Fangirl Fridays: Rory Gilmore

GIf taken from Tumblr; I do not own this image.

If any of you readers have Netflix then I hope you're aware that Gilmore Girls is now on Instant watch. I repeat: GILMORE GIRLS IS ON NETFLIX. And if you do have Netflix and you don't know what Gilmore Girls is then...*gasp!* You are missing out! But I say all this because it brought attention to a fictional character that is the epitome of all things introverted: Rory Gilmore. Let's break it down...


For one thing, she is a bookworm. I won't try to generalize introverts as avid bookworms but we'd be lying to ourselves if we didn't admit that a good majority of us are. Rory can be seen with a nose in her book throughout the whole series and she is incredibly quick-witted with literary references that could make an English professor go nuts! It's so admirable, I feel inadequate with my reading list.
Although Rory is shy, you can definitely see how genuine but also how passionate she is. She is most certainly not afraid to speak her mind when it counts most, and it's one of the main reasons why I love her.

There was one episode where her mother, Lorelai, was out of town and she had the whole house to herself. She thus, passes up a night with her boyfriend Dean (Jared Paledki pre-Supernatural)because she wants time to herself. She would much rather order Indian food, wear her pjs, and do her laundry while watching movies instead of spending time with her boyfriend! This, my friends, deserves applause. Not to mention, Rory also spends her lunch listening to music and reading books, and as a child who would habitually bring books to restaurants, I want to commend Rory's character for justifying my weird tendencies.

GIf taken from Tumblr; I do not own this image.

However; what I appreciate about Rory is that she is unlike most teenage TV protagonists in that her character is genuinely relatable to ta good majority of the girl population. I would think that most girls don't party every weekend, nor do we spend our high school career trying to find a boyfriend. While she does undergo several relationship mishaps, ultimately, the story brings it back to how those relationships, romantic or otherwise, help develop Rory's character. Rory is academically driven, extremely responsible, and lovably quirky. Maybe's it's because she is one of the first of her kind, but this "nerdy" character of hers does not seem contrived because the show depicts, more or less, an accurate depiction of a real girl. Sure, Rory is "nerdy" but she is not pigeonholed to that stereotype because they show the complexities of her character like when she has mental breakdowns in the middle of her history class or how she likes to participate in quirky town traditions that require her to dress like a pilgrim. Upon watching the first season, I had this image of how Rory's character was going to play out, but I was surprised at how outgoing she could be at times, and for that, I greatly admired Rory's character.

 That's not even the best part. Rory Gilmore is a not a character to be pitied; rather, she's not afraid to lay down the sass when confronting the mean girls and as far as characters go, she stays grounded and true to her character when boys or snobby private school girls enter the picture. She sure is one heck of a fictional character. Now if you exuse me, I'm going to binge watch Gilmore girls in all its heartfelt, witty banter-ness! 

Fangirl Fridays: Mia Thermopolis

Here's one thing about growing up; sometimes you can't properly cherish something for what it's worth until you get older. That said, I don't think I fully realized how great Princess Diaries was in its time, nor did I realize how much I could relate to Mia Thermopolis.

First, let's be clear, I am not a princess and Julie Andrews is not my grandmother (oh how I wish), but Mia is one of us. For one thing, she is socially awkward. Prime examples include setting fire to a diplomat's sleeve and getting a brain freeze from pear ice-cream, all in the same night might I add. That said, watching the movie made me realize the extent of our similarities, especially in terms of our shared athletic ineptitude as well.

But most importantly she is seemingly invisible to the masses, and she has no intention of becoming visible any time soon. As an introvert, I relish sometimes in anonymity. Part of this is because I am modest; I don't like attention drawn to me, because then awkward levels rise and self-consciousness settles in.  I think that's why it's so easy to relate to Mia; she exhibits all the trials and tribulations that all teenagers undergo (i.e. puking during a school debate or just being sat on). But  when her royal grandmother drops in, all of sudden the spotlight is on her whether she likes it or not. Thus the movie follows her story as she tries to grow accustomed to her new role. Inevitably it got to her head, but who wouldn't? She shows that even the most down-to-earth people can succumb to the temptation of popularity.  I don't believe that the world is made up of introverts and extroverts; rather, we both carry traits of each group, with one being more prominent than the other. That said, I think all of us have a part that likes being heard. We like to be acknowledged. It's what we do with the attention that we're given that matters the most.

 It really hit home in the end when Mia reads a letter from her deceased father saying that the "brave may die, but the cautious never live". Watching the movie as 17 year-old teenager trying to come to terms with an impending future racked with the unknown and responsibility, I realized that I shouldn't be so afraid of speaking out. Towards the end, Mia makes a speech, soaking wet wearing a hoodie and jeans, awash with a new sense of confidence, where she accepts her role as princess. By accepting this role, she understands that importance of using your voice to change words into actions. With that she embraces herself, coming to terms with the influence that she has so that she can make a difference in the world.

So within the span of 2 hours, we see the transition of a socially awkward teen to an awe-inspiring princess which goes to show that having a voice isn't such a bad thing after all. That is why I love this movie so much: it is the perfect mix of humor and wit wrapped up with a wonderful moral message that any generation can take with them. And that's why I admire Mia Thermpolis, because she taught us that we can grow out of our awkwardness and that princess or not, you have every right to speak your mind.