I'm Glee-vangelical. There are jokes about high school, jokes about pop music and jokes so inside that maybe ten people get them.
For example, last week's picnic in the auditorium scene was a dead-on re-enactment of the rape/seduction scene in Spring Awakening which starred Lea Michele as Wendla.
Thanks to Gawker, I watched this show for the first time last night. While I enjoyed it, I was totally distracted by the obvious, badly done lip-syncing.
Like the guys doing their number - was that a lip-sync contest or were they supposed to be actually singing? (I got there late. Sorry.) Are these high school guys wanting to sex me up? (If so, I feel ashamed and dirty at thinking "Why yes, you hot young thing, you may sex me up.) Why do the cheerleaders have matching bathing suit tops for their skirts? Do they also cheer for the swim team? So, so many questions.
Their use of 90's R&B hits is either hilarious or ridiculous. I haven't determined which yet. Usually what happens is I'm caught between a, "Oh, no they ditn't! They suck so bad! Did he just say a ho should be cut like an afro...having no af or ro to speak of? Heh. Cheesetastic! or not."
And then I feel bad for Color Me Bad. Because you just know they're at home not sure if they were just mocked or paid homage to. That's got to be a hard conflict.
@Spirit Fingers: actually, one dude from color me bad is slinging tires at a mechanics garage according to the show where they tried to remake a boy band. somehow I dont think he cares anymore.
This is my new favorite show! I watch every number twice. That I Wanna Sex You Up number had me speechless. Between the Sandy shout-outs, the choreography and PUCK ....drool..... I still can't figure out what that was. But i LOVE it.
I am not ashamed to say that I was one of the haters when it debuted over the summer but the writing has gotten hugely better, and now matches the fabulous musical numbers.
@ima221: I'm with you; I had a total WTF reaction to that. If you're going to put that in the story, then make him suck, or at least stand out as being worse than the rest.
@dandles: AND he represents Sheets N' Things. Dude never takes off his nametag.
The musical numbers are heavily produced but that's so the audience won't get bored hearing a quintet sing; there's just not enough body in a group that small. Everybody on this show has a good set of pipes (and, obviously, some have great). I think they're doing a nice job with the music. It's supposed to crack you up while also being legit.
I work at a middle school. Those cheerleader outfits are JC Penney compared to what young people wear to school nowadays.
@DahlELama: Does anyone know if she can sing? Would love to see a number from her... and after watching all the Acafellas bust out last night, I wouldn't be surprised if the whole cast auditioned with music.
@ArmCandy: Supposedly everyone on the show had to sing as part of their auditions (unless they were actually "discovered" on Broadway) so I assume she can, although I don't know whether or not we'll get to see it.
The writers of the show are brilliant, I haven't laughed out loud by myself in a very long time. The haters should give it one more chance because who hasn't felt like a Rachel or a Kurt at some point in their life...Plus I can't wait to see Rachel belt out Taking Chances by Celion Dion...it looks like it will be camp perfection!!!!
@MessiahsHandle: I think you hit on it. Glee isn't meant to be ironic, like when a hipster wears a Bel Biv Devoe shirt to Union Pool, it's campy and corny as hell. They're not trying to saying, "We're gonna sing 'Poison' cause it will be so bad it's good." They're saying, "We love this song, and we're going to make it good."
Part of the lack of irony is that Glee kids really do love their club and want to make it work. If the haters are watching thinking this is making ironic fun of show choir, then they're missing the point.
@Brian Moylan: Yes yes yes! I was a glee kid in middle and high school and it brings me back to the days when we truly thought we could make show choir cool.
Thanks to Taylor Swift singing about sitting in the bleachers and hotty mchottersons Finn & Puck singing and loving it, I am hoping this is start of high school kids dropping the "I'm too cool" act and getting over themselves.
I love, love, love this show. And I can't believe they got me to enjoy "Golddigger!" And if I had my way, I'd only let Matt Morrison out of my bed long enough to sing me a song (and get us some herbal tea and cookies).
I'm having a hard time with the high-school-girls-dancing-like-strippers thing. And high school boys wanting to sex you up. But it's been a long time since high school here.
