While Rory and Lorelai's connection and Emily and Lorelai's tough relationship are hallmarks of Gilmore Girls, Emily's extreme amount of wealth also stands out. Whether talking about her equally rich friends, planning vacations, or complaining about Lorelai's life choices, Emily makes a lot of comments that show that she can be out of touch.
Although Gilmore Girls fans love Emily's clever statements and intelligence, along with how hard she tries to be close to Rory and Lorelai, it's hard not to wonder why Emily sounds so clueless sometimes about daily life.
Wanting To Buy Rory Too Many Chilton Uniforms
There are some dramatic moments at Chilton on Gilmore Girls, and Emily quickly becomes invested in Rory's private school education. When Lorelai says that she bought Rory two skirts, Emily acts like that isn't nearly enough and wants to buy Rory several uniforms.
Emily is confused by Lorelai's insistence that Rory has enough clothing and that they'll do laundry, making more skirts unnecessary. This conversation is hilarious as it shows that Emily is used to spending money all the time..
Only Going To Europe In The Fall
Rory gets along so well with Emily and Richard because she dreams of traveling, and she loves hearing about the fun vacations that they have planned.
Emily makes viewers laugh when she insists that the fall is the only possible time to travel to Europe. Lorelai makes the scene even funnier when she says "You know, Mom, I heard a rumor Europe's still there in the spring" and Rory adds, "I heard that too." No matter how many times Lorelai tries to get Emily to see otherwise, Emily remains stubborn about this fact.
Complaining About Small Town Life
While Lorelai and Rory thrive in Stars Hollow, enjoying the fact that they know everyone and that it's a cozy, warm community, Emily couldn't dislike it more.
In one scene, Emily tells Lorelai why she hates the idea of living in such a tiny place: "Small-town charm is good for a weekend, Lorelai, but I have no interest in having a next-door neighbor walk in with a pie, wanting to chat. I would kill myself AND my neighbors." It's definitely a snobby thing to say.
Being Excited Over Logan Buying Rory A Birkin Bag
One of the funniest parts of Gilmore Girls season 6 is when Logan buys Rory a Birkin bag.
Rory thinks that the bag is interesting and beautiful, but she's also uncomfortable about using something that is so expensive, as it's not her or Lorelai's style to purchase designer clothing or accessories. Emily proves that she's out of touch when she gets incredibly excited and loves the gift without realizing that it's a bit much for a college student to carry around such a pricey bag.
Looking Down On Rory Taking The Bus
As Rory slowly becomes more independent as she begins going to Chilton, she enjoys the bus ride there and back. She brings books and does homework and doesn't seem to mind the commute.
In Emily's mind, Rory is doing a terrible thing because she's taking public transport. When Emily tells Lorelai, "I hate that she takes the bus. Drug dealers take the bus," she shows that she has probably never taken the bus before as it's definitely not dangerous to take it from Stars Hollow to Hartford.
Calling Lorelai's House Messy
Gilmore Girls fans know that Emily and Lorelai have different approaches to daily life. While Emily has an entire staff and would never dream of having clutter anywhere in her house, Lorelai's Stars Hollow home has a sweet, messy charm to it.
When Emily calls Lorelai's bedroom incredibly messy, saying "You can't even find the bed," Lorelai makes viewers laugh when she replies, "It's the thing I crash into on the way to the closet." It's definitely funny that Emily gets so upset that her daughter has priorities other than keeping the house perfectly spotless.
Wanting To Buy Rory A Pricey Pen For Her 16th Birthday
In the Gilmore Girls episode "Rory's Birthday Parties," Lorelai helps Emily find a birthday present for Rory, and they are really sweet together in this scene.
Emily also shows fans that she has trouble figuring out the appropriate amount of money to spend in many situations. Emily suggests a Mont Blanc pen and when Emily says "she needs to write," Lorelai says that the pen is $200 and therefore a bad gift idea.
Calling Leftovers "Used"
Besides seeing what fights and dramatic conversations happen at Friday Night Dinner, it's also entertaining seeing what food is being served. In a hilarious scene, Lorelai brings a sweet treat and Emily calls it "used dessert." When Lorelai tries explaining that it's leftovers, Emily is even more upset.
There are many moments when Emily doesn't seem to understand how people without her piles of money can possibly live, and she definitely doesn't understand the concept of leftovers.
Insulting Lorelai's Career Path
In season 1, Rory goes to the club with Richard and learns to golf for Chilton credit. Emily shocks fans when she tells Rory, "You can use your mother's old golf clubs. They're upstairs gathering dust along with the rest of her potential."
Lorelai's career success on Gilmore Girls is impressive and at this point on the show, she has gotten promoted to manager of the Independence Inn. Instead of being happy and proud of her daughter, Emily is so out of touch that she can't see this.
Almost Buying Her Own Plane
The season 6 episode "The Prodigal Daughter Returns" has a lot going on, and besides Luke finding out about his daughter April, Lorelai learns that Emily is going to buy a plane.
While this would be intense enough, as only incredibly wealthy people can afford to purchase a private plane, Emily wants to buy a timeshared plane, which is even snobbier. Emily is self-aware about this idea, though, as she tells Lorelai, "Let me be frivolous and shallow, won’t you, please?"