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'Gilmore Girls' actor Scott Patterson gets real about being objectified during 'uncomfortable' scene

'Just because it was 2003 didn’t mean it was OK. It’s never OK.'

"Gilmore Girls Set 1" by Noelle And Mike is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

Gilmore Girls was set in the fictional town of Stars Hollow, Connecticut.

Gilmore Girls is one of those TV shows that's easy to judge negatively until you actually watch it. The fast-paced dialogue, quick-witted humor, colorful characters and surprisingly smart cultural references can take you by surprise if you're not expecting them.

The show was moderately popular when it aired on the CW, but it got a huge second life thanks to DVD and streaming services. However, like every show, not every element has stood the test of time. Since its creation, we've been through some major cultural shifts that have shone a spotlight on problematic tropes and forced us to reexamine what we find funny.

The "Me Too" Movement brought into focus the ubiquity of sexual harassment and sexual assault against women. That conversation included the problems with objectifying women's bodies. But objectification can happen to—and hurt—both women and men, as Gilmore Girls actor Scott Patterson shared on a 2022 episode of his podcast.

Patterson played Luke Danes, one of the primary love interests of the show's main character Lorelai (played by Lauren Graham). Patterson's adorably grumpy, flannel-shirted character was a fan favorite, and for the first time, the actor is rewatching the whole series and giving scene-by-scene commentary in his podcast I Am All In (named for one of his most swoon-worthy lines).

Most of what he shares in the podcast is positive, but while watching an episode from Season 3 ("Keg! Max!"), he shared an experience that bothered him. One of Patterson's podcast cohosts pointed out what she called "the butt scene" in the episode. In that scene, Lorelai and her best friend Sookie (played by Melissa McCarthy) spend an inordinate amount of time discussing Luke's butt after Sookie accidentally touches it. The cohost said she didn't know if that scene would fly today and that acknowledgment prompted Patterson to share how he felt about it.

"You want to ask me how that feels?" he said. "Yeah, that was disturbing. I realized it wasn’t OK, and it didn’t make me feel comfortable at all. It made me feel really embarrassed, actually."

“It's infuriating to be treated that way," he continued. "It is infuriating because you’re being treated like an object. And it’s disturbing, and it’s disgusting. And I had to endure that through that entire scene and many takes. It was all about the butt, the butt, the butt, the butt. When we weren’t filming, we were sitting down and people were still talking about the butt, the butt, the butt. It was the most disturbing time I have ever spent on that set, and I couldn’t wait for that day to be over.”

Patterson's female co-hosts debated the appropriateness of the scene within the context of the relationships of the characters. On the one hand, it felt like the type of flirting a couple might do, and Luke and Lorelai do eventually get married on the show. But at the time of that scene, Luke was dating someone else and the repeated nature of going back to his butt pushed it from a singular flirtation (which still may have been questionable) to something that made Patterson feel like the character was being humiliated and having his dignity taken away.

"It wasn't OK with me. I hated that scene," he said. “It’s as disgusting for women to objectify men as it for men to objectify women and it’s as harmful. It was just the most offensive day I've ever spent on a set. Just because it was 2003 didn’t mean it was OK. It’s never OK. And I didn’t feel comfortable doing it and it pissed me off.

"I never said anything, so I was angry at myself for never saying anything," he added. "But, you know, I had this job and I didn’t want to make waves and all that.”

Patterson said he hadn't planned on sharing those feelings on the podcast, but rewatching the episode brought back how uncomfortable he'd felt at the time.

As his cohosts pointed out, if you reversed the genders and switched out "butt" for "boobs," it would be a glaringly inappropriate scene. Of course, there's always been a different power dynamic between men and women that has made it extremely difficult for women to speak up when they are being objectified, so the experiences aren't exactly comparable. But in this case, the showrunner was a woman with power over Patterson as an actor. Some women might say, "Well now he knows how it feels to be a woman," with little sympathy, but that reaction feels less than healthy. Objectification is objectification, and Patterson has every right to feel disturbed by how he and his character were treated in that scene.

Here's to the hard conversations that have led us to this point where people being objectified can speak out about how it feels and actually be heard, and here's to Scott Patterson for moving those conversations forward.

You can listen to the podcast episode here and watch Patterson share why he started the podcast with TODAY:

This article originally appeared three years ago.

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Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis awkwardly apologize for supporting Danny Masterson

The video is a little hard to watch.

via TechCrunch/Wikimedia Commons and MTV International/Wikimedia Commons

"That '70s Show" stars Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis.

