murder had occurred the year before. The Lutzes described hostile supernatural experiences – depicted in the film as swarms of flies, blood seeping from walls, and a disembodied voice ordering visitors to “get out” – and fled the house after 28 days.

    32:45 – 🏷️ mention
    EMILY: Well, what do you usually eat?
    RORY: Mostly I just grab a Pop-Tart.

    • Pop-Tarts is a brand of pre-baked toaster pastry “consisting of a sweet filling sealed inside two layers of thin, rectangular pastry crust” (Wikipedia). They are designed to be warmed inside a toaster or microwave oven, but can also be eaten straight from the package. They were first produced by Kellogg’s in 1964.
    • Pop-Tarts were mentioned previously in episodes thirteen and fifteen.

    33:00 – 📖 feature
    Richard reads The New York Times at the breakfast table.

    • The New York Times (abbreviated: NYT) is a US daily newspaper founded in 1851 as the New-York Daily Times. It “covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of the longest-running newspapers in the United States, the Times serves as one of the country’s newspapers of record” (Wikipedia). As of 2023, it has received 137 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any publication.

    33:35 – 🎥 reference
    LUKE: Jeez, what happened to you?
    LORELAI: A happy howdy-do to you too.

    • “Howdy-do” is a corruption of the phrase, “How do you do?” It is an informal greeting with origins in the Southern United States and can often be heard in films of the Western genre. Lorelai may be using the phrase without reference to anything in particular, but she may be thinking of the US children’s television program The Howdy Doody Show (opening theme seen here), which aired from 1947 to 1960. The show starred Howdy Doody, a freckle-faced marionette dressed as a cowboy.

    37:45 – ⭐ reference
    LORELAI: Excuse me! Mr. Cosell, I appreciate the play-by-play, but I just want to talk to my daughter now.

    • Howard Cosell (born Howard Cohen, 1918-1995) was a US sports journalist who rose to prominence as a sportscaster for ABC Sports from 1953 to 1985. Cosell was known for his abrasive personality and analytical sports commentary (a departure from the more genial, uncritical style prevalent at the time), summed up by his catchphrase, “I’m just telling it like it is.”

    38:30 – ⭐ feature
    A Justin Timberlake poster hangs on the wall of Rory’s room at Richard and Emily’s house.

    • Justin Timberlake (born 1981) is a US singer and actor known for his work as a lead singer of the vocal group NSYNC. This poster was part of Emily’s project to decorate Rory’s room in the previous episode, with choices revolving around boy bands like NSYNC and 98 Degrees. In 2002, about a year and a half after this episode aired, Timberlake launched a successful solo career with the album Justified, featuring hit singles like “Cry Me a River” and “Rock Your Body.”

    40:05 – 🎧 reference
    LORELAI: For example, say you’re dating Taylor Hanson.
    …
    RORY: How did I meet Taylor Hanson?
    LORELAI: You went to his concert. You got backstage. Your eyes met across the crowd, and you’ve been seeing each other ever since.
    RORY: Hanson’s still together?
    LORELAI: They’re the new Bee Gees.

    • Taylor Hanson (born Jordon Taylor Hanson, 1983) is a singer and multi-instrumentalist known for his work with the pop rock band, Hanson, which he formed with his brothers Isaac and Zac. The band has been active since 1992 and is best known for the 1997 hit single “MMMBop,” released when the brothers were just 11, 14, and 16. The band enjoyed success similar to that of boy bands during the late ’90s and early 2000s, key differences being that Hanson’s members were the same age as their core demographic, and they played their own instruments.
    • “The Bee Gees were a musical group formed in 1958 by brothers Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb” (Wikipedia). They are known for their three-part tight harmonies and contributions to 1970s disco music, including the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack (1977) and its hit single “Stayin’ Alive.” The Bee Gees name was retired following the deaths of Maurice in 2003 and Robin in 2012, though Barry continues to record and perform as a solo artist. The Bee Gees remain one of “the best-selling music artists of all time, as well as the most successful trio in the history of contemporary music.”

    References Sorted by Category

    Jump to category: Brand Names | Famous Figures | Film, Television & Theater | History | Literature | Music | Sports | True Crime

    🏷️ Brand Names

    • 05:20 – Lay’s (potato chips)
    • 11:35 – Paul Frank Industries (apparel), Julius the monkey (character)
    • 13:05 – Up with People (youth organization)
    • 13:50 – Barnes & Noble (bookseller)
    • 14:55 – Bloomingdale’s (retail)
    • 15:45 – Men’s Wearhouse (apparel)
    • 15:45 – Hugo Boss (apparel)
    • 24:05 – Silly String (toy)
    • 32:45 – Pop-Tarts (toaster pastry)

    ⭐ Famous Figures

    • 01:05 – Anna Nicole Smith (model)
    • 19:20 – Fabio Lanzoni (model)
    • 19:35 – Regis Philbin (television host)
    • 37:45 – Howard Cosell (sports journalist)
    • 38:30 – Justin Timberlake (singer)

    🎥 Film, Television & Theater

    • 04:25 – Wild Kingdom (television show)
    • 09:40 – Patton (1970 film)
    • 13:50 – Out of Africa (1985 film), Meryl Streep (actor)
    • 16:05 – Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954 film)
    • 30:15 – The Amityville Horror (1979 film)
    • 33:35 – The Howdy Doody Show (television show)

    🪶 History

    • 07:30 – Emma Goldman (anarchist)
    • 08:30 – Third Liberty Loan (war bonds)

    📖 Literature

    • 05:15 – Ulysses by James Joyce (book)
    • 05:20 – The New Yorker (magazine)
    • 13:50 – Out of Africa by Karen Blixen (book), Isak Dinesen (pen name)
    • 16:25 – “The Art of Fiction” by Henry James (essay)
    • 19:40 – GQ (magazine)
    • 22:00 – Goofus and Gallant by Garry Cleveland Myers (comic)
    • 30:15 – The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson (book)
    • 33:00 – The New York Times (newspaper)

    🎧 Music

    ⚽ Sports

    • 37:45 – Howard Cosell (sports journalist)

    ⚖️ True Crime

    • 01:10 – Mary Kay Letourneau (sex offender)

    Frequent References

    A few things come up so routinely in the show, I am not going to include an entry for them every time they do. I wrote about the following people, places, and things when they first appeared or were mentioned.

    Indigenous Land Acknowledgment

    In beginning my work on this guide, I’ve come to realize just how many references (however subtle) the show contains to the Revolutionary War and the colonial history of the United States. It is important and necessary to acknowledge the people whose lands were usurped when these events took place, though this is not a simple matter. Please visit my land acknowledgment page to view the results of my research.

    Episode citation: “P.S. I Lo…” Gilmore Girls, created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, season 1, episode 20, Dorothy Parker Drank Here Productions, Hofflund/Polone, Warner Bros. Television, 2001.

    Posted 23 September 2024

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