Not even Stars Hollow, CT is immune to this new age of technology! During its seven-season run, Gilmore Girls operated successfully without the signficant impact of technology. But since 2007, so much has changed. Millennials don’t remember a time without iPhones, and flip-phones and pagers are very old memories. That said, it would make sense that Lorelai and Rory have conformed to the norm and now own iPhones, but it doesn’t make it any less weird. Technology definitely played a major role in the Gilmore Girls revival, and its obvious impact cannot be ignored. It’s official: The digital world has crossed paths and popped the protected bubble of Stars Hollow.
While we admire Luke’s determination to give out false WiFi passwords and ban man-buns from his diner, there’s something truly unsettling about seeing the cozy hangout spot cluttered with laptops and conference calls. The special charm that has always circulated Stars Hollow can be greatly attributed to its old-fashioned communication methods. People go out of their way to talk in person; they aren’t afraid of communication, and they haven’t been brainwashed to be glued to touch-screen devices 24/7. But 10 years later, everything has changed… and it’s weird. It just doesn’t settle in right.
Even showrunner Amy Sherman-Palladino is aware of this minor inconvenience. In a Huffington Post interview, ASP said that Gilmore Girls “could not exist today.” Could the very creator of Stars Hollow be referring to the intrusion of cellular devices and computers? Technology has taken over the town, and we aren’t quite sure how to feel about it. Can we blast to the past and ban technology from ever entering our sacred town of Stars Hollow?
Truth be told, it’s just weird seeing Lorelai text Rory asking why she’s late for Friday night dinner, rather than making funny and awkward small talk with her mother trying to stall, small talk that we love and cherish so very much. Not to mention, Luke’s customers should not have to be warned that they are prohibited from photographing their food, because such an option shouldn’t even be availble to them.
If (when?) season two of A Year In The Life comes along, can we all agree to petition technology and/or take it away from Stars Hollow once and for all? We want to watch a tech-free Stars Hollow so we can all tweet about it — sorry, but not sorry.