Actor Danny Masterson, 47, best known for playing Steven Hyde on “That ‘70s Show” from 1998 to 2006, was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison for raping two women in the early 2000s. Throughout the trial, prosecutors argued that the Church of Scientology helped cover up the assaults—an allegation the organization denied.

The victim's dramatic, horrifying testimony revealed Masterson as a violent predator who pried women with substances before having sex with them against their will. One accuser admitted that she thought she was “going to die” while being raped by Masterson.

After Masterson was found guilty, the judge received over 50 letters asking for leniency in his sentence. Two letters came from Masterson’s “That ‘70s Show” costars, Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis, who are married.

In their letters, Kunis referred to his “exceptional character,” and Kutcher called him a “role model.”

“While I’m aware that the judgment has been cast as guilty on two counts of rape by force and the victims have a great desire for justice, I hope that my testament to his character is taken into consideration in sentencing,” Kutcher wrote. “I do not believe he is an ongoing harm to society and having his daughter raised without a present father would [be] a tertiary injustice in and of itself. Thank you for taking the time to read this.”

Kunis’ letter adds: “I wholeheartedly vouch for Danny Masterson’s exceptional character and the tremendous positive influence he has had on me and the people around him. His dedication to leading a drug-free life and the genuine care he extends to others make him an outstanding role model and friend.”

After Kutcher and Kunis’ letters went public, the couple released a video that apologized for potentially hurting Masterson’s victims. Many who watched the video thought it was cold, ingenuine and more likely to have been written by lawyers than by the couple.

Kutcher notes that the letter was “meant for a judge” and not for public consumption. One wonders if they would have written such glowing letters if they knew they would be released publicly.

“The letters were not written to question the legitimacy of the judicial system or the validity of the jury’s ruling,” Kunis says before Kutcher adds, “They were intended for the judge to read and not to undermine the testimony of the victims or re-traumatize them in any way. We would never want to do that. And we’re sorry if that has taken place.”

Finally, Kunis notes, “Our heart goes out to every single person who’s ever been a victim of sexual assault, sexual abuse, or rape.” It should be noted that for over a decade, Kutcher has worked to help end child sex trafficking, through a nonprofit he founded with his ex-wife, Demi Moore.

The video caused quite a stir on social media, with people critiquing them for looking like they were in a hostage video and questioning the lengths one should go to support a friend convicted of being a rapist.

One of the most critical takeaways from the public reaction to the story is how people who appear to be affable pillars of the community can have secret lives as abusers. The dual nature of these people’s personalities can make it incredibly difficult for some people to accept their insidious nature. But that mask that the abuser wears also makes it easier for them to continue to hurt others.

Masterson’s crimes are despicable and have ruined numerous lives. But if any good is to come of this, it's for the public to better understand how abusers can hide in plain sight. Just because someone has been a good friend or hasn’t shown any signs of being abusive doesn’t mean they can’t also harbor a terrible secret.

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In emotional testimony, U.S. gymnasts lambaste investigators of Larry Nassar's sexual abuse

C-SPAN

When the "Me Too" movement sparked a firestorm of stories of sexual harassment and abuse, the world learned what most women already knew. Sexual abuse isn't rare. And far too often, it is covered up, with the perpetrator being protected while victims are left to languish.

Few stories have made that reality more clear than the uncovering of the years-long, widespread sexual abuse of young female athletes on the U.S. women's gymnastics team by the team's physician, Larry Nassar. The scope of his abuse is mind-blowing. The fact that it was happening all the time, behind the scenes, while the young women he was abusing were in the spotlight winning medal after medal, is shocking.

Now we're finding out how bad the investigations were, how these women were dismissed, ignored, and neglected, how investigators allowed the abuse to continue despite ample evidence that it was happening. That is simply enraging.

In emotional testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee this morning, Simone Biles, McKayla Maroney, Maggie Nichols, and Aly Raisman spoke frankly about what they experienced. Their stories deserve to be heard and their criticisms of the investigations need to be taken seriously.

Simone Biles took a moment to collect herself during her opening statement.

"I sit before you today to raise my voice so that no little girl must endure what I, the athletes at this table, and the countless others who needlessly suffered under Nassar's guise of medical treatment, which we continue to endure today," she said. "We suffered and continue to suffer, because no one at FBI, USAG, or the USOPC did what was necessary to protect us. We have been failed, and we deserve answers. Nassar is where he belongs, but those who enabled him deserve to be held accountable. If they are not, I am convinced that this will continue to happen to others across Olympic sports...

