Gilmore Girls' Scott Patterson says Luke's butt scene is the "most disturbing" scene he's ever filmed

26 August 2022, 17:18

Watch the Gilmore Girls- A Year in the Life trailer

By Sam Prance

"Just because it was 2003 didn't mean it was okay. It's never OK. And I didn't feel comfortable doing it and it pissed me off."

Loading audio...

Gilmore Girls actor Scott Patterson has opened up about filming Luke's infamous butt scene and revealed that he hated it.

As soon as Gilmore Girls debuted in 2000, fans became obsessed with Lorelai (Lauren Graham) and Luke's (Scott Patterson) will-they-won't-they romance. Lorelai has multiple love interests in the show but none of them have been more popular with viewers than the often grouchy but kind-hearted diner-owner who is there for Lorelai no matter what life throws at her.

In season 3, there's a well-known scene in which Lorelai and her best friend Sookie (Melissa McCarthy) ogle at Luke's butt. Now, Scott's discussed the scene at length and let slip that he found it "disgusting", "disturbing" and "objectifying".

Gilmore Girls&squot; Scott Patterson says Luke&squot;s butt scene is the "most disturbing" scene he&squot;s ever filmed — Gilmore Girls' Scott Patterson says Luke's butt scene is the "most disturbing" scene he's ever filmed. Picture: PictureLux / The Hollywood Archive / Alamy Stock Photo, The WB

In the season 3 scene, Luke fixes Sookie's stove and, when Lorelai arrives, Sookie tells Lorelai that she accidentally had her hand on Luke's butt while she bent down to help him fix it. Lorelai then asks Sookie about Luke's butt and Sookie says it's "got a nice shape to it." The camera pans in on Luke's butt, and Luke asks the girls to stop talking about his butt.

Discussing the scene on his I Am All In with Scott Patterson podcast, Scott said: "Objectifying somebody's body part? Yeah, that was disturbing. 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..."

Scott continued: "It was the most disturbing time I have ever spent on that set. I couldn't wait for that day to be over. It's as disgusting for women to objectify men as it for men to objectify women, and it's as harmful."

Gilmore Girls-Talking about Luke's Butt

Scott went on to say that he felt like "meat on a stick". He added: "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. That's the one thing I hate about this episode is that scene."

Scott ended by saying: "Just because it was 2003 didn't mean it was okay. 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."

The episode in question is 'Keg! Max', season 3, episode 19, and it aired in April 2003.