I understand Lorelai thinking that her teenager doesn’t need a pen that costs hundreds of dollars but if there’s one kid who would be responsible enough not to lose it, it’s Rory!

I'd definitely trust Rory not to lose it much more than I'd trust Lorelai lol.

Especially considering just how often Lorelai’s asking to borrow other people’s pens…

Lol and almost always Luke. “Where’s the pen you take orders with??”

“I wasn’t anticipating taking orders at the Poe reading!”

[удалено]

You gotta stop assuming I bring pens everywhere -luke Never be without a pen -richard

Lmao

Yeah like 90% of the show is Lorelei convinced that Rory wants exactly that she would’ve wanted, even if it isn’t the case. Rory probably would’ve loved a nice pen!

And her $250,000 trust fund !

omgggg losing out on her great grandmothers’ trustfund was honestly the worst. imagine if that happened irl i’d be fucking livid😭

She didn’t lose out on it, she just couldn’t access it before she turned 25

Lorelai was all for Rory having the trust fund, it's Emily that had a problem with it

>Lorelei convinced that Rory wants exactly that she would’ve wanted And then she's all 😧 when Rory's like "well, actually..." You think she'd learn that Rory isn't her mini me anymore.

Rory liked her bracelet though and was seen wearing it.

Yes. Emily can buy the bracelet for lor and pen for Rory 😄

Yeah that’s one of the reasons I had so many issues with lor. She acts just like her parents in so many ways that it just bugged me that she has the superiority complex regarding them.

Whereas she actually did lose a bracelet!

And there's a point in the series when Rory explains the process of having 3 pens/highlighters for the purpose of loss of one, and the third being in case someone else needs to borrow it... loads of responsible people lose pens and having cheap jewelry pop off or left on the bathroom sink.

Especially those bracelets. They seemed to break 48 hours after purchase.

Oops just made this reference not seeing already did! Have an upvote though for remembering the same logic Rory spouts haha

She would have kept it forever.

lol i got my first fountain pen when i was like 9. i would’ve literally preferred a nice pen over cheap bracelets any day

Rory would have loved that pen. Just goes to show that Lorelai thought of Rory as an extension of herself rather than her own person.

Exactly Rory has a lot of defects but she would absolutely love and take good care of a quality writing pen.

also a good quality pen i feel like rory would LOVE lol

Yeah if she’s gonna spend money anyway, make it something better than bracelets she’ll never wear!

Or just get both? Emily could obviously afford it and it makes sense to give a practical present and a fun present. My nephew is turning three and I'm getting him a puzzle and some mittens. Same concept 💁🏽‍♀️

Speaking as someone who has complex PTSD from childhood trauma due to an abusive and neglectful family, I completely understand why Lorelai is acting this way. Lorelai’s relationship with her parents is extremely complicated - even just going shopping for a tacky gift is a huge step on its own towards reconciling. She knows from experience her parents use wealth for control, and she doesn’t want to risk an expensive gift (however thoughtful) exposing Rory to that same experience. Abusers often use acts of “kindness” as manipulative tools, and we have already seen how extremely difficult it was to ask her parents for money for Rory’s school (much more necessary than a fancy pen) because Lorelai was afraid of the control that would be attached. Sorry to be a downer, but I understand why Lorelai did this and would probably do the same for my kid 🤷🏽‍♀️

Exactly this! She spent her entire life watching her parents buy her all the things she could possibly need or want and yet still completely neglecting her emotionally. She knows what Emily's game is because she lived it and she doesn't want her to do the same thing to Rory and I don't think she's wrong.

So true

I actually really appreciate this perspective! I didn’t think about it this way at all.

And Rory is 100% the type of person to get a gosh darn Montblanc pen for!! A JOURNALIST CMON PEN AND PAPER IS THEIR WHOOOOOOOOLE SHTICK!

I know, right? The pearls Emily wanted to buy initially, I understand how that was an excessive choice (although still better than the bracelets imho) but a Montblanc pen? Literally the perfect gift for Rory. Not only did she love writing/studying, a pen like that would last a lifetime.

My grandma gave my sister and I tiny diamond drop necklaces for our 16th birthdays and I probably treasure it more than my wedding ring since she's passed. I wore it for my wedding!

