I have a confession to make: I kind of like the TV show Glee. I know... in many ways, this Emmy Award-winning series is the antithesis of what I look for in music, consisting as it does of somewhat canned, soulless renditions of popular songs, past and present... I think my old Britpop fave, Blur's Damon Albarn said it best in an interview to Q's Jian Ghomeshi:
So maybe Damon and the Gorillaz aren't going to "sell-out," but it never ceases to amaze me how many other respected artists have allowed their songs to be covered by the cheerful, "would-be Broadway performers" on the program.
Ok, for those not familiar, Glee is a musical comedy/drama about a group of students taking part in a high school glee club. Aimed at younger viewers, the show looks at what it takes to be a performer, as well as some of the prejudices and issues facing high school students today. The cast is lead by the club's director Will Schuester, played by Matthew Morrison; other cast members include Lea Michele (Rachel), Cory Monteith (Finn), Curt Colfer (Kurt), and Jane Lynch, who plays the conniving cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester. All the actors are quite charming and personable, and when the series started I was eager to give it a chance--sounded like something I would have enjoyed watching as a teen... artist that I was.
Initially, I found the show a little rough. It definitely did not shy away from important issues--relationships, sexuality, social--that all teens certainly deal with, but I wasn't prepared for it being so "in your face." I thought it was trying to be a little too crass/edgy at start, and worried about the influence it might have on younger viewers. And some of the music... sounded like we had reverted to the 1950s, when Pat Boone recorded neutered versions of Little Richard rock numbers. Sarah seemed to enjoy it though, so I gave it another chance when we were looking for shows to kick back with online...
I think the turning point for me was watching an episode where the gay student Kurt comes out to his "sporty" father, and was concerned about the reaction--it was really touching and real, with the father showing concern yet absolute support for his son. I began to think there might be more to the show than initially met my eye... and ears.
The cast really is great, and the subjects have been interesting--it definitely sucks you in, and you start caring for the students and their story. Last week we watched a back episode that really caught my attention, as it dealt with another student dealing with social pressure. The character, David Karofsky (played by Max Adler), is a member of the school's football team, and was "outed" by several of his teammates with cruel taunts. What is interesting about this storyline is that the character first appeared a bully to the gay student Kurt, who he later expressed interest in. Karofksy couldn't handle the abuse (along with the very modern-day issue of online harrassment), and tries to kill himself. It was pretty wild, and was actually intercut with a performance by one of the other glee club members, performing an actually pretty decent cover of Young the Giant's recent indie-hit "Cough Syrup". View the clip here, and here is a performance is the original song, which already packs a pretty emotional wallop (it has been stuck in my head ever since we watched the episode):
So, I had no idea how they were going to continue this show after such a heavy, heavy subject. It turned out later in the episode, that Karofksy's father rushed in at the last minute and caught his son as he tried to hang himself. The character is seen later on in the hospital, as Kurt (one-time victim of his harrassment), stops by to pay him a visit.
Glee has never shied away from such teen issues, which must be one reason for its immense popularity. But this particular episode took things even one step further... at the end of the show, the characters Finn and Rachel have decided to get married, and are seen trying to rush through a quickly put together ceremony. One of the other glee members, Quinn (played by Dianna Agron), is on her way to the wedding, and is seen texting back and forth with Rachel. The last shocking moments of the program show a truck crashing into Quinn's car. Wow. Who saw that coming?...
To me this is Glee's moment of truth. I'm not a hater of any of the characters, but they would do a real service to their viewers by having Quinn die. A teenager's life is tough enough, but one of the other truly frightening realities of modern-day culture is the number of accidents resulting from texting. I know a thing or two about being distracted while driving, and I'm actually quite terrified by this latest trend.
All of us can relate to adolescence and the high school years, and I'm sure most of us have experienced the unexpected death of loved ones or friends. I remember back in my high school days learning that a popular classmate had been killed while skiing... later, it was a car carrying two students who were speeding around the time of prom. It definitely wakes you up, and puts things in perspective--particularly your day-to-day high school experience, which sometimes feels like it will never change. Now Quinn is a fictional character, but by this very tragic example, Glee could be offering students a chance to "feel" what this could be like--to them, their family, friends. Here is actress Dianna Agron herself, appearing on The View this week:
I think I was initially wrong about Glee (even if the music can still be a little schmaltzy)--I commend the show for its efforts to raise awareness about all of these delicate issues--I think we have all been there. Above all, the show has presented a sympathetic look at how it feels to be "different"... it can be a challenging road from adolescent to adulthood, and it's still pretty tricky once you reach the later years. Don't stop believin'.
Related Links:
www.fox.com/glee
"Teens still texting while driving, survey says," Detroit Free Press, April 10, 2012
No comments:
Post a Comment