Glee, one of the most popular new shows on television, just ended its initial season with a flourish. So I decided to venture into the unknown … the season finale. “What better place to start for a newbie like me?” I reasoned.
A few friends and associates praised my daring-do; others did their best to try and convince me I would be traipsing down a path of doom from which there was no return. But I am the adventurous sort. I mean … it’s not like my brain’s going to turn into Malt-O-Meal from one single episode … right? Right? RIGHT … ?!?
While jumping in feet first did seem a bit daunting, I was the fortunate recipient of a helpful voice over at the beginning of the episode to help me baby-step my way through, courtesy of “Voice Over Man” (who was obviously speaking directly to me):
“So, I don’t know why anyone would miss an episode of Glee, but here’s what’s been happening in case you did: Quinn’s parents found out she’s pregnant and kicked her out. Jesse dropped Rachel and McKinley and the New Directions and he’s back on Vocal Adrenaline which freaked everybody out and convinced them they can’t beat him at regionals. If they don’t place at regionals, the club is over … which would be awful. That’s what you missed. On Glee.”
*whew* Glad I got that reprieve. Truth be told I’d probably be lost without it. (Careful. Don’t slip in that dripping sarcasm.)
Now … I tried. Really, I did. But, all through the viewing of Glee, I kept craving Velveeta. And I hate Velveeta. (I’m a subscriber to the notion if you use Velveeta you go to jail.) In case you don’t get the correlation, let me spell it out for you: This episode of Glee was full of cheese. Lotsa cheese. Not the gooey, warm, melty kind, either. Just great, big hunks of it, tossed out there for you to do what you will with them.
The regionals competition with all the overly-dramatic moves and flaunting showpersonship? Cheese. The other competitors exaggerated efforts? Cheese. Sue Sylvester’s seemingly forced exclamations? Cheese. (I’ve heard lots and lots of love for Jane Lynch’ character, but it just seems the writers like to strategically sprinkle her quotations throughout various points of the show so the Gleeks can gush over how wonderful Sue and her quotes are. But that’s just me.)
I get the sense Rachel is an extremely annoying character. I’ve seen commercials, promos, et al where stuff is being tossed in her face by schoolmates who ridicule her for being in the glee club. While I’ve had inklings of doing this to real people at times, I found myself suddenly with the tendency to do the same. So I was quite comfortable with my initial assessment of her.
Vocal Adrenaline’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” and the interchange between their performance and Quinn’s birthing? Clever. Extra cheesy … but clever nevertheless.
“To Sir, With Love”? Good Gordness … haven’t we gorged ourselves on enough curdled milk this episode? Because I felt my stomach churning with that segment.
Other items of note:
Oh … there’s plenty more cheese in this finale. (Sadly, none of it from Wisconsin.) But … why don’t I touch on a point I enjoyed about the show for a switch?
The Announcement Of The Winner Of The Regionals.
For me, this was well thought out and touching … one of the few moments that actually felt genuine. There — in that quick span — the cheese factor was trimmed to a minimum. It was heartfelt and tasteful, not fakey-fake. It was the best part of the episode. And not because they lost … but because it was a good scene.
Look: If I leaned toward smarmy, fluffy musicals, I guess I would be diggin’ Glee with everything I got. But such is not the case. It just didn’t turn my crank. Oh … there were moments, as I’ve indicated above, but I’m certain they weren’t the moments everyone else would call out.
So here’s what I’m gonna do: I’ll tune into Glee every once in a blue moon. Not for the same reasons the casual fan or die-hard Gleek would … but because I’ll be craving cheese.
(P.S. Get this: I just figured out what the hand symbol “L” is that’s forever a part of the promos and even the photo above. It’s the “loser” symbol … isn’t it? Am I good … or what?)
Clacked by Michael Noble 
on Jun 14, 2010 @ 13:00 EST5EDT
LMAO I am not a huge fan of Glee either! The cheesiness of it drives me insane, but since I don’t have cable there isn’t ever anything else on.
I do however love Jane Lynch in it. Most of the time she is actually pretty funny. Lately though they have been trying to make her seem more lovable and its getting on my nerves.
*POST AUTHOR*
TinyShrimp: One episode cannot a true assessment make. So I’m not all that hip on Sue Sylvester’s character, except form when I’ve seen here … and on a few promos.
But what I did see felt forced.
I called it as I saw it.
(ROFL) I noticed the muffler too!
*POST AUTHOR*
*tips hat at fellow continuity man Bronsont*
Wow I couldn’t disagree more. But then that’s nothing new from me, is it?
*POST AUTHOR*
I feel your frustration, Tara …
Dude… that WAS intentionally funny. That’s the beauty of Glee. There is so VERY much tongue and cheek **wink wink nudge nudging** and it’s because the show knows how to make fun of itself. It’s refreshing… More refreshing than a breeze up yer shorts!
*POST AUTHOR*
NotAMeanGirl:
Dude… that WAS intentionally funny. That’s the beauty of Glee. There is so VERY much tongue and cheek **wink wink nudge nudging** and it’s because the show knows how to make fun of itself. It’s refreshing… More refreshing than a breeze up yer shorts!
