Glee

I have been told that I rant too much and that I should go elsewhere to get it out of my system. So I am here, on the 'net. Ranting. To my one follower. I feel effectual and empowered. Yay.

Here it goes.

If you haven't read anything Glee lately, or seen the recent eps, then please turn back now. If you have, then feel free to continue. The ep was all about sex and self-discovery and a general sense of empowerment and coming-of-age whilst surmounting (inter)personal issues. Cool beans. I like that. I'm even OK with the (as one webauthor put it) "twilight-style fade to black sex scene" that seemed to pervade the two sexcapades that were central to the main plot of the ep. I found it relatively out of place in a show that hasn't really pulled that many punches: lewd and semi-exploitative teenaged gyrations are OK; an off-handed comment about child rape/molestation (oh sweet Brittany.. please get help) OK; TALKING about Masturbation and sex and such .. OK; but.. when the entire visual experience of them "having sex" is being fully clothed on a bed and joining hands? Sorry. No. Way too much cognitive dissonance. It's not that I wanted to see full-on sex and teen!porn. There's a word for that, it's called pedophilia. And, frankly, I'm quite pleased that they didn't show anything like the dirty deed. However, a fade to black after a closed door would have been preferable than the "artsy" Twilight-inspired visual drivel that they chose. It's not shooting around the monster to make the monster more scary when you opt hand holding as metaphor. It's making a really bad visual metaphor and calling it "art." It's also mildly hypocritical given season one's escaped with April Rhodes (why would a 30+ years old woman walk out of a steaming hot mens' shower half-naked, and wearing a guy's jersey? hmmmmmmmm.)

Beyond that, Glee also horribly mangled one of the most compelling and powerful plots I've seen on mainstream TV in a good long while: Karofsky's quest to come to terms with himself, Kurt's quest at self-empowerment and leadership role in mentoring Karofsky, and the burgeoning romance between Kurt and Karofsky. The Karofsky plot is especially painful because it hits very close to reality and was a story that could have truly spoken to a great many people (both gay and straight alike) and really served to try to dismantle to some hatreds and misconceptions about homosexuality that are out there (and let's not forget the wonderful stereotype of the effeminate and quirky gay male that seems to be the only kind of gay guy you see on TV.) Gays aren't just the guys on Queer Eye: i.e, we don't all know about fashion, or wine, or interior design. Not everything is always just FABulous (in fact, I don't know a single gay guy who's said that outside of being ironic.) However, that is the image that is posted on TV: either sex-crazed party animals, or vaguely feminine characters given to histrionics and catty bitching. They never talk about people who struggle with identifying as gay, or try to illustrate something other than flamboyant craze.

Karofsky's plot line gave that untold portion a chance. REAL issues and important support networks were brought to light: PFLAG, Trevor Project, suicides and beatings. Karofsky and Kurt were supposed to start a PFLAG chapter (notice how THAT plot has also disappeared from the show in favor of Kurt's insane drive to become Class President as a last-ditch effort to become Popular and enter NYADA). Rather, we get a few lines about how Karofsky's transferred schools and how he's "much better now" and segue to the drama that is the Kurt--Blaine- Sebastian love triangle (more on that later).

Instead we get stereotype after stereotype after stereotype. During an episode where the walking stereotype Mike Chang (Super Asian extraordinaire) throws off racial profiling and his TV-appointed "traditional role" of brain (Wow! a Smart Asian.. that's so... uh.. ya) and, instead defies his father, we get to meet Sebastian (whom i shall dub He!Santana) who