For seven years, Scott Patterson played Luke Danes on the beloved CW dramedy series Gilmore Girls. The series is fondly remembered by fans, and Danes’ will-they-won’t-they romance with Lorelai Gilmore is a big reason for that. However, in a recent interview, Patterson opened up about his least favorite day on set.
‘It’s Disturbing, And It’s Disgusting’
For his podcast, I Am All In, Scott Patterson has been watching Gilmore Girls for the very first time so he can give fans an in-depth look at the beloved series. During a recent installment discussing the episode “Keg! Max!”, Patterson recalled having an extremely uncomfortable day on set.
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In the episode, Sookie St. James (Melissa McCarthy) uncomfortably admits to accidentally resting her hand on Danes’ butt while he was fixing an appliance. Lorelai Gilmore (Lauren Graham) finds the revelation hilarious, and she takes just about every opportunity to joke about how nice Danes’ backside is for the rest of the scene.
“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,” Patterson explained. “It is infuriating to be treated that way—it is infuriating—because you’re being treated like an object. It’s disturbing, and it’s disgusting. And I had to endure that through that entire scene and many takes.”
Scott Patterson Recalls Feeling ‘Incredibly Small’
The early ’00s were a different time, and Patterson recalls not feeling comfortable expressing just how disturbed he was by the scene.
“Just because it was 2003 didn’t mean it was okay,” he asserted. “It’s never okay. 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. But, you know, I had this job and I didn’t want to make waves and all that.”
We can’t help but wonder if a scene like that would ever make it to TV if the roles were reversed. If Lorelai were a man and Luke a woman, would viewers find these jokes as lighthearted? The answer is, probably not. Gilmore Girls definitely isn’t the only piece of media guilty of brushing over men’s discomfort with sexual advances.
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“It’s as disgusting for women to objectify men as it for men to objectify women and it’s as harmful,” Patterson said during the podcast episode. He made sure to add that he loved his time on Gilmore Girls and this isolated incident didn’t sour his overall experience. However, that doesn’t change how he felt “incredibly small” and like “some kind of meat stick” during those moments.
We just hope Patterson’s candor inspires more men in this industry to speak out when they feel like something isn’t right. No one should have to face objectification in the workplace, period.