Alcohol Use on Gilmore Girls - possible spoilers

[reallifegilmore]

i don't really drink myself (i turned 21 about thirtyone years ago)

my family and friends aren't really drinkers - we don't start out any get togethers serving drinks - don't do cocktail hours

i know that people do, but not in my "crowd" - so for us it's not "normal"

i expecially don't like to see the underage drinking - i didn't like the spring break episode - there was a really good episode on "shark" where the underage daughter was arrested for dwi - that is alot more realistic

[marea]

Not to be judgemental to anyone else but to be fair, I think that the alcohol use in the show is no more than the "average" alcohol-consuming household, I have lived in the Europe, US & AUS and consider the alcohol use in the show to be perfectly acceptable. The Friday night dinner cocktails are par for the course in a household such as the Gilmore's and Lorelai very rarely, if at all has driven while seemingly inebbriated. Rory's drinking has also been fairly mild, I'm not sure how anyone would have expected Lorelai to deal with Rory's drinking other than the way that was portrayed. In my opinion and from previous experience if a teenager/early 20 year old has alcohol available to them in a responsible situation rather than forbidden they are less likely to find it such a thrill to drink without their parents consent. Rory wasn't drinking that early on in the game and I don't find it even slightly shocking. I think we have seen Lorelai drunk a handful of times throughout the 7 seasons and Rory the same - It's not exactly hardcore shocking is it? It's life. Alcohol is like any other drug, it can be enjoyed and it can be abused, I don't think that the latter has been the case at all in the Gilmore Girls.

[reallifegilmore]

it's just interesting that until the mock-tail episode, i hadn't really thought about how much a part of the show the friday night predinner drink was

remember when christopher's dad died and lor took a bottle over - she was really hung over the next day

also at lane and zach's wedding - she kind of made a fool of herself

otherwise, there really isn't alot - it's just that it's more than what we do in my world 

[kateness]

Ok, I have to say this has been a great discussion... tons of wordly opinoins.. The fact is, a lot of things involve the individual - us as the individual decide to take a drink and do what we do...

The media does have an influence... cirgarettes... apparently are supposed to make us thin and attractive when just as many of us know very well there's a deadly flip side.

Which interestingly enough... has anyone noticed nobody smokes on this show?? Not even the charactors! Which is awesome in my opinoin.

Anyway, I think the alcohol use is respecfully done on all levels.. How we are in response to it.. We're human. 

So, really, I don't even keep alcohol in my apartment.  I have too much of a guilty conscious to keep it anywhere near me.  If friends bring some, take it with you when you leave if its not finished cus I'm not finishing it. 

And games! Never ever ever eeevveerrr am I participating in a game.  Alcohol poisoning sure isn't fun.

Anyway, I'm rambling, sorry.   

[lessa]

Not at all. The real life experiences with alcohol really put the show into perspective. I don't know if it's realistic, my guess is that it's more realistic to some than others, depending on how alcohol has affected each of our lives, or even if it has.

Of course, Logan clearly drinks excessively as an escape. How it affects his life may not be consistent with everyone's reality, but I do think it reflects the values of the producers and sponsors.

BTW, Miss Patty smokes, or she did. I can't remember exactly when I last saw Liz Torres with her footlong cigarette holder, but I'm pretty sure she was teaching ballet to young girls at the time. Nonjudgmental is right!
And Paris toked pipe tobacco to remind herself of the way Asher Fleming smelled.

[reallifegilmore]

logan sure over did it this week 

[kateness]

Not at all. The real life experiences with alcohol really put the show into perspective. I don't know if it's realistic, my guess is that it's more realistic to some than others, depending on how alcohol has affected each of our lives, or even if it has.

Exactly!

Of course, Logan clearly drinks excessively as an escape. How it affects his life may not be consistent with everyone's reality, but I do think it reflects the values of the producers and sponsors.

Tonight's episode hit a personal chord -- my mom drinks as an escape so it breaks my heart when I see people do it on TV.

BTW, Miss Patty smokes, or she did. I can't remember exactly when I last saw Liz Torres with her footlong cigarette holder, but I'm pretty sure she was teaching ballet to young girls at the time. Nonjudgmental is right!
And Paris toked pipe tobacco to remind herself of the way Asher Fleming smelled.

Right! Right, I forgot about that.. It was when Patty was teaching Ballet.. But as regular smokers, no one does.

[reallifegilmore]

ya know what - i just remembered that emily was smoking in her livingroom with a book and a drink right after trix (richards mom) died - lorelai ended up planning the funeral cuz emily only sat around in her robe, smoking, drinking and reading

[Lily]

I don't drink. However, it's unrealistic to expect that a grown women, when offered, won't have an occasional drink with dinner. The Friday night dinner drinking situation is completely realistic. And Lorelai seems perfectly sober to drive home.

Also, most people start drinking at 18, sometimes younger. It's realistic to show Rory drinking. They're trying to create reality.

[pantmusic]

I never really saw this as a problem either. Lorelai has been drunk and hungover on a few occasions, but she is also an adult and well over the legal drinking age in the united states. I never really saw Rory's drinking as a problem.

1.Rory wasn't THAT young when she started drinking. She was underage, but not young young.
2. I see 18 as an acceptable age to drink if you are responsible about it. My family is european and because of this it is not uncommon for everyone to be served wine at dinner. So to me, at age 18, a few glasses of wine is perfectly fine.
3. It's realistic, honestly it is not uncommon for people to drink before they are 21.
4. I never thought they were drinking that much at friday night dinners. A drink or two before and a glass of wine with dinner? Also, those dinners are pretty much an all night event so it's not like they drink it all fast and then drive home.
5. When they do get drunk I can't remember a time when they have gotten in a car and started driving.

Really, its not a problem for me.

[LogansReplacement]

Alcohol is bad peolpe. haha just kissing.t I dont remember the gilmore firls drinking but my memory right noe isn't the best.

[Seni]

Well, there's a law in Croatia (and I believe in many other countries) that it's a felony if you have any alcohol in your blood while driving (even if you've just eaten a really ripe grape, they don't care) so I personally find it weird that they drink and drive but...

4. I never thought they were drinking that much at friday night dinners. A drink or two before and a glass of wine with dinner? Also, those dinners are pretty much an all night event so it's not like they drink it all fast and then drive home.

that is right. There is probably very little alcohol in their blood after.
And about Rory. Well, seriously...who really waits until they're 21 to drink??

[CathyCoffee]

The drinking has never really bothered me.
I guess I already know the consequences of drunk driving and such, so I'm not easlily influenced.
But if you were young, then this might be an issue.

Then again, I'm only 15. So thats pretty young.

[gg4life07]

i agree that in gg there is a lot of achohol and that is potentially giving the wrong message to younger kids that watch the show, but i also believe that a show can not make someone a drunk. most of the times characters shouldn't b our idols,the actors should. . we must remember that the characters are different from the actors, and the actors are merely acting.

[PrettyTownSpinster]

I'mnot really sure how I feel about the alcohol on GG being a possible promotion to younger children because I don't have children.

But I sometimes drink while I am watching the show and I think it is cool when I see them drinking.

Plus the wine at dinner at Richard and Emily's place is very realistic.  And you will notice that they make a point to poor Rory (well when she was under 21) water or a coke