Scott Patterson finally got the weight of "shame" off his chest Sunday regarding one particular "Gilmore Girls" scene from 2003 that still bothers him.
Patterson said on his podcast "I Am All In with Scott Patterson" that he felt objectified during a scene in Season Three, Episode 19. The scene is when Sookie (Melissa McCarthy) accidentally touched his character Luke's butt, leading Sookie and Lorelai (Lauren Graham) to start talking about his butt.
Patterson said being objectified was "disturbing" and "infuriating."
“It made me feel really embarrassed. It's infuriating to be treated that way. It is infuriating because you’re being treated like an object. And it’s disturbing, 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, people were still talking about the butt, the butt, the butt. It was the most disturbing time I have ever spent on that set. I couldn’t wait for that day to be over.”
Patterson said the scene is structured humorously, but he didn't find it funny and instead thinks it demeaned his character.
"Just put yourself in my place: Stand there in front of all those people filming and this is how the creator of that show sees that character. That you can humiliate him and take away his dignity that entire scene and that’s OK. And it wasn’t OK with me. I hated that scene. That’s the one thing I hate about this episode, is that scene."
Patterson said he found the scene unprofessional.
“I had to go to work and shoot that,” 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.”
Patterson said he never said anything because at the time, he was concerned for his job and back then these types of concerns weren't taken as seriously as they are today.
"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, but I had this job and I didn’t want to make waves and all that.”
Patterson said he forgot his disdain for the scene until he rewatched it in preparation for this episode of his podcast.
"I got that off my chest," he said before bellowing out laughter. "I wasn't really expecting to even discuss this. But watching the episode, it took me back. I remember not enjoying that at all and I didn't think it was funny and I never said anything. There's that level of shame too."
Patterson said people who laughed at the scene should not feel guilty and he's more so sharing this story so others know how it felt to do it.
"It's set up where you're going to almost have to giggle because you love these characters so much," he said. "I'm just pointing out how incredibly small it made me feel doing it."
Patterson's last words on the topic were, "It devalues people."
"If you are just talking about somebody's body part, you're taking away that person's humanity and it's inappropriate."