I have no problem with a show making fun of itself.
I think the problem I have is this show tries to have its cake and eat it, too.
I’ve heard people getting vested in the characters. I have a hard time believing that from what I’ve seen. On the one hand, the show seems to craft a character in such a way as they want to illicit a response from the viewer … then they lay on the cheese. Good and thick. It can’t work that way. There’s a difference. It’s like betting with a two-headed coin: It just can’t be done.
The cheese is fine if you’re into that. But, as mentioned, it just doesn’t work for me.
Thanks for the comment …
This review is AWESOME!
I want to pour hot chocolate all over it and lick it off slowly! ;-)
I like Glee for the musical numbers which are really good. The rest is cheese. I mean every time someone gets a Slushy in their face on that show I think they really really deserve it. When I watched the Emmys and they won and I don’t know who yelled something down the line of “This shows everyone in the world how cool Glee club can be, so join in your school” I thought to myself “No, it doesn’t, it shows that you can make a ton of money with a show that has no actual cruelty in it and in real life people who get Slushies in their face they tend to think about suicide and not ‘I wonder if they are going to ask me about the Slushies in my next E! Interview”.
Gawd really.
And then the amount of voice distortion. The Quarterback said in a couple of interviews that he can’t acutally sing. Really? I barely noticed the 12 sound technicians in the background every time you start singing.
It’s really a ton of fake and gullability on the show. I really liked it for eight or nine episodes but then the cheese really gets to you. I started skipping heavily and only watch those numbers where people perform who can actually sing.
But it’s all good fun I think. It’s not like you HAVE to watch it. Like those “Twilight” movies. Review those next. PLEASE! There must be a friend of yours who has ALL of the books and ALL of the movies. I’d so love to see your take on them. Pretty please :-))
What planet, or future timeline, are you writing from, Sebastian? “Glee” is just finishing its first season. It hasn’t won any Emmys–it hasn’t even been nominated for any yet. Did you mean the People’s Choice award? Now THAT’S cheesy. Did you mean the Peabody, which is actually even more significant than an Emmy? It won that, too. But no Emmys–nominations are still weeks away for those.
I meant the Golden Globes.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1327801/awards
Since I was commenting on the comment by an actor (I think it was Matthew Morrison but like I said – not sure) I guess you were questioning my sight or hearing or did you think I was imagining that award ceremony? :-)
Anyway I guess that doesn’t really matter. It just made me think about the disconnect between reality and the show in general. That’s not a criticism it’s just that I think the actors kinda sorta think that their show makes Glee club cool and as much as I like what Wil Wheaton for instance writes or how much I now what a third person shooter is and how it really doesn’t affect behaviour in children I don’t think running around at awards yelling “Now nerds are cool” or “This shows you that GTA doesn’t affect children” is really that… err… intelligent? Let’s just say that I think the actors are kinda blinded by the amount of positive feedback they get. I’m not a hater mind you, and I don’t think this article is. It’s just good fun about a show that’s so full of cheese.
Let me put it another way – if you have seen the “Kick Ass” movie. The guy who jumps off that building at the beginning is kinda going to far with the whole thing and that’s what I thought about that shout out at the Golden Globes. Kinda neat, but not really in touch with reality.
One of these days, sir, you’ll explain to me why you continue to watch shows you don’t like.
And Micheal had to watch. He was out-voted in the house :)
*POST AUTHOR*
Ivey’s right, Sebastian: I was out-voted.
Oh … I could have walked away … but where, then … where would my pride reside … ???
You guys have no idea what we go through. *sniff* It’s like mental torture at times. And those times are the GOOD times we relish.
You should see what happens when the “Powers That Be” at CliqueClack lay down the law …
*shudders*
Like I said I really liked the teaser episode, then watched eight to nine episodes of the regular season and then the cheese got to me. I mean you know how it is when you eat too much of something you really like?
That’s not how it was.
It was not something I really liked from the beginning, it was something I really liked (like, say, tomatoes) in a salad with lots and lots of cheese. Like a cheese salad. With tiny bits of tomatoes.
And at least I watch more than one episode, right? ;-)
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Sebastian:
You are correct. It’s all in good fun. It’s just not “fun” for me. I knew right from the get go I wouldn’t be able to get into it. And that’s all right …
I like over the top just as much as my dog Bob does, but it doesn’t mean it has to perpetuate from the start right down to the last scene.
The Cramps said it best: “I Just Can’t Stand It.”
I like Glee for the musical numbers which are really good. Dude: To each his own.
Glad you liked the write-up.
Glee is the show I love to hate. I agree with all the stuff Sebastian pointed out.
One thing to remember: Glee is cheesy on purpose. It’s a satirical take on High School Musical and Disney’s version of reality in general.
Even with that in mind, the cheesiness can be annoying. What’s worse – Rachel is one of the most irredeemably obnoxious characters on TV. And I don’t even like her voice (not to mention all her eye scrunching and overdramatic facial expressions). Honestly, I don’t like the music in general, because it sounds so … Disney-fied. (Puck’s numbers are all right though – I would actually give them a second listen.)