That's so lovely, I'd definitely be thrilled if my grandma gave me something like that. The timeless nature of the gift itself combined with the emotional attachment/nostalgia makes such things precious!

When she gave em she specifically said they were not for storage! Wear em when you can because every day is special 😊 one of my favorite memories

My grandma gave me a family gold bracelet when I was a young teen 😫 I truly wish she hadn't. I did not value it at all. I treated it terribly. Wore it everywhere. Showered with it. Destroyed it. Absolutely destroyed it. She asked for it back so she can decide if she wants to melt it down or not. God I have so much regret. Like so much guilt. The hurt in my grandma's eyes when she asked for it back will be with me forever. She's given me jewelery as an adult and actually last month she finally trusted me with something treasured again and I swear I'll treat it like Crown Jewels

Yup! Knowing how much Rory loved her grandparents she probably would have worn them to Friday night dinners and cherished them because she knew how excited Emily was to give them to her. Lorelai was shopping for herself.

Long-term, Rory would've appreciated those pearls even if she didn't at 16 years old.

Absolutely. She might not have worn them as a 16-year-old, but she'd definitely appreciate them as a family heirloom that she could wear when she was older and even pass on to her own daughter.

And it would certainly have been better than that hideous guitar purse Lorelei suggested. I can not imagine a world where Rory would want that hideous item. Couldn’t she have suggested a book Rory might like or something?

I don’t think Lorelai would have known which books she wanted/already had. It is cute as the show goes on Richard is able to buy/gift Rory books and know her taste/what she might need.

A limited, signed or first edition copy of a book she loved would have been ideal for her gift.

I always wondered why Lorelai didn’t suggest the dictionaries that Rory was later so excited for her dad to buy for her, there were surely far better gift suggestions she could have made over the pink guitar case and cheap bracelets which always felt more like gag gifts to me.

My great aunt would give me jewelry when I was still in grade school, and I definitely appreciated it lol

Happy cake day! And I fully agree!

Um yes. As a stationery addict, I wince when I see that scene.

I’m on that episode right now and I’m pissed Rory also missed out on a pashmina. Stationery and cashmere goods? Adopt me, Emily!

I think Rory would’ve appreciated it as well. She loved studying and taking notes

same

I'd want more pens and notebooks to be honest. Even as an adult, there's a way to take notes or make a pro con list in every room.

I'll never be mad about someone buying me nice pens. I'm not even talking super expensive. $5 4-pack of Sharpie pens? Amazing.

Same! And some glitter for the notes just for me? Yes please

I had a MILLION of the jelly pens back in the '00s. I was color-coding *everything* only to immediately forget what the colors meant, lol. I just wanted to use my pens!

I used to leave a guide hidden for what the colors meant. Early 2000's things were a simpler time 🤣

A guide! WHY DID I NEVER THINK OF THAT!?! 🤣😂🤣 Oh man, I might need to go buy some colored pens...

Back to school sales start basically as soon as school wraps. That usually when this elder millennial stocks up

I use those for work and they are GOLD!

They're literally my favorite pen, lol. They just write so nicely!

Tbh I always thought that bracelet is horrible, and Emily’s right it does look like you bought it at a gas station or a car wash or whatever it was she said 😂

Yes, I can't imagine unironically buying these bracelets for a 16-year-old.

“Oh! They light up!” Ugh-Rory’s not 6!

They were extremely popular at the time. Every 16 year old girl had them.

Not this one.

I know! An extreme comparison would be Rory’s dream book being the OED and Lorelai getting her I Love Lucy themed Mad Libs instead.

I hate this scene. Like, WTF, Lorelai, do you even know your own kid?

This whole scene always makes me cringe on rewatch. There's this weird dichotomy in the first season where ASP couldn't decide if she wanted Rory to be treated like a fellow adult or a young child, but never actually 16. A guitar purse? A chunky plastic bracelet? For an 8 year old, ok, but your "sophisticated" private high school sophomore that loves to read and debate poser punk rock bands with her best friend doesn't scream *Claire's.* shopping spree. It's the same energy when Emily asks Rory about the "Backside Boys" in the infamous room debacle later in the season, only this time Lorelai judges Emily for her taste.

