Gilmore girls: Season 1 Episode 11 References Explained
Gilmore girls is famous for its quick dialogue, witty banter, and the endless pop culture references that make every rewatch just as entertaining as the first. That’s what inspired me to start this series — breaking down every reference, episode by episode, and seeing just how many I’d missed after all these years.
Episode 11, “Paris Is Burning,” zooms in on relationships — the ones that are breaking apart and the ones that are struggling to hold together. We see more of Lorelai and Max Medina’s relationship as the first real cracks begin to show. Lorelai pulls away, unsure if she’s ready to commit or give up the independence she’s built her life around, while Max keeps trying to pull her closer — often pushing past boundaries (in my opinion) she isn’t ready to cross.
At the same time, Paris’ world is falling apart. Her parents are getting a divorce, the entire school is talking about it, and Parents’ Day turns into a public spectacle when Paris sees Lorelai and Max kiss and spreads the news through Chilton. It’s also the first (and, if I’m not mistaken, only) time we actually see Paris’ mom, and the contrast between Paris’ cold, distant home life and Rory’s relationship with Lorelai feels sharper than ever.
This episode shows how vulnerability, pride, and insecurity collide — from Sookie finally asking out Jackson, to Rory confronting Paris about the damage she caused, to Lorelai admitting that she panicked, only for Max to decide they need time apart.
And, as always, beneath all the drama, the episode is threaded with clever cultural nods and quick references that are easy to miss unless you’re looking for them.
In this series, I go through each reference I can find, explaining what it means, where it comes from, and how it fits into the story — along with a list of the books, movies, music, and cultural mentions from the episode so you can keep track or add a few to your own list.
Gilmore girls is available to stream in most countries on Netflix and Disney+, so whether you’re rewatching or discovering it for the first time, you can easily follow along with every reference.
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Looking for another episode? You got it:
Season 1, Episode 1 “Pilot”
Season 1, Episode 2 “The Lorelais’ First Day at Chilton
Season 1, Episode 3 “Kill Me Now”
Season 1, Episode 4 “The Deer Hunters”
Season 1, Episode 5 “Cinnamon’s Wake”
Season 1, Episode 6 “Rory’s Birthday Parties”
Season 1, Episode 7 “Kiss and Tell”
Season 1, Episode 8 “Love and War and Snow”
Season 1, Episode 9 “Rory’s Dance”
Season 1, Episode 10 “Forgiveness and Stuff”
Season 1, Episode 11 “Paris is Burning”
Season 1, Episode 12 “Double Date”
Season 1, Episode 13 “Concert Interruptus”
Season 1, Episode 14 “That Damn Donna Reed”
Season 1, Episode 15 “Christopher Returns”
Season 1, Episode 16 “Star-Crossed Lovers and Other Strangers”
Season 1, Episode 17 “The Breakup: Part 2”
Season 1, Episode 18 “The Third Lorelai”
Season 1, Episode 19 “Emily in Wonderland”
Season 1, Episode 20 “P.S. I Lo…”
Season 1, Episode 21 “Love, Daisies and Troubadours”
Okay, let’s get into it! Here are all the references explained from Gilmore girls Season 1 Episode 11 “Paris is Burning”
1. “Look, I know it was bad, but this was a vicious hamster. This was like a Damien hamster with little beady eyes and a big forked tail and…a cape with a…hood…and bye bye Buttercup. Bye Luke.”
Context:
Lorelai and Rory are walking through the town square when they come across a mobile pet-adoption stand with a litter of puppies. Lorelai immediately runs over, excited, while Luke warns the woman working there not to give either of them a pet because they can barely take care of themselves. Rory backs him up and reminds Lorelai about the time they had a hamster named Skippy, which clearly didn’t end well. When Luke asks what happened, Lorelai launches into a dramatic explanation, insisting the hamster was evil and mocking her, leading into this line about it being a “Damien hamster.”
Explanation:
“Damien” refers to Damien Thorn from the 1976 horror film The Omen, a child who is revealed to be the Antichrist. Lorelai takes that idea even further by describing the hamster with features traditionally associated with the Devil — beady eyes, a forked tail, a cape, a hood — as if it were a tiny demonic creature instead of just a pet.
2. “I'm sorry, 'Psycho' was on earlier and it was just the first name that came to mind. I'll think of something else. How about Alfred?”
Context:
Max is at Lorelai and Rory’s house, and it’s the first time Rory has seen him outside of school, which makes things feel a little awkward. To lighten the mood, Max suggests that maybe they should use “non-Chilton names” for each other when they’re outside the classroom. He says he’ll call Rory “Rebecca,” then asks what name she’d give him. Rory answers, “Norman.” Max looks surprised, so Rory explains that Psycho was on earlier, and it was just the first name that popped into her head — then quickly offers, “How about Alfred?” instead.
Explanation:
“Norman” refers to Norman Bates, the disturbed motel owner from Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 thriller Psycho — one of the most famous horror characters in film history. Norman is introverted, unsettling, and… not exactly the ideal association for your teacher. Realizing the implication, Rory immediately backtracks and changes the name to “Alfred,” which is a nod to Alfred Hitchcock, the director of Psycho.
