Gilmore Girls: Stop Being Smart!!!

[miloismine]

And about April, my mom is convinced that it is all a ploy to eventually get rid of Rory and replace her with April

are you serious?? Thats terrible. Rory is so much more likeable then April. And i can't see April being Lorelai's other best friend.

[CeliaGilmore]

And about April, my mom is convinced that it is all a ploy to eventually get rid of Rory and replace her with April

are you serious?? Thats terrible. Rory is so much more likeable then April. And i can't see April being Lorelai's other best friend.

I know!  Even though Rory and April are both smart, Rory is shy and quiet, April seems talkative.  And Rory has a charm that April is lacking.  I really hope it doesn't happen because it would ruin the show.

[gilmore_guy]

The characters being smart is just one of the quirks that makes it so interesting, and not every character is extremely intelligent. Just like Rory, Jess, Paris and a few others who are on that same high level, but its not a bad thing. the creators were trying to challenge the viewers and the did and do.

[hello_dolly]

I don't think there is any room for April to replace Rory because the show is likely not going to go past the 7th season anyway. April is a nuissance, and I hate that she's a "whiz kid" like Rory. But I love that the characters are smart, not all on a genuis level, but there have only been 2 or 3 "Froggys"! Remeber that kid??  That was a riot..

[miloismine]

but there have only been 2 or 3 "Froggys"! Remeber that kid??  That was a riot..

Yes! I do remember him, that was funny.


I'm more talking about the younger generation of smarties.  we have Rory, Jess, and Pairis who are all excellent characters that I love, but then they just had to put it over the edge by adding April who doesnt bring much to the table. They should have just quit while they were ahead.

[Lovefiend]

I do think it's too many 'genius kids'.
Without April, it's understandable, because you have to be rich and/smart to get, and stay at Chilton and Yale. But Jess was pushing it, and April is way over the top.
I'm not threatened by the intelligence, and I myself was somewhat of a whizz kid at school, but I think the sheer amount if kids in one show that are genius level, is a bit over the top.

[wmushell]

Okay, I've definitely changed my mind about this thread because, since Dani's post, the discussion has become interesting.  All of sudden, there are valid points to debate.  As far as the show having too many "genius" kids, you have to first look at what intelligence actually is. 

Howard Gardner (a famous scholar) has a theory of multiple intelligences that is widely accepted and lauded in the educational community.  The basic principle behind it is that there are 8 aspects of intelligence people can posess (there could possibly be more than 8, because he is often expanding his research and adding to it).  In laymen's terms, they are as follows:

Logical / Mathematical:  self-explanatory (your John Nash's of the world)
Verbal:  writers, poets
Bodily/Kinesthetic:  athletes
Interpersonal:  those who deal well with other people (natural born leaders, counselors)
Intrapersonal:  those who are very much in tune with themselves and their goals/needs
Spatial Relationships:  engineers, designers, visual artists
Musical:  self-explanatory
Naturalists:  biologists, botanists, vets

The theory is that most people have stronger tendencies in specific areas than others.  Gardner is quick to point out that all of these areas are valid forms of intelligence.  Therefore, each individual is intelligent in their own way.  Now, people often do not live up to whatever their strength is, but that is a different conversation altogether. 

So -- Paris most likely has strong verbal and mathematical tendencies, but is sorely lacking in interpersonal and intrapersonal issues.

Lane, Zack, Brian, and Gil have high musical intelligences.

Lorelai and Rory have high verbal skills, but are definitely not naturalists or strong in the bodily-kinesthetic genre.  Also, it has been mentioned several times that Rory isn't musically inclined (though she likes to listen to it).

Jess definitely has verbal going for him (as a writer), but has some serious interpersonal and intrapersonal deficiencies.

Luke is a naturalist.

I could go on and on.  My point is, GG doesn't just spit out "smart" characters for the heck of it because they thought, "Hey, let's create another genius!".  Instead, they create well-rounded characters that have different facets of intelligence.  April, at first, was a flat character that only showed one aspect of intelligence.  However, through the math trip she took and the party at Luke's she has now been shown to be a "round" character that has crushes on boys, likes makeup, and has friends as well as being academically talented.  This is why I don't think there are too many "smart" characters on GG.  This is what I meant to write yesterday, but was too tired to articulate.