Especially since she goes on to buy her a friggin laptop

Those bracelets, were extremely popular at the time, every 16 year old had them. Source: I was a 16 year old girl when this show came out.

Yes agreed, but a birthday present from a grandmother? More like something I'd expect my friend to get me or I'd buy with my babysitting money because it was cute.

The pen would have been a better present 100%, but these were very popular among 16 year olds at the time.

Yes, exactly! I can tell most of these people weren't teenagers then because they clearly have no clue how popular those bracelets were. Everyone had them!

Rory didn't do/wear what was popular, though.

When she picks out that awful guitar-shaped purse 💀💀💀 that would’ve been the worst gift for Rory

Yeah Lorelai’s the one who likes tacky shit like that, not Rory. I feel like sometimes, esp in the early days, Lorelai forgets that Rory isn’t her.

Rory loved that stuff too. She loved kitschy kind of stuff

I cannot see Rory carrying that purse around

I know that's (probably) not the case, but it was almost like she was doing it on purpose because she wanted her own gift to be better. She was giving such weird suggestions lol.

I honestly wondered if that was how it was meant to come across when Lorelai made such a big deal about how the bracelets would be perfect after Emily said something about how a $10 dollar bracelet is not a suitable present (which honestly….is true? Maybe they’d be a cute gift from someone like Lane or Sookie, but not really what you would expect from your incredibly wealthy grandmother for a milestone birthday like your sweet sixteen, even the pearls that Emily was eying would have made way more sense). And then the episode goes on to show Rory freaking out at the Mac computer that Lorelai got for her, even specifically commenting on the money that it must have cost Lorelai. Kind of makes me wonder if Lorelai was subconsciously sabotaging Emily when protesting that it’s not about how much money you spend, when really she just didn’t want her own very expensive gift to be overshadowed

The fact that we can even consider this possibility says so much about Lorelai’s character. But I mean we know it’s true. We saw her do the same thing with the car. Emily and Richard were dying to buy Rory a car but Lorelai always said no even though it would have drastically improved Rory’s life in high school because age couldn’t provide a car. She only agreed Rory went to college because it made Lorelai’s life better because Rory could visit.

Yeah I never really understood it. Is it supposed to be ironic - like how Emily doesn't get Lorelai and forces her tastes, is she unknowingly doing the same to Rory? Just with "quirky " stuff?

Growing up is realizing Lorelei was the worst 💀

This scene always makes me think about the fact that Lorelai doesn’t know Rory as much as she thinks she does. She just assumes that Rory likes whatever she likes, like they are the same person. Rory was a teenager and her own individual, that is clearly difficult to her overly attached mom who kept referring to them as a “we” (like WE like coffe, WE want to go to Harvard). No wonder they end up having huge fights every time Rory does something that Lorelai doesn’t agree with.

This is a good observation and it's juxtaposed well at the end of this episode in fact. Emily getting in the car to leave Stars Hollow wistfully telling Richard "[Lorelai's] right, I don't know my own daughter", and then the very next scene is Lorelai looking out her kitchen window to see Rory chatting with Dean and getting a gift, when Lorelai hasn't heard anything about Dean (or knows the actual person he is) since the first episode. In other words, she didn't know what her own daughter was up to, either.

Lorelai criticizes Rory’s taste at least a few times that I can think of. She says she looks like an emu when she sees Rory in a loose fitting sweater and later when Rory is on college spring break Lorelai mocks her for having a one piece bathing suit. It really does not not occur to her that Rory can just be different.

She says Rory’s wearing a muumuu, not that she looks like an emu

Oh, just looked up muumuu and that does make more sense lol. But I still think her sweater was fine!

Thank you, I was confused, lol. I haven't rewatched in years and couldn't remember the emu line and then I was thinking that usually Lorelai is smarter than that (or she's never seen an emu), since Rory did *not* look like an emu...*maybe* a llama, but not an emu.

Saying she looked like an emu would have been funnier lol

Or that time lorelai took the clippy out of Rory’s hair and gave her a disgusted look.

This is so spot on. Sometimes I wonder whether Rory's opinions on music/movies/sports/cooking etc. are even her own or she's just influenced by Lorelai.

