Interpersonal Communication - Essay Example

and Number Interpersonal Communication Being able to communicate in today’s world is incredibly important. Communication is the foundation for how relationships are formed, how essential information is communicated, and how society continues to function and thrive. Interpersonal communication is often reflected in many of the television programs that are popular in America. One program that utilizes interpersonal communication as an essential component of its characters, settings, and plots is the WB’s Gilmore Girls.

Gilmore Girls is considered to be a show that equally features drama and comedy. On the whole, it had a relatively simple premise. Gilmore Girls ran for seven seasons from 2000 to 2007 and was primarily known for its fast paced dialogue and pop-culture references. The show focuses on two female characters: Lorelai and her teenage daughter Rory. Lorelai and Rory live in a small town in Connecticut called Stars Hollow and this town is filled with lovable, wacky characters. Lorelai gave birth to Rory as a teenage and it is because of this that they have a very close friendship that differs from Lorelai’s own relationship with her rich parents who she ran away from after having Rory at 16.

The difference between these two relationships, particularly between Lorelai and her parents, is often what drives the conflict in an episode. The specific show that I chose to analyze is the fifth episode in the 2nd season entitled “Nick and Nora/ Sid and Nancy.” Luke, who owns a diner in Stars Hollow and is somewhat of a love interest for Lorelai, brings his troubled nephew, Jess, to live with him. Jess steals from people and is disrespectful which cause Lorelai to give Luke parenting advice.

The two characters fight over the situation and eventually make up with Luke realizing that he needs Lorelai’s help occasionally. One important concept in interpersonal communication is biased listening. According to the article entitled “Types of Listening,” biased listening is defined as “when the person hears only what they want to hear…and misinterprets based on stereotypes and biases”( “Types of Listening”). In this particular episode of Gilmore Girls, biased listening occurs when Luke and Lorelai have a conversation about Jess when he runs out on a special dinner that Lorelai and her friends cook for him.

Lorelai explains how Luke should be going about parenting Jess and Luke decides to only hear the judgment and negativity in what Lorelai says and believes she is unfairly criticizing him. Another important concept in interpersonal communication is empathetic listening. According to the article entitled “Types of Listening,” empathetic listening is defined as when a person goes “beyond sympathy to seek a truer understanding of how others are feeling”( “Types of Listening”). At the special dinner that Lorelai and her friends fix for Jess, Lorelai speaks to Jess about how she understands what he is going through in terms of being taken away from his friends, anger at his parents, etc.

She is using empathy and empathetic listening in order to gain better insight into Jess, to connect with him, and make him feel at home. Finally, critical listening is an important concept in interpersonal communication. The article entitled “Types of Listening” defines critical listening as “listening in order to evaluate and judge, forming opinion about what is being said”( “Types of Listening”). In this particular episode, critical listening is used when Luke explains the rules he is setting out for Jess while he is staying with him including working in the diner, going to school, returning what he stole, etc.

Jess does not respond, but he listens and ultimate walks out of Luke’s apartment having formed a negative opinion about these rules. In understanding these interpersonal communication concepts, it really aids in creating characters that seem more real. Having the Gilmore Girls characters react in certain ways to communication helps the audience to understand the relationships between the characters and the actions that these same characters take. Ultimately, the writers have to stay true to the character in having them react to communication in certain patterns that make sense for the character.

The same is true in real life as our communication will reflect the underlying personality and characteristics of each individual. References "Types of listening." Changing minds and persuasion -- How we change what others think, believe, feel and do. Web. 17 July 2011. .