#11 - Karl Marx Comes Alive For Paris Geller (and Other Political ‘Gilmore Girls’ Moments)

You know we had to do it: it’s time for Marxist Paris Geller! In this season 6 episode of GILMORE GIRLS (2000-2007), rich girl Paris Geller is forced to work a catering job and finally connects with Marxist theory. Hilarity ensues. Maria is joined by her childhood friends and fellow GILMORE GIRLS superfans Laura Marino and Jessica Hajdukiewicz to discuss this iconic moment. But before we get to the main event of Paris discovering Marx, we touch on Rory and Paris’s short-lived activism to free the Burmese prisoners, Rory’s political journalism in the Yale Daily News through the years, and the time that actual Yale labor history was depicted in the background of the show. We also dissect the weird and complicated class dynamics present in GILMORE GIRLS as a whole, from Lorelai’s background as a working class maid to Emily Gilmore being one of the worst bosses on television. (Of course we also talk some shit about the revival and ASP’s blatant anti-fat nonsense.)

For this episode, we recommend you first watch or have familiarity with GILMORE GIRLS Seasons 1-6 but especially GILMORE GIRLS 6x05, “We’ve Got Magic to Do,” streaming on Netflix. Bonus points/god bless you if you’ve seen season 7 and GILMORE GIRLS: A YEAR IN THE LIFE, also streaming on Netflix. 

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL | instagram, tumblr, tiktok: @leftistteendrama | twitter: @leftyteendrama | website: leftistteendrama.com

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ABOUT US:

MARIA DIPASQUALE (she/her; host/editor) is a Brooklyn-based union communicator and writer who watches too much TV. Follow Maria on Twitter @Maria_DiP26, IG @mdzip, and tiktok @marialovesunions. In addition to Leftist Teen Drama, Maria hosts Bodysuits For Bughead: A Riverdale Podcast | tumblr: @bodysuitsforbughead twitter: @B4B_Podcast instagram: @bodysuits4bughead

JESSICA HAJDUKIEWICZ (she/her; guest) is a law student in New Jersey pursuing labor and employment law. She doesn't watch (tooooo) much tv, but when she does she almost always gravitates to her comfort shows including Gilmore Girls! 

LAURA MARINO (she/her; guest) works in advertising by day and watches, reads, and talks too much about television by night. She has enjoyed yelling about television with Maria for well over a decade, and credits Television Without Pity (RIP) as the first forum to shape her love of deep character and plot analysis.

CHARLES O’LEARY (they/them; art) is, of course, a Brooklyn-based designer, artist, and dilettante. A survivor of the 2012-2016 Tumblr wars, media criticism is all they know. You can find their work at charles-oleary.com, and their silly little life on Instagram at @c.s.0.l.

JEFF MCHALE (he/him; producer) is an extremely online guy who plays games, streams sometimes, and loves talking old TV.

Maria and Jeff’s good union cats CLARENCE and VINNY may make an appearance and/or be mentioned. 

intro song: Stomping the Room by Delicate Beats

All opinions shared on this show are that of individuals and do not represent the views of any organization we may be affiliated with.

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SOURCES DISCUSSED IN THE EPISODE: 

• Photo of Rory and Logan crossing the GESO picket line at Yale in 2005
• Yale Daily News, April 18, 2005, GESO strike reflects years of TA tension by Julie Post
• Maria's OG blog post about Marxist Paris Geller on "MDip Rewatch"

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SUGGESTED FURTHER READING/LISTENING:

• All the Marx your heart desires! Shop at your local bookstore.
• Also, if you want to learn more about Rana Plaza, here’s an article to start with: The New Yorker, May 1, 2013, Death Traps: The Bangladesh Garment-Factory Disaster by Sarah Stillman.

As promised, places to plug into anti-capitalist organizing:

• Democratic Socialists of America
• Sunrise Movement
• Emergency Workplace Organizing Committee
• AFL-CIO Contact a Union Organizer form