Yes I think we got a hint in the Martha’s Vineyard episode. Maybe Rory would have liked to learn how to cook growing up and find a physical activity she liked.

To many people, a Montblanc pen is a status symbol. That’s why Lorelei assumes Rory won’t enjoy it. And we can assume Rory already has a favorite pen, considering how she treats her things generally so I don’t think Lorelei is too far off base. But as with the Birkin bag, Rory enjoys the item for its use, not for what it represents. That’s where I think Lorelei can’t see the distinction.

I thought the point of this scene was to show that Lorelai doesn't see Rory as her own person but rather an extension of herself. That's why all the stuff she picks out is stuff *she* would like. Rory wouldn't *dislike* any of it, she is very similar to Lorelai after all, but she wouldn't *love* any of it. Except the pen. She would love the pen.

I think it’s that and also Lorelei’s rejection of her parents money, since it’s expensive. She suggests things more her taste but also much cheaper. She rejected their world and class status, but Rory could still be swayed that way. Lorelei hated Logan for the same reason (but also many other reasons because he was a douche). Siding with Emily and upper class status symbols was her rebelling against Lorelei, and I feel like we see little foreshadowing whenever Lorelei reacts negatively/protective of Rory.

Omg I literally wrote this in another comment before I saw this. Yes absolutely. When I first watched this scene as a young girl I thought Lorelai was “so cool” but upon rewatch I realize that it’s like Lorelai didn’t see Rory at all, she saw her as an extension of herself. In a way, Rory was more mature and responsible than Lorelai probably because she was “parentified” as a kid, meaning since her mom acted like a kid she had to act like the adult.

I think she’s closer in personality to Emily than Lorelei

Don’t forget, she also gets a big fat cheque from Richard. I’d take the bracelets (which WERE extremely popular at the time) and a cheque over the pen.

This kinda bugged me, too. But at this point in the show, I don't think Lorelei would have approved of anything over a certain price range. I don't think Loreleie thought it was appropriate to buy a teenager expensive things. She also probably saw it as threatening because Lorelei couldn't give her those things. She didn't want to seem less capable of providing. Lorelei prides herself on the fact that she pulled herself out of poverty without her parents' help. She hates that her parents pay for Chilton, so if she can help it, her parents will pay for nothing that she couldn't pay for herself.

I also didn't imagine she wanted Rory to get anything expensive from Emily and Richard as not to 'owe' them any more; thus Lorelai suggesting a bunch of cheap trinkets to Emily. It's not like Lorelai doesn't know what a thoughtful gift looks like

Yes, so many strings come attached to Emily’s gifts. She is attempting to stave off the manipulation that follows.

Yeah. I'd agree with that. She always saw strings attached to their money.

This scene bugs me too, especially because Emily's choices were far more suited to Rory's character and likes than Lorelai's. I don't understand the writers sometimes lol

I think it may be a bit of the point. These are a things Lorelai would have wanted to receive don't you think? And thru out the show Lorelai also has a habit of forgetting Rory is her own person and not just a literal 'mini-me'

Yeah actually that's true I didn't actually think of it that way thanks!

Hahahah same 😂 pretty much none of what Lorelai shows her resembles what they actually use/wear, especially not Rory. It's like she's shopping for her own 8 year old self

All I know is Emily can take me on a shopping spree wherever, whenever!

I know it was meant to be a gift, but like Richard straight up telling Rory what he wanted for his birthday, Emily could’ve taken Rory out and had her pick a few things. They would’ve likely had a nice day together.

I understand Lorelai not wanting Emily to buy HER anything, but why can’t a grandmother spoil her granddaughter with whatever she wants to? Ultimately it’s her money and she’s not going to be around forever to use it.

I would rather have the bracelets than an overpriced pen

Just because Rory aspired to be a journalist and would be trustworthy with a pen, doesn't mean she wouldn't like the bracelets. There are things Rory enjoys that are less formal. I think Lorelai wanted to protect her from the unreasonable expectations that she felt growing up with Emily and Richard.

Ikr! Like those bracelets are for 3 year olds! She makes fun of Luke wanting to get the cat cups or whatever for April but the bracelets weren’t that much better either.

