The pilot episode of "Glee" aired Wednesday after the American Idol finale. I watched it the next day online, intrigued about a show based on high school show choir. I thought the characters weren't believable, and the story was forced. Why do they have to make it up like singing and dancing makes these kids insanely happy? The spanish teacher who takes over the "glee club" (no one frickin' calls it that anymore) says that his time in show choir was the happiest time of his life. Please. I did show choir in high school because it was fun, yes, but also because I was good at it and it gave me something to belong to. And PLENTY of normal people do it. "Glee" makes it seem like only really big losers like to sing. The pretty girl who can sing is shunned by everyone. Let me tell you, if someone can sing like that in high school (and those kids do NOT have high school voices), she won't be a loser. Though there was a great line from the jock turned singer about everyone being losers in high school. And let's not discuss the we-don't-need-real-practice-we're-just-this-good-all-the-time crap that they show from "practice". It doesn't really succeed in being tongue in cheek, in my opinion. Just fake.
Overall, I didn't think the story was very convincing. HOWEVER. The music was fantastic. There was no orchestral background music throughout the show - everything was in acappella arrangement, which thankfully distracted me from the fake characters. And then there was this number:
This is another show choir that they go see. Ok, so this isn't exactly what our numbers were like, but MAN, is it cool! A great arrangement of Amy Winehouse's "Rehab" (that would almost never be sung for competition), and great choreography. If "Glee" has more of this to offer, I might just stick around. But I do hope they put a little more effort into the story.
1 comment:
David C. Miller here. You have a blog where you wax philosophical/religious/show-choir-y, too! Let's form a club!
I watched Glee as well, and I thought it was pretty strong. Some characters were silly or unbelievable, sure, but this is a broadly drawn comedy, not a documentary about high school. It's just a pilot episode, too. I think it will get better.
That said, I rolled by eyes several times at the different social classes and kingdoms that were created. Imagine- the Black Girl is Sassy! The Jock is ostracized for singing by his Jock buddies! The tooooootally gay guy loves Show Choir...and fashion!
But if I could add to your insight, maybe the problem with the characters is that they try hard to create these rigid cliques and social strata and then don't fit in them correctly. That there is a group of Popular Hot Girls is not surprising. That the incredibly hot girl who sings isn't among them is.
And maybe the creators of the show are trying to make the point that these social differences are all artificial constructs that no one fits into anyway, a Story as old as The Breakfast Club. But like you, I just found the thing confusing.
This is not to say that I didn't like the show. The music was fun. Also, as a recent college grad reaching a milestone in my life, this may be the right show at the right time for me. The Spanish teacher seems filled with the same nostalgia for Glee that I have for Make Our Garden Grow, and his entire character is based on reaching his own Life Milestone looking to the past with a bit of regret.
Sadly, I predict that the marriage will end in divorce for that most annoying of reasons: they don't love each other anymore.
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