The Festival of Living Art

Oh, the internet-the place where every fictional character's opinion is apparently a personal attack. Let's break this down, shall we?

First, fictional characters are meant to have opinions, quirks, and flaws that make them human. Lorelai Gilmore disliking the idea of a home birth is just one of countless traits that build her personality. She also hates vegetables, but I don't see anyone accusing Gilmore Girls of being anti-vegetarian propaganda or a manifesto for unhealthy eating. It's called characterization, not indoctrination. Let's all take a deep breath and remember that not every fictional statement is a reflection of the show's agenda-or a personal affront to the viewer's deeply held beliefs.

Second, a little maturity goes a long way. Feeling personally attacked because a fictional character doesn't align with your worldview? That's... not a great look. People-and fictional characters-are allowed to have differing opinions, even ones you strongly disagree with. That's what makes storytelling interesting. Imagine if every character were a bland, universally agreeable avatar of neutrality. Would you even watch that show?

Now, let's address the bigger issue here: it's perfectly valid for real people to hold the opinion that home births can be risky, based on personal experiences or professional expertise. My mother happens to be a gynecologist, and I grew up hearing stories of natural births turning into emergency surgeries due to complications. This isn't "toxic"; it's reality. So, please, enlighten me-are my mother and I toxic for acknowledging the risks that exist? Or does the concept of respecting opposing views only apply when they align with your own?

The world is made up of people with diverse perspectives. That's the beauty of it. The inability to respect differing opinions-or worse, labeling them as "toxic" simply because they challenge your own-that is what's truly toxic.

So, let's leave Lorelai Gilmore and her fear of home births alone, shall we? She's just a fictional character with her own quirks, neuroses, and preferences. If her aversion to home births offends you, perhaps the problem isn't Lorelai-it's the inability to distinguish between narrative characterization and a personal attack.

Ageism rears it's ugly head in the form of Zack and Brian's rampage about Gil, the musician seeking to join their broken down band. As it turns out, Gil, played by real life guitarist Sebastian Bach, can play them both under the table. Ultimately Lane came to Gil's rescue, perhaps understanding prejudice herself, and in so doing helped create a far better sound by allowing him to join. Diversity and tolerance are not exactly Star Hollow's middle names.