He may be a rebel without a cause, but he comes with quite the pop culture legacy! As we wrap season 2 of Gilmore Girls (!!), we don’t ask our usual question (“Who the heck are Rory and Lorelai talking about?”); instead, we’re asking, “Why the heck does Luke and everyone else in the whole world reference this guy?” We’re talking James Dean, the 1950s star of only 3 films but also the star of a million songs, movies, and TV shows after his death. Why is this guy such a big deal? And why does Luke compare him to Jess? Listen in…and then tell us if you’ve ever seen a trapeze in a barn—seriously.

P.S. You can find all the songs we we talk about that mention James Dean on SO IT’S A SHOW? • The Mixtape.

Other pop culture we ref: Elizabeth Taylor, Humphrey Bogart, The Donna Reed Show, Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Lana Del Rey, The Disaster Artist, Futurama, Family Guy, Ronald Reagan, Seinfeld, Marlon Brando, She’s All That, Clueless, The Hunger Games, La La Land, #MeToo