So as I've stated, I'm no Gleek, but I never said I wasn't a geek. So bear with me while I talk about Glee some more, or skip it if you have better things to do, or, you know, brains.
I'll start with the airing of grievances. The main characters have bored the crap out of me for the longest time. I don't want to see Finn or Quinn or Rachel for awhile (no offense to Lea Michele, I have the Spring Awakening recording and listen to it always). The love stories are dumb, they do nothing for the plot. The action is all in the peripheral characters, for better or worse.
For worse: so the big self-loathing closeted bully on the football team, this is one character for whom I want reparations. I think they've drawn out his storyline for way too long without any payoff. I can't imagine him coming out at this point, and I don't like the way they took the easy way out in explaining why he was so menacing to the openly gay character. Sure, historically some of the most vocal homophobes use hate to deflect their own homosexuality (*cough*Larry Craig*cough*) but it's not enough to fall back on this trope. If you're going to make him such a big part of the storyline, go further. Give us some of his home life or something. Using a straw man for such a huge, timely issue is way disappointing. I'm hoping he can just go away now and they can let an otherwise super cute actor do something more worthy.
And the one that has driven me extremely crazy until halfway through last night's episode: Lauren Zizes, otherwise known as the fat girl. Its great that they include a character who doesn't fit in the Hollywood cookie cutter, but the way her character has been written up until now has been so offensive! I mean, really, her being overweight is her entire personality? Showing her eating all the time is OK because she's big and that's all big people do, eat? It's not funny at all. It's lazy and hurtful. I wonder if the writers have been listening to feedback about this because of the semi-thoughtful storyline wherein she rejects Puck's advances. It still walks a fine line of insult, but I appreciate that she called him out on the (WAY overused) Queen serenade and I feel like things have a chance to get interesting with this character. Here's hoping they don't screw it up.
Now for better, or, why I can't quite quit the show: I still love Kurt, especially now that they've dialed back the pissiness that marked the first part of the season. He brings everyone together and he gets some of the best non-Brittany lines. And here's the big one keeping me watching right now: Darren Criss. Ooh, he is flawless, and he gets the best songs. I want to high-five whoever decided the Warblers should sing "Bills Bills Bills" since that song is old as shit and a totally underrated part of the Destiny's Child oeuvre. And are you kidding me with "When I Get You Alone?" Because I thought I was the only one in the world who remembered that song let alone bought it from iTunes in the past year. I might have been the only 2010 purchaser, but I'm sure its sales are way up as of today. It's somewhat comforting to know that someone besides me has Thicke the Younger on their radar... I mean, what? I didn't say any of that. Did someone tell you I used to think he was fine when he had long hair? Because that was someone else.
*Palate Cleanser*
Here's this, which is just so neat.
I spent way too much time talking about a TV show. But it's a show a LOT of people watch, and in my opinion when you have that kind of success, you also have responsibility, as writers and whatnot, to not just coast along. I'm not saying to sell out your creative vision or pander to appease every little group, but you've got the staff and the talent to put some effort into the messages you're sending. This is arguably one of the most diverse/inclusive casts on TV, meaning they have a prominent disabled character (even if the actor himself isn't paraplegic), several actors with Downs Syndrome who are integrated into the cast and not relegated to Very Special Episodes, and one of the most genuine relationships between a gay teen and his father. Good on them. But here's the thing: they can do better.
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