Old and new fans of the 2000s drama series Gilmore Girls have unhesitatingly named protagonist Rory Gilmore (Alexis Bledel) the worst character in the show. But is she so unlikeable as to render the series unwatchable?
Perhaps it’s the scathing attack on a ballerina she writes for her college newspaper in season four, her decision to sleep with her married ex-boyfriend not long after, or her infamous self-implosion toward the end of season five.
I would argue that the so-called obliteration of Rory’s character is actually integral to the depiction of a high-achiever encountering the natural hurdles of growing older.
Rory might be the worst character, but she is also the main character, specifically one who is introduced to us as a model of academic excellence and 16-year-old innocence. She was always going to change and grow, and it’s unsurprising that the way she does so lets us down.
Perhaps stealing a yacht and dropping out of college was a drastic move to take after being told she would never be a good journalist, but I think there is room for sympathy here which is not afforded to her by lots of fans. It was her childhood dream, after all!
In a different vein, plenty of female characters are hated simply because they exist in antithesis to the objectives of men. Take Skyler White, the wife of Walter White (Bryan Cranston) in drama series Breaking Bad. Why is it so intolerable that she should stand in the way of her husband’s dangerous foray into the drug world?
Of course, it comes down to how fiercely the series’ (mostly male) fans are rooting for Walter by the time Skyler becomes an obstacle. The venomous reaction to Skyler is surely obvious to anyone who has come across the fandom. I ask whether fans would react this way to a male antagonist in Skyler’s place. And would they be so supportive of a female protagonist on the same path as Walter?
It’s safe to say that there exists different set of criteria by which female protagonists may be considered “likeable.” In other words, they can get away with much less than their male counterparts.
The season 3 finale of the Hulu drama series Tell Me Lies is titled “Are You Happy Now, That I’m On My Knees?” Through this, creator Oppenheimer confronts her fans’ desire to see protagonist Lucy (Grace Van Patten) punished more severely than her partner Stephen (Jackson White), whose sociopathic behaviour across the show is of an objectively worse calibre.
I think this reflects a wider societal baseline for acceptable behaviour in women which is by default much less achievable than that which exists for men. How many times have we heard the words “rude,” “ungrateful,” or “impolite” in reference to female celebrities and public figures?
A recent example is the backlash singer-songwriter Chappell Roan received simply for asking fans not to touch her or follow her inappropriately in public. A reasonable request, but one that stirred the bitterness of many social media posters who decided she was unappreciative of her fame.
It seems necessary point out how silly it would feel to make such pedantic criticisms of a male celebrity. Why such outrage at a woman simply standing up for herself and her boundaries?
An even worse sentiment is the dreaded “she just irritates me, I don’t know why.” It seems there is a particular brand of annoyance which is exclusively triggered by women and is often unjustified. I think this is because we are trained to expect politeness, altruism and self-effacement from women always. It feels uncomfortable when these expectations aren’t met, however unrealistic they are.
Cancel culture has claimed many victims in recent years, but the endless vitriol directed at famous women and famous female characters alike has started to feel like a trend—one based on an excess of scrutiny, stereotyping and misogyny at its core.
Illustration by Amelia Patterson @patt_paints for The Student.