Oh god I forgot about the cat cups The absolute HYPOCRISY OF LORELAI

Yeah! She scared to give Rory anything materialistic or expensive (esp if it’s coming from her grandparents) cuz she thinks that’ll turn her over to the dark side and all 🤦‍♀️

And Lorelai herself got Rory an expensive computer for that birthday. Seems like she just wanted to be the better gift giver 😂

I absolutely agree with everyone saying the montblanc pen would be the perfect gift for Rory, but that’s not what I interpreted that part of the scene as being about. To me, it wasn’t Lorelei projecting anything either, but about parenting. Lorelei thought a $200 pen (can’t remember the exact amount) was a waste of money for anyone to own, especially having rejected that whole world, therefore she didn’t want anyone gifting it to Rory either. To me it comes off as someone frugal vs someone out of touch, and it makes sense Lorelei wants to still teach her kid the value of money, since she’s only 16. I don’t think Lorelei doesn’t think Rory would absolutely love a pen like that, it just wasn’t the gift giving she wanted her daughter to start expecting from her grandparents.

I think a lot of people forget that this was season 1, right? Like Rory was a bit of a goofy kid, and there are plenty of moments where we see her being goofy with her mom. Yes, we all know, looking back on who Rory grew into, that an expensive pen or a string of pearls would have been a much better gift than a guitar purse. Would you reasonably say that buying a 16 year old, who you barely have a relationship with, who you’re trying to show you can be more to them than money, a $1000 pen or an even more expensive pearl necklace? I think the point here is to say that you’ll have plenty of events to buy her significant items for if you’re going to be in her life, why not get her something fun this time? This is probably the coldest take anyone’s ever had about the show lol but I think Richard’s gift of a card with money for their Europe trip was easily the best option anyone had, it makes me tear up and think of my dad who always sneaks me money for things when no one’s looking ❤️

> I think a lot of people forget that this was season 1, right? I'm sure of it. This is like the sixth episode... If this was season 4+ Lorelai is completely wrong, Season 1? A Monteblanc pen is probably the wrong choice also. Also you hit the nail on the head, I really question how many people here have children, I have a 19 year old. I doubt I'd get her an expensive gift at 16 like that. Maybe a large globe would have been more likely (my daughter also wants to travel the world) but I don't know an ultra expensive pen from someone who just reentered my life... nah I'd want to turn that down. Don't buy the kid's love Emily, be there for her.

I think Emily even said she wanted to get something Lorelai would get Rory. Lorelai was pushing her away from the normal gifts Emily would get and having her think more teen girl at that time.

Ehh neither are great but if I had to choose I’d take the bracelets. I like those cheapo round BIC pens

I need to put together a PowerPoint on fashion at the time and how it's what the object represents not the object and break it out everytime this or the guitar purse is mentioned. These bracelets were on every teen girls wrists at the time and light up would have been cool. Status symbol expensive objects were not something someone like Rory would have been interested in at the time. These days the style is timeless pieces for teens but back then that was peak nerd. I was a bookish teen very similar to Rory when this came out and it definitely rung true to me.

Yes! I had a stack of those bracelets in high school. Weren’t they called power beads and came with different meanings?

I'm probably in the minority in that I think they were both far off base on the gift ideas. Maybe I'm just old school or something, but I don't think a 16 year old super needs a Montblanc pen. Yeah she writes a lot for school, but the value of a Montblanc isn't just the way it writes - it's the status of having one. I think it's the kind of thing you want to have as an adult in business but I don't know if a high school kid gets that kind of value out of it. I can also see those asshole Chilton kids making fun of her for trying to fit in with the rich kids. Also the fact that she got super nice pens from them in Sadie, Sadie and didn't seem that enthused. But I feel like Lorelai could have directed Emily to better stuff. If Emily wants to drop some coin, there's no reason to direct her to a cheap gift anyone could get for her. Let her have something *nice* and make it also something useful and fun.

Rory would have loved the montblanc pen, emily was spot on 😭

Yes! Those bracelets always looked so cheap too ☠️

If my rich fancy grandma bought me those bracelets as a gift I'd really think that it was a joke 😭

Looked like they belonged at Claire’s!

