Gleek Here.
A recent post by my good friend, Queen Ketchup, got me thinking that I needed to respond about Glee. I considered responding informally in a comment on her blog but after second thoughts, decided to go more public on my own blog. I've often seen in a magazine or two an issue or item debated by two writers so allow me to offer an alternate perspective on Glee.
Preface: I was never in choir (be it a church or show choir), I was not blessed with the ability to sing (try as I might in the shower, in the car, at home, in the office, on the street, in the mall, in the grocery store, in the gym...), and I'm a huge fan of most Broadway shows, Sister Act, and a cappella music.
I first tuned into Glee last season not only because of what I mentioned above but also because I saw Lea Michele (Rachel) in Spring Awakening on Broadway, and knew the girl could sing like no other. I enjoyed the first season and continue to enjoy this season.
Reasons why:
1. The songs. (Queen Ketchup and I both agree here).
2. The characters. While QK and others might find them annoying, rarely does a show find a way to emphasize and give enough time/energy to the development of so many different characters: Sue, Will, Rachel, Puck, Finn, Quinn, Artie, Mercedes, Santana, Emma, Brittany and most of all, Kurt.
3. The gay issue. Glee is breaking some serious ground this year through Kurt's character development as a gay student. Whether it's navigating his relationship and feelings for his new step-brother Finn, who struggles to accept and love Kurt in the face of being ostracized by his peers, Kurt's relationship with his father and his father's willingness to support and love his son unconditionally, or by putting a face and name on gay bullying and the impact and damage it can do, Glee is a power house that is standing up to say, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
4. The new faces. Beiste. Blaine. Sam. All wonderful new additions to the cast. Blaine and Sam are both incredibly talented and pretty darn good looking and Beiste helps drive home once again the power of inclusion and acceptance.
Sure, the show is cheesy at times. Sure, it's a little annoying that the Glee kids are SO UNPOPULAR that even the socially awkward students at McKinley throw slushies at them. Sure, there are times when I want to punch Rachel in the face, tell Finn to grow a pair, or tell Will to stop accepting all the shitake that's thrown at him with a smile. But at the end of the day, the message the show delivers and the willingness of Ryan Murphy to tackle any issue he sees pressing and needed regardless of how "taboo" mainstream society may view it is commendable.
I'll keep on singing with the Glee kids and keep on applauding them for being different.
Cheers.
Preface: I was never in choir (be it a church or show choir), I was not blessed with the ability to sing (try as I might in the shower, in the car, at home, in the office, on the street, in the mall, in the grocery store, in the gym...), and I'm a huge fan of most Broadway shows, Sister Act, and a cappella music.
I first tuned into Glee last season not only because of what I mentioned above but also because I saw Lea Michele (Rachel) in Spring Awakening on Broadway, and knew the girl could sing like no other. I enjoyed the first season and continue to enjoy this season.
Reasons why:
1. The songs. (Queen Ketchup and I both agree here).
2. The characters. While QK and others might find them annoying, rarely does a show find a way to emphasize and give enough time/energy to the development of so many different characters: Sue, Will, Rachel, Puck, Finn, Quinn, Artie, Mercedes, Santana, Emma, Brittany and most of all, Kurt.
3. The gay issue. Glee is breaking some serious ground this year through Kurt's character development as a gay student. Whether it's navigating his relationship and feelings for his new step-brother Finn, who struggles to accept and love Kurt in the face of being ostracized by his peers, Kurt's relationship with his father and his father's willingness to support and love his son unconditionally, or by putting a face and name on gay bullying and the impact and damage it can do, Glee is a power house that is standing up to say, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
4. The new faces. Beiste. Blaine. Sam. All wonderful new additions to the cast. Blaine and Sam are both incredibly talented and pretty darn good looking and Beiste helps drive home once again the power of inclusion and acceptance.
Sure, the show is cheesy at times. Sure, it's a little annoying that the Glee kids are SO UNPOPULAR that even the socially awkward students at McKinley throw slushies at them. Sure, there are times when I want to punch Rachel in the face, tell Finn to grow a pair, or tell Will to stop accepting all the shitake that's thrown at him with a smile. But at the end of the day, the message the show delivers and the willingness of Ryan Murphy to tackle any issue he sees pressing and needed regardless of how "taboo" mainstream society may view it is commendable.
I'll keep on singing with the Glee kids and keep on applauding them for being different.
Cheers.
Comments
The weird thing is that I agree with most of these things...
I think the development of so many characters is ambitious and cool. I love how it's tackling big, relevant issues. I friggin love the song & dance (definitely playing the xmas album in my car this whole month).
It's just the CHARACTERS - they're so annoying! As in, the characters themselves. Like, I'm all for having a gay main character who is figuring himself out in the HS setting...I just don't want that gay person to be annoying Kurt (Kirk?).
But yeah - I don't want the show to end or anything...I just want to watch an episode and not have to bite a stick to keep from smashing Rachel's face on the tv screen.