Unique Style

Gilmore Girls is a great example of how to study a modern term, third wave feminism, through a modern text. While watching the show I didn’t make the connections to past, present, and future forms of feminism. I appreciated how Gamber explored Rory’s life in phases of “trying on” different forms of feminism until she was comfortable to settle in her own self-created version of feminism. Gamber’s dissection of Rory’s self-created feminist style reminded me of scholar’s dissecting the millennial. We have not come to completely define the millennial generation. Gamber tries to define the third wave feminist through Gilmore Girls and we can see in Kyle XY and Veronica Mars the millennial can be dissected to see the representation of the millennial created their own identity.

Every generation is formed through childhood experiences that result from interactions with past generations. Like Rory, millennials try on different languages and clothing that the past has provided. For example, in Kyle XY he first speaks when he feels the same emotions as another kid. He then exactly recites those same words in hopes to achieve the same result. As times goes on Kyle will learn how to take on his on speech based on his experiences with his surroundings and new family. We can see, in Veronica Mars, that Veronica appears to be like her dad. Both are ostracized from the elite community, she works for her dad, and takes on his persona at school as a detective that cracks Internet scams. However, she realizes and feels the need to be her own person. She needs to break away from her dad (older generation) in attempts to be her own person and not have to share the same burdens and status that her father has. This occurs in one of the first few episodes on Season 1 when veronica wants to go hang out with her new friend instead of have dinner with her dad. It’s not that she doesn’t value her relationship with her dad or his values anymore. She wants to form her own identity separate from his. This begins with her not spending as much time with him and more with her generation or friends.

Gilmore Girls is a great example of a television show that explains how a character (teenager) evolves into their own person with a strong sense of feminist values through the process of wearing different feminist hats until she made her own. Rory’s actions in Gilmore Girls resemble that of the millennials growing up process. Rory being born in the millennial time frame also possess as a depiction of the millennial. Through the process of trial and error a generation imitates its predecessors until they come to understand what works and doesn’t for them. It is natural for the feminist or millennial to look at what the previous generation did, take what they like from each generation they had the chance to interact with until they can form their own unique style.