3. “And I'm Tonya Harding. I'm gonna do the whole shoe lace coming untie - nervous break - let me start again act and everything.”
Context:
Sookie and Rory are sitting in Luke’s when Lorelai walks in carrying a pair of ice skates over her shoulder. She and Rory explain that they’re going skating together. Rory jokes, “I’m Nancy Kerrigan,” and Lorelai immediately follows with: “And I’m Tonya Harding. I’m gonna do the whole shoelace-coming-untied, nervous-breakdown, let-me-start-again act and everything.”
Explanation:
This is a reference to the infamous 1994 figure-skating scandal involving American skaters Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding. Kerrigan was attacked before the U.S. Championships, and the attack was later connected to people in Harding’s orbit, which turned the rivalry into one of the biggest sports scandals of the decade.
Harding also became known for emotional competition moments, including stopping a routine at the 1994 Olympics because her skate lace broke, crying while asking to restart her program. Lorelai is joking that, if Rory is playing Kerrigan, she’ll lean into the chaotic, drama-filled Tonya Harding role, complete with the shoelace meltdown.
3. “Well, it's not the Rich James incident, but Hugh Grant should be feeling pretty good about himself.”
Context:
Rory comes home from Chilton and tells Lorelai how brutal things have become for Paris — everyone at school is talking about her parents’ divorce, and the rumor mill is so intense that Rory says it might even end up in the paper. When Lorelai asks just how bad the situation is, Rory answers with this line, comparing Paris’s humiliation to two infamous celebrity scandals.
Explanation:
Rory is referencing two major celebrity scandals from the 1990s:
Rick James, the musician, was involved in a highly publicized criminal case that turned into major tabloid coverage.
Hugh Grant was arrested in Los Angeles after being caught in an embarrassing situation with a “lady of the night,” if you will, which became a huge media story and late-night punchline.
Rory’s point is that Paris’s situation feels shockingly public and humiliating, though not quite at the level of the Rick James scandal, but a bit worse than the Hugh Grant one.
4. “Really? Like a normal hello? Not like a 'Here's Johnny' kind of hello?”
Context:
Still talking about Paris and how the divorce gossip has changed the social dynamic at Chilton, Rory tells Lorelai that Madeline and Louise — Paris’s best friends — actually said hello to her the other day. Lorelai is surprised and jokes that she wants to confirm what kind of “hello” it was, leading to this line about a “Here’s Johnny!” hello.
Explanation:
“Here’s Johnny!” is a famous line from Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 film The Shining. In one of the most iconic scenes, Jack Nicholson’s character breaks through a door with an axe, pokes his head through the opening, and shouts, “Here’s Johnny!” in a creepy, unhinged way.
Lorelai is teasing Rory by asking whether Madeline and Louise were genuinely being nice, or if it felt more intense and unsettling, like something out of a scary movie.
5. “Wow, you're the new 'Heather'”
Context:
Still in the same conversation about how Paris’s situation has shifted the social dynamics at Chilton, Rory tells Lorelai that Madeline and Louise said hello to her — and that it was a normal, genuinely friendly hello. Lorelai is surprised and jokes that Rory must suddenly be popular now, responding with: “Wow, you’re the new ‘Heather.’”
Explanation:
This is a reference to the 1989 dark comedy film Heathers, which centers around a powerful, elite high school clique — all girls named Heather — who rule the school socially. Being “a Heather” implies being part of the in-crowd, one of the untouchable, popular girls everyone notices.
Lorelai’s line suggests that Rory has now moved up the Chilton social ladder from outsider to someone the popular girls acknowledge.
6. “Lorelai: It’s in the box!”
“Rory: Oscar!”
“Lorelai: Felix!”
Context:
Still in the same kitchen scene, Lorelai pulls an old pizza box out of the fridge and tries to convince Rory that it’s still fine to eat. Rory points to the other pizza box sitting in the trash and clearly wants nothing to do with it. When Lorelai insists, “It’s in the box!”, Rory responds, “Oscar!”, and Lorelai fires back with “Felix!” before Rory shuts the whole thing down.
Explanation:
This is a reference to The Odd Couple, originally a 1965 Neil Simon play that later became a TV series and film. The story centers around two mismatched roommates:
Oscar Madison — messy, sloppy, comfortable with chaos
Felix Unger — neat, orderly, obsessively clean
By shouting “Oscar!” Rory is essentially accusing Lorelai of behaving like Oscar — the messy one who would happily eat questionable leftover pizza. Lorelai responds with “Felix!” to paint Rory as the overly fussy, rule-following, neat freak.
Honorable Mentions In This Episode:
Authors:
Marcel Proust
Michael Crichton
Emily Dickenson
Walt Whitman
Homer
Dante
Shakespeare
Edna O’Brien
Books:
Swann’s Way
Movies/Series/Tv-Shows:
This Old House
Psycho
Actors:
Marilyn Monroe
Arthur Miller
Music Artists:
Ricky Martin
I hope this was helpful in understanding some of the references from Gilmore girls and that we are one step closer to decoding our ultimate comfort show.
If I missed something or you have another interpretation of a reference, let me know—I’d be happy to add it!
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