"A message needs to be sent: if you allow a predator to harm children, the consequences will be swift and severe. Enough is enough."

McKayla Maroney was blunt in her assessment of what happened to her and offered a scathing rebuke of the FBI investigators. who she says falsified what she told them and "conceal Nassar's crimes from the public, the media, other law enforcement agencies, and most importantly, other victims."

"They chose to protect a serial child molester, rather than protect not only me but countless others," she said.

(Warning: Detailed descriptions of sexual abuse.)

Maggie Nichols' opening statement personalized her abuse: "I was named as Gymnast 2 in the Office of Inspector General's report and previously identified as Athlete A by USA Gymnastics. I want everyone to know that this did not happen to Gymnast 2 or to Athlete A. It happened to me, Maggie Nichols."

Aly Raisman detailed what an abysmal failure the investigations into Nassar were, and shared her frustration that they are still seeking answers six years later.

"The FBI and others within both USAG and USOPC knew that Nassar molested children and did nothing to restrict his access," she said. "Steve Penny and any USAG employee could have walked a few steps to file a report with Indiana Child Protective Services, since they shared the same building.

"Instead they quietly allowed Nassar to slip out the side door, knowingly allowing him to continue his "work" at MSU, Sparrow Hospital, a USAG club, and even to run for school board. Nassar found more than 100 new victims to molest. It was like serving innocent children up to a pedophile on a silver platter."

Each of these women's testimonies matters. It takes strength and courage it takes to speak about abuse you've experienced in a public forum, much less to call out powerful institutions for their failures. Kudos to these fierce defenders of justice and protectors of children for sharing their stories and for attempting to ensure that the systems that failed them will not continue to allow harm to others.







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Seth Rogen says he's stopped working with James Franco after accusations of sexual exploitation

via Wikimedia Commons

Seth Rogen and James Franco have made some of the funniest and most popular films over the past two decades. The two have starred alongside each other in comedies such as "The Interview," "Sausage Party," "Pineapple Express," and "This is the End."

However, the two haven't worked together since 2017's "The Disaster Artist" and, according to Rogen, a lot of it has to do with the sexual misconduct allegations made against Franco.

In 2014, Franco was accused of soliciting a 17-year-old girl on Instagram. After the teenager revealed her age, Franco still pursued her asking, "You're single? What's the hotel? Should I rent a room?"


via Instagram

Since the first allegation, five more women came forward in 2018. They were inspired to share their stories after he wore a "Time's Up" pin at the Academy Awards. The five of the women accused Franco of inappropriate or sexually exploitative behavior. Four of them were students at his now-defunct acting studio and another claimed Franco was her mentor.

At the time, Franco denied the accusations but applauded the women for speaking up which many called out as a hypocritical attempt to have things both ways.

"The things that I heard that were on Twitter are not accurate, but I completely support people coming out and being able to have a voice because they didn't have a voice for so long. So, I don't want to shut them down in any way. It's a good thing and I support it," Franco said.

Earlier this year, Franco reached a settlement with two former students at his acting school.

In a recent interview with Britain's Sunday Times, Rogen spoke out about his professional relationship with Franco.

"What I can say is that I despise abuse and harassment, and I would never cover or conceal the actions of someone doing it, or knowingly put someone in a situation where they were around someone like that," Rogen said when asked about actress Charlyne Yi's claim that he enabled Franco.

Rogen also apologized about a joke he made on "Saturday Night Live" in 2014 where he pretended that he pranked Franco by posing as a 17-year-old on Instagram.

Rogen Journal Monologue - Saturday Night Livewww.youtube.com

"I do look back at a joke I made on 'Saturday Night Live' in 2014 and I very much regret making that joke," adding: "It was a terrible joke, honestly. And I also look back to that interview in 2018 where I comment that I would keep working with James, and the truth is that I have not and I do not plan to right now."

Rogen told the newspaper that the allegations have created a rift in his relationship with Franco, but sympathies should lie with the accusers.

"I can say it, um, you know, it has changed many things in our relationship and our dynamic." However, he believes his own situation is "not as painful and difficult as it is for a lot of other people involved. I have no pity for myself in this situation."

Although Rogen once joked about his former co-star's behavior it's good to see him coming around to understanding that Franco's alleged behavior should be condemned. It took a while for Rogen to publicly discuss his true feelings about Franco, but his ability to put the health and safety of women before his professional and personal relationship with the actor is commendable.

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