[Lovefiend]

Ok then, I beieve that realistically (although, this show isn't really shooting for realism that often, so mmaybe it's all a moot point), there are way too many people with way above average level of verbal and logical intelligence.
Realistically, I for one, and probably most don't know at least 3 people who are that far above average in those areas.

[wmushell]

I have actually met quite a few more than that, but I met most of them in college so that is probably a skewed sample (admittedly).  I'm guessing that these intelligences are ASP's strengths, so she writes to them. 

Even though there's a lot of talk of Chilton and Yale, I also wanted to reinforce that the show gives a lot of examples of people who are not necessarily formally educated, but are still extremely successful.  Lorelai, first and foremost.  Luke owns a successful business (enough that he could've purchased the Twickham house).  Jess has now written a book.  Plus, with all the quirky characters (Kirk, Babette, Miss Patty, Taylor) I feel there is a nice balance.

[Lovefiend]

Yea, but didn't like, Paris Hilton write a book? Lol
Hahah, yes, it's different if you go to College or a really good school, for example a gifted school I went to, was full of kid geniuses, that was the point, lol.

I think at the end of the day, it's a fictional town and characters, who are manipulated to get points across etc, they're not meant to reflect everybody else's life.

For example who would stay that thin and pimple free eating that much crap??

 I guess it's the same thing, artistic licence.

[wmushell]

For example who would stay that thin and pimple free eating that much crap??
 I guess it's the same thing, artistic licence.

LOL!   This cracked me up!  So true, so true.  What on earth would Lauren and Alexis really look like if they ate like Lorelai and Rory? 

[Lovefiend]

The words Roseanne, and 'that chick from the show who was so large she couldn't walk' spring to mind. LOL
I love on the BTS thing on the dvd Lauren's like ' people always wanna know if we eat like that in real life. WE DONT!!!'

[1orelai]

wow this thread is really popular.  I just wanted to commend you, once again, for your bravery

[flex151]

I really appreciated the information on the 8 aspects of intelligence wmushell, and especially how they correspond to the characters on the show. Thanks for posting that . But I still think April was a pointless addition!  

Even though there's a lot of talk of Chilton and Yale, I also wanted to reinforce that the show gives a lot of examples of people who are not necessarily formally educated, but are still extremely successful. Lorelai, first and foremost. Luke owns a successful business (enough that he could've purchased the Twickham house). Jess has now written a book. Plus, with all the quirky characters (Kirk, Babette, Miss Patty, Taylor) I feel there is a nice balance.

I agree, the show glorifies education and its importance, but it also demonstrates that college is not the be all and end all toward achieving success, and it's not for everyone (ie. Lane).

But I love that the characters are smart, not all on a genuis level, but there have only been 2 or 3 "Froggys"! Remeber that kid?? That was a riot..

I loved Froggy!! That was hysterical  . I am doing a post of the funny Froggy moments in the Ted Koppel's Big Night Out thread, but for now I leave you with this:




RORY: Oh, my God.
LORELAI: What?
RORY: He hired Brennon Lewis.
LORELAI: You know him?
RORY: I went to junior high with him.
LORELAI: And?
RORY: Ew!
LORELAI: He doesn't look that bad.
RORY: He's the boy who dissected a frog, did not wash his hands, and then ate a sandwich.
LORELAI: Ew!
RORY: He's like the lost Farrelly brother. He's so stupid. He watched "The Breakfast Club" and decided to tape his own butt cheeks together.

The words Roseanne, and 'that chick from the show who was so large she couldn't walk' spring to mind. LOL

Aww Shecky, you kill me... 

[wmushell]

 :DLOL!  Thanks for the froggy flashback, flex!  (oooh, an alliteration!)  Pretty stick to you for making me laugh.

But I still think April was a pointless addition! 

Yes, I think this is the underlying motive of this thread.  As a java junkie, I get it!  She has caused peril for my favorite couple.  However, she did grow on me a little in Super Cool Party People. 
I kind of wish this thread had been named April:  Stop Being on GG!!! instead of Gilmore Girls:  Stop Being Smart!!!  But that's just me.