As someone with multiple interests ranging from sci-fi to musicals, I’ve become rather accustom to people ragging on certain shows that I watch. Due to embarrassment, I didn’t openly admit to being a hardcore Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan for the longest time, because I knew that if I did, all I’d get were complaints about how the dialogue is way too corny. And maybe I can understand from the perspective of someone watching a random episode with no background knowledge, but anyone who watched the show religiously, or perhaps still enjoys catching the odd episode on reruns, will have about 132 reasons to argue that point. Then again, I get embarrassed walking by my landlords while holding a take-out bag of McDonald’s, so maybe a minor part of the embarrassment factor is on me. And then of course, there is Battlestar Galactica, a show that I had to relentlessly push on my ever reluctant friends to watch, until they finally gave in and loved it. You see, the problem lies with categorization. All it takes is for someone to hear the term “sci-fi” and they are immediately put off and refuse to give it a chance. The same goes for my new favourite indulgence: Glee.
When people think of Glee, the next go-to word is “musical.” And with that association, a huge chunk of an otherwise open-minded audience just vanishes. Well firstly, I have to ask: what the hell is so bad about musicals? This cast is extremely talented, most of them classically trained, and believe me, it shows. The songs that are covered are just amazingly done. I admit, there were a couple that I didn’t enjoy, but it was mostly due to my not liking the original song, and on that note, the self-proclaimed “gleeks” even managed to sway my opinion about some numbers that I had previously been impartial to. However, one common complaint is that the covers don’t do the originals justice. Well to this, I’m just gonna put it out there that honestly, a good many of these people likely don’t enjoy MOST covers, and this isn’t unusual. A lot of times when a favourite song of mine is redone, my immediate thought is that “these BASTARDS ruined MY song!” and the usual screaming and punching of the person nearest to me ensues. But as with many other people, my problem in these moments is just that I’m so devoted to the original that even the best cover in the world wouldn’t do it justice. This is a mind-frame that you simply can’t watch Glee in, you’ll just hate it. This group is frakkin talented, there’s no denying it, but what they are doing are COVERS—they aren’t supposed to sound exactly like the original, and in fact, the further away from the original the better. Otherwise, what’s the point of trying to bring a fresh perspective to a well-known song?
People also comment on how unrealistic the show is, because what kind of high school students spontaneously break into song, and how could popular kids ever join a glee club? Pay attention ladies and gents, being a geek isn’t a bad thing anymore; at least, not in television. Seth Cohen anyone? And as for the unrealistic aspect... oh, hi True Blood, Vampire Diaries, Fringe, LOST, and a million other unrealistic shows that are nonetheless hugely successful. Even shows like The Office or Parks and Recreation (two of my favourite programs right now) which claim to be documentary style are not *actually* realistic. This is pure entertainment douchebags, stop taking it so seriously and just accept it for what it is. It may not be realistic but it sure puts a smile on your face.
People also comment on how unrealistic the show is, because what kind of high school students spontaneously break into song, and how could popular kids ever join a glee club? Pay attention ladies and gents, being a geek isn’t a bad thing anymore; at least, not in television. Seth Cohen anyone? And as for the unrealistic aspect... oh, hi True Blood, Vampire Diaries, Fringe, LOST, and a million other unrealistic shows that are nonetheless hugely successful. Even shows like The Office or Parks and Recreation (two of my favourite programs right now) which claim to be documentary style are not *actually* realistic. This is pure entertainment douchebags, stop taking it so seriously and just accept it for what it is. It may not be realistic but it sure puts a smile on your face.
Let’s not forget th
e amazing originality of Glee, which is the first show I have heard of to incorporate music into each and every episode. Shows like Buffy and Scrubs did it for an episode, but Glee does it constantly and still manages to pull it off with flying colours. Even the segue music that connects and adds emotionality to scenes is different. For the most part, these numbers are sung and not instrumental as with almost every other television program. This just adds to the, for lack of a better word, gleeful atmosphere. The hilarity of the situations also add to this atmosphere, a favourite quirk of mine being the constant “slushee facials” that the gleeks are subject to as a result of belonging to the club. And yet, there are many moments in Glee that aren’t funny, but rather serious and often heart-warming, and if you think that this combination may be tricky to pull off, you’d be wrong.I can’t continue on without giving mention to the characters, who are actually really well-structured. Firstly, it was nice to see a show with such a diverse crowd. Along with racial diversity, we also have characters who are disabled and characters with different sexual orientations. As the show progresses, we see that each character is given a storyline, not just the more prominent characters. Some argue that this was done to almost exploit the fact that a lot of programs aren’t diverse, but really even if this is the case, should we be complaining about the motives? The effect is the same, and that’s the point. And yes, a lot of the characters are stereotypical, but most programs I know either do the same thing, or go completely opposite in attempts to avoid this complaint. But back to the characters. Aside from being a musical, I’d put Glee into the comedy genre as well because it just downright hilarious, and a lot of this has to do with the writing of the characters. Sue Sylvester, played by Jane Lynch, definitely stands out. She is blunt with a dry, sarcastic and often politically incorrect sort of humour, a combination that is incredibly well-received due to the recent boom of this sort of comedy. If you’re one for quotable characters a la Michael Scott, she is right up there. The younger characters deal with a lot of issues that are relevant to what real high school kids go through, but the issues are completely put in a “worst-case scenario” perspective, giving extreme examples and putting otherwise taboo issues right out there, and lessening the embarrassment factor. Lea Michele, who plays ambitious Rachel Berry, is delightful. Her talent is just so pure, and her over-the-top drama is so extreme that it’s funny. Glee club teacher Will Schuester, played by Matthew Morrison, is definitely a triple threat, and is refreshing to watch as someone who genuinely cares about his students and those in his life. Pretty much every character has something unique to offer.
The biggest thing that irks me though, is the reason for people complaining. If you’re just not a fan of musicals, it’s pretty obvious that you’re not going to like a show that is classified as such. I mean, really? What did you expect? It doesn’t mean that the show is shit, it means that you’re not a fan of the genre, and even if it was the best representation of a musical out there, you’d still hate it. So that opinion is pretty redundant if you ask me. But... let’s end on a happier note than that. Watch Glee!
The biggest thing that irks me though, is the reason for people complaining. If you’re just not a fan of musicals, it’s pretty obvious that you’re not going to like a show that is classified as such. I mean, really? What did you expect? It doesn’t mean that the show is shit, it means that you’re not a fan of the genre, and even if it was the best representation of a musical out there, you’d still hate it. So that opinion is pretty redundant if you ask me. But... let’s end on a happier note than that. Watch Glee!
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