And I have a long-standing gripe about cheerleaders wearing their uniforms 24/7
@pollyannacowgirl: I was about to write this EXACT SAME THING. I keep DVR'ing it because everybody keeps talking about how great it is, and how ironic, and great parody, and all that... I just am not seeing it. And I love ironic entertainment, but to me it feels like it's being played completely straight, in all earnestness. When I see these kids doing their best to sing the hell out of a popular 1990's rap song, it doesn't feel funny to me, it just feels kind of weird. And I don't see much interesting going on with the plots either.
@badasscat: That's so funny, because I really like the show (fun musical numbers + laugh out loud lines=good enough for me), but it never occurred to me it was anything but straight and earnest. I never got the impression they were going for parody or irony, but I guess I'm just not that intellectual a TV watcher.
@DahlELama: Anyone who reads your comments on a daily basis (me, if that weird or stalker-y) knows you are an intelligent TV watcher.
I completely agree. We have all gotten too into shows being ironically funny, that we no longer appreciate the straight fun of "Glee." I love this show.
@chickachicka: Aw, that's not stalkery or weird at all! You're my very first fan! And you're right--perhaps we're both missing the point(?) but it's fun to watch a show that's just, well, fun!
@pollyannacowgirl: You are not alone. I loved the pilot but have grown increasingly cold to the new episodes. My main problem is the level of talent among these high school kids, plus the fact that they all look like college kids, at a minimum. Also, all the voices sound overly processed and divorced from the person singing them. All this might be less of a problem if they show was meant to be ironic, but I buy the argument above that it isn't. Oh well, there's always next week.
@naugahydeinplainsight: Agree on the over-processing of the songs, but I still love the show. This week seemed to have better sound than last week. As for "they all look like college kids, at a minimum," have you ever seen any TV show about high school? Some of those Gossip Girl and OC kids are close to 30.
09/18/09
09/18/09
For example, last week's picnic in the auditorium scene was a dead-on re-enactment of the rape/seduction scene in Spring Awakening which starred Lea Michele as Wendla.
09/17/09
Like the guys doing their number - was that a lip-sync contest or were they supposed to be actually singing? (I got there late. Sorry.) Are these high school guys wanting to sex me up? (If so, I feel ashamed and dirty at thinking "Why yes, you hot young thing, you may sex me up.) Why do the cheerleaders have matching bathing suit tops for their skirts? Do they also cheer for the swim team? So, so many questions.
09/17/09
09/17/09
And then I feel bad for Color Me Bad. Because you just know they're at home not sure if they were just mocked or paid homage to. That's got to be a hard conflict.
I'm predicting Rico Suave next week.
09/17/09
09/17/09
Thanks, Glee!
09/17/09
I am not ashamed to say that I was one of the haters when it debuted over the summer but the writing has gotten hugely better, and now matches the fabulous musical numbers.
09/17/09
09/17/09
09/17/09
09/17/09
The musical numbers are heavily produced but that's so the audience won't get bored hearing a quintet sing; there's just not enough body in a group that small. Everybody on this show has a good set of pipes (and, obviously, some have great). I think they're doing a nice job with the music. It's supposed to crack you up while also being legit.
I work at a middle school. Those cheerleader outfits are JC Penney compared to what young people wear to school nowadays.
09/17/09
09/17/09
09/17/09
09/17/09
09/17/09
09/17/09
09/17/09
Part of the lack of irony is that Glee kids really do love their club and want to make it work. If the haters are watching thinking this is making ironic fun of show choir, then they're missing the point.
09/17/09
Thanks to Taylor Swift singing about sitting in the bleachers and hotty mchottersons Finn & Puck singing and loving it, I am hoping this is start of high school kids dropping the "I'm too cool" act and getting over themselves.
But that's just me.
09/17/09
09/17/09
09/17/09
09/17/09
09/17/09
09/18/09
09/17/09
And I have a long-standing gripe about cheerleaders wearing their uniforms 24/7
09/18/09
You haven't seen many middle school talent shows lately, have you?
09/19/09
09/17/09
09/17/09
09/17/09
It's just so self-aware and wink-wink-nod-nod I can't stand it. But we had beer, so, yeah.
09/17/09
09/17/09
09/17/09
I completely agree. We have all gotten too into shows being ironically funny, that we no longer appreciate the straight fun of "Glee." I love this show.
09/17/09
09/17/09
09/17/09
09/17/09
09/17/09
09/17/09