Emily should have just waited a few years so Rory could put the pen in her birkin bag

right? i actually thought the pen was an amazing gift for rory

She ended up getting them anyway when she was top 3%. She didn't look too thrilled about it...

I would have definitely preferred the pen or even a stationery set than those bracelets when I was Rory’s age. She doesn’t exactly wear funky jewelry from what I remember either.

I feel like she and Lane would have mocked girls who wore jewelry like that?

HAHA SO TRUE

you should post this on r/pens lol

They will be furious lol

Uh thanks! I just joined.

r/FountainPens

I view this scene as Lorelai wanting her mother to shop for a teenager and not what she liked or what she thinks is a good gift for someone. She wanted for her mother to kind of get the experience of a fun shopping, buying cute stuff and not serious “grown up” gifts, as much as Rory would’ve loved the pen or a good cashmere sweater, I think the idea was to make us feel how Emily was kind of disconnected from their funny and sparkly word and Lorelai wanted to make her feel included and stuff

Honestly it was a really thoughtful gift that Rory would have loved. Lorelai was letting her own ish get in the way.

i actually kinda side with lorelai on this one? rory was def very excited about the bracelets and i think atp in the show, she‘d probably be too afraid to break or lose the pen to even use it? idk, later in the show, definitely. i think gifting rory the bracelets here was a good choice

Exactly, someone got me a nice pen (in the $20 range) and 5 years later I still feel bad that I lost it. Edit to add I don’t think the bracelets were good either. The day planner they looked at or a book would have been better. And as the series progresses we know Richard finds Rory some pretty awesome book gifts, for them to geek out over together.

I don't understand why Lorelai is against a pashmina I have one and it such a great piece. You can use it as a scarf, as a stole or, in my case, to cover my head in case I visit a mosque during a field trip. You can style it elegant or cool. Gosh I love mine.

And then has one for Sookie to wear in double date

I’m a fountain pen addict but can’t afford to buy myself a nicer one. No one has ever thought to gift me one ☹️

I feel like the point isn’t necessarily the gift itself; Emily could easily buy Rory something amazing that she would *love*, and Lorelai could help her. But Lorelai had amazing, expensive things as a child, and she knows that they didn’t feel like love. Lorelai is trying to show Emily that she can just buy something cute and fun for Rory, because the relationship isn’t dependent on how much money she spends on her. Rory loves Emily, not her gifts. Granted, a 16 year old might really love an expensive gift from their grandma, but I think Lorelai is avoiding it in case Emily & Richard mistake spending money for giving affection, as they did when she was young.

Right? Say what you will, but Emily certainly had good taste.

I like to think at this point Lorelai was genuinely trying to help Emily have a good relationship with Rory. Rory would wear those bracelets. Maybe even to a Friday night and Emily would see it and feel good. I think this was a great moment between them.

I mean, I try not to pretend this show makes any sense. Half the show revolves around misunderstanding Rory-- either something awful happens and everyone is like "Of course it wasn't perfect, cherished, amazing Rory, she would never be horrible or slutty or mean" (and it was, and she would) or it's people foisting their interests on her and assuming she likes that thing because they like that thing. I think the only person she is vaguely like is her grandfather.

I’m sorry but Rory did not want a montblanc pen when she was 16 yo. Perhaps it would be a special gift when she graduated college and was beginning her journalism career. But 1000% Lorelai was correct that it wasn’t a great gift for a young teen. Edited to add… not to say that the lame bracelet or plastic guitar purse were great choices, either 🤣 I almost felt some of Lorelai’s suggestions were going TOO far in the other direction, perhaps in part to help Emily find something in the middle?

I can only speak for myself but I was fortunate enough to get a fountain pen (not a Mont Blanc but similar price point) from my parents when I left college (this happens at 18 in the UK) and I loved it. Although I, an idiot, passed it around for people to use to sign my leaving book and someone bent the nib. But Rory probably wouldn't have done what I did 🤦‍♀️

That scene always feels selfish to me and Lorelei seems to be picking things she would want not Rory

I don't agree. I think Lorelai knows how studious and hard-working Rory is and just wants her daughter to have a day off from all that so she can relax and have some silly fun. I even think the bracelet bonded them together, since she gets to show her grandmother that she's wearing her gift, where-as she probably wouldn't even have cause to use that pen... she just wants her to be a kid as long as possible.