The question is why I keep up with the show at all (even in a casual way). Honestly, I just want to watch Sue insult the rest of the characters.
Count me among those who pretty much only watch the show for Sue (and Brittany has some tune-in worthy quotes as well).
I’m even guilty of fast forwarding through a lot of the musical numbers. I totally watch Glee wrong.
The thing that really gets my goat is that the show seems to me to be playing two sides of the same coin. In some instances, it seems like it’s a biting satire, making fun of the characters, and then in others it wants us to be along for genuinely dramatic/emotional moments while caring for the characters. In my opinion, the dichotomy weakens both aspects of the show.
*Shrug*
I’ve never been a musical fan myself, but I can get why musical fans would love this show.
That’s a good point, Bob, and I noticed it particularly in the finale episode, Michael. There was a lot less tongue-in-cheek and some real sappiness going on (although the Puck and Quinn scene was completely intentional).
HA! That’s funny, because after the first episode I looked up Lea Michele on IMDb because I would have bet my first born (sorry Owen!) that she was the voice of a Disney princess! :-)
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Debbie:
Some of that sappiness I witnessed. The Announcement Of The Winner Of The Regionals was a bit sappy, but it worked and I was into it.
And Bob? I’m right there with you.
*POST AUTHOR*
Ruby:
See my note to NotAMeanGirl above.
And I understand completely your conundrum of “The question is why I keep up with the show at all”. Sometimes, we view what we view because it’s a television train wreck. Not that I’m saying Glee is that at all … it is what it is and, to some, it’s the bee’s knees. Nothing wrong with that.
But, as mentioned, like most of us out there, we get “bound up” ingesting too much cheese …
I know I do.
*mumbles something about shows about SNL and “walk with me”*
I didn’t say the name of the show. I DID NOT! :-D
Ah, that makes sense. The only reason I’m one of the few people still watching SGU is that fervent hope that an important character from that execrable crew will die (Telford doesn’t count because he’s basically a guest star).
On the other hand, I think the cheesiness may be my favorite part of Glee.
I love every single, bright orange, cheese slice moment of GLEE. I’m discerning enough to know that it often calls for white bread in which to carefully place the processed golden goodness, butter it and put it in the frying pan until golden brown. It’s intentional.
My high school days were only tolerable because of show choir and our spring musical. I’m convinced that without that music program I would have gone insane and became a teen age drug/alcohol abuser with a side of attempted suicide. Yeah, music programs are that vital. So, with the seriousness of this comment aside, I appreciate the goofy competitiveness amongst the divas, the various social groups in the school and even the arguments between teachers and administration. That stuff really happened but it’s exaggerated for good old fashioned television entertainment.
By the way, in my high school we weren’t looked down upon by the jocks and cheerleaders … yet like GLEE, many of the members of those groups were also part of our show choir.
I don’t expect everyone who watches it to get it. Those who don’t’ care for it seem loathsome that such a silly little show can get such attention. Give some thought to what I shared about why GLEE manages to resonate with GLEEKS
There ya have it: Why Marissa love GLEE
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Riss:
I am happy you dig Glee.
I know people who mirror your high school memories – if they didn’t have an outlet, they would have coined the word “postal”.
I am not loathe of the show … not in the least. I just know it’s not the vehicle for me. (Again, see my comment to NotAMeanGirl above.) I fully understand a show like this can garner hugeness from a monster contingent of fans.
Some call it “mob mentality”. I won’t go that far. I’ll simply say the show trips triggers in people other than me.
This show just haven’t been attract me to watch it. I’d be interested to watch when they do take on famous star like Gaga and Queen I think? I only see the ads pass through… One of this day when I extremely bored and nothing else to watch.
*POST AUTHOR*
I’m right there with you, cynicalorange …
Maybe it’s because I teach high school that I get GLEE. I love it. I wish some of my more challenging students would burst into song. Or flames.
*POST AUTHOR*
“I wish some of my more challenging students would burst into song. Or flames.”
You’re a hoot, you know that Kwizgiver … ???
OK. Everything you pointed out is true about Glee but its suppose to be so its almost like you gave it praise on how good the show really is. Hahaha
I love Sue! Her and Scheuster are the main reasons to watch. Along with the chick that can’t touch anything! LOL
Bring on the cheese. I got a ff button if it gets too bad!
Hence the “L” for Loser in GLEE!
*POST AUTHOR*
“… so its almost like you gave it praise on how good the show really is.
See how I did that, Loretta? Pretty spiffy of me, huh? Huh? Huh … ???
Here, have a cookie ;-)
Double-stuft Oreos, anyone?
My high school (the one I rode my dinosaur to, back in the last millenium) didn’t have any kind of music programs, but my kids’ schools did. Seriously, there’s no resemblance between this show and anything I’ve ever seen in Real Life. But then, most reality TV is right off the radar too.
I haven’t made it through a whole episode of this, so you get kudos from me for having the stomach for that much cheese. And whine.