Lorelai was playing her mom, even though a Mac totally beats even a Montblanc pen. But we know Emily - she surely got both. And more.

I kind of want to be wrong because I hate to think of Lorelai being this type of person, but I always sort of thought that she steered Emily away from the pen because she was afraid it would over shadow the computer she was giving her.

I always felt like it was because Rory wouldn’t quite understand the gravitas of the pen. Like the whole Birkin Bag thing, it’s to show how outside of it she was. Had she understood, she totally would’ve wanted one as a keepsake

Well, if it helps she totally got the pen for her later. I’m convinced it was same pen that they gave Rory for being in the top 3% of her class at the beginning of season 2

This scene bothered me because Lorelai was claiming Emily was thinking of herself and not Rory but Lorelai was doing that. Rory has never worn any of that shit

Sometimes ASP was too on the nose with trying to make Lorelai look "quirky"

This never made sense to me. I could see if it was framed as Lorelei saw that Emily picked a great gift and was annoyed and childish, but it wasn't iirc. Rory would have loved a nice pen, no? At least more than those goofy bracelets. I feel like the bracelets could be a funny inside joke gift coming from Lorelei, but not Emily. Rory was a studious kid, and she liked writing pro con lists. She'd get plenty of use out of a nice pen, even if she didn't particularly need one that fancy.

Yes I’ve always hated this scene

$12 is not a present

Yeah, why would an aspiring writer want a fancy pen anyway.

It really shouldn't have been an either/or situation. Emily should have gotten her BOTH for several reasons... Rory is her only granddaughter, it's a birthday gift, and she can most definitely afford it. Plus, it wasn't over the top.

Same those pens are nice and I was a type a school obsessed student. I woulda died for a Mont Blanc pen. My family pooled together in college and got me one for graduation

I honestly hate how Lorelai thinks that she’s so superior for knowing Rory so well, but she’s proved wrong time and time again. She was JUST proven wrong when she went golfing with Richard!!

lorelai always projects herself into rory. if she doesn’t like something, then rory must not either. but we see time and time again that rory actually fits in the gilmores’ world rather happily.

Lorelai was a very toxic mom, she never let Rory be her own person, a lot of people judge Rory on the end but it was Lorelai that as mother did a terrible job that's why Rory had so many issues cause Lorelai was a bad parents, as teen people saw Lorelai as cool mom but as grown up she did a very awful job

lorelai was shopping for herself tbh, not for rory. she didn’t know her as well as she thought

Pretty much anything Emily wanted to get her was nicer than those bracelets

RIGHT! the pen would be perfect for her! i feel so much more productive with fancy pens

I honestly think it was deliberate. If Emily gave her a Mont Blanc pen it might have overshadowed whatever Lorelai was planning to give... ...Even though she ended up giving her a damn macbook anyway

I don't think that guitar shaped purse is something Rory would have used.

Rory would’ve loved a fancy pen. I bet she would’ve filled out her Harvard application with it. As for the bracelet, I’ve never once seen Rory wear something like that on a normal day. The only time she’s dressed like that was for her birthday party. I don’t know why Lorelai thinks she would want a cheap bracelet like that or the hot pink purse shaped like a guitar… Rory has always dressed rather sophisticated.

Yeah, all the stuff Lorelai chose in this scene was HORRIBLE.

And then in “Die, Jerk”, we see Rory writing with a basic drugstore ballpoint pen. She definitely would’ve used a Montblanc!

She was given a Montblanc when she made 3% of the class so she had it by the time of Die, Jerk and yet it was never seen again lol

This always comes up and everyone agrees Rory wouldn't like the bracelets and definitely not that guitar purse. Lor is just stubborn

Or the pearls!!!! I could have sold that shit when I was a single mom and the janitor “donated” toilet paper rolls to my daughter and I (YES those gargantuan ones) from the school because, when shopping, it was TP or rice and, well, food is pretty important.

i PERSONALLY would hate a pen that expensive because my dollar store pens work just fine BUT the pen is the better gift for rory

Through the whole show I felt like the gifts Emily and Richard gave her / wanted to give her were always SO much more Rory than Lorelai's gift ideas. Richard was especially in tune with Rory's niche literary interests, even pretty on in the Friday Night Dinners, and Emily wanted to get her classy luxury items. I also have to wonder if being made fun of by Lorelai kept Rory from liking certain things she would have otherwise, like physical activities or cooking. Speaking from experience, kids will avoid trying certain activities just because a parent expresses distaste or mockery toward it. Rory enjoys going to the gym at Martha's Vineyard, she turns to tap dancing to destress in YITL, maybe she would have enjoyed dance or jogging or something growing up. She seems to enjoy cooking from the Donna Reed episode, to Martha's Vineyard, to having 4+ types of rice at Logan's, no one needs to own that much rice if they aren't into cooking, but she never seems to cook at home. She gets to like all the books she wants because Lorelai wants her to go to an Ivy, and books aren't Lorelai's thing so she doesn't have influence over Rory's taste. But what about Lorelai's terrifying taste in movies that Rory has adopted? What music would Rory want to listen to?

Lmao no kidding ! But it's about who Rory is lol I lmao at this tho when I read it . Touche

Same 😆

Never rated Lorelai as a great mother after she kissed Max in school. She does come across as selfish

I have a bit of a different perspective here. I don’t think Lorelai actually thought Rory wouldn’t want a Montblanc pen or a nice string of pearls, but the whole point of her going along with Emily to help her pick a present was that she was trying to nudge Emily into thinking about Rory as a teenager and not a little socialite. Remember the line when Emily asked if Rory would want the pearls and Lorelai said something to the effect of, “Maybe for your other granddaughter, Barbara Hutton”? (Hilarious line BTW.) Lorelai was attempting to get Emily to think about Rory as her own person and not an extension of Emily. She was trying to point her into being a better gift giver who thinks about what the recipient might like as opposed to what she would just buy for herself. I think Lorelai was just trying to get Emily to think of Rory as an individual.

Same!! I’ve always wanted a Montblanc so badly 😂

If this was a deliberate choice by the writers, I think it was meant to show the tension between Lorelai and Emily’s worlds. Lorelai wants to get Rory the kind of cheap gift she might have received as a child when they were struggling financially whereas Emily wants to spoil her. Lorelai is resistant to that because it represents the world she fled from.

This was actually super toxic and control freaky of Lorelai. Rory would have adored and cherished a Mont Blanc pen. She would be smart enough to know her grandma would never pick out those bracelets.

I agree, I would have really wanted the pen. Knowing Emily she would have gotten the guidance of a sales rep on what to get Rory, something young maybe even slim and white. Instead of something I'll throw away in a month's time.

I've always thought that Rory would have loved that pen 😭

Yeah I’d be pissed if my loaded grandma got me those cheap ass plastic bracelets. They could have found a better middle ground between the two 😂

I think part of it was to show the conflict of how Lorelai was raising Rory. Lorelai wants Rory to be her best friend, so she treats her like a peer. Because Lorelai is an adult, Rory actually tries to act maturer than her age, and is in fact sometimes the “parent” in their relationship. Meanwhile, Lorelai’s childhood was cut short when she got pregnant, she says this herself to Emily. Her best friend behaviour is because she wants to revert back to being a teenager herself. Emily sees Rory as a mature teen and wants to buy her a fancy and expensive pen. In Lorelai’s mind, that’s a horrible idea because she acknowledges that Rory is still a teen, but she doesn’t acknowledge that her relationship to Rory is parent and child. She thinks a good gift for Rory is something you could buy at a gas station because a 16 year old girl would buy that for her friend.

They definitely give her a fancy pen later and say something like “the top student should have the top tools”. But tbh I’m sure Rory would either lose it or never use a fancy pen. It’s not like she’s signing contracts all day or writing out stories for The Franklin in longhand

Considering Rory became a journalist maybe Emily wasn't so wrong after all. Sure she was terrible to her daughter, but sometimes Lorelei is stubborn just for the sake of it...

I hate this part. Its my number 1 obvious plot mistake. Lorelai is so wrong here and doesnt know her daughter. Rory would not like the guitar purse but she would love the pen.

I don't think it's a plot mistake to be honest. If anything it's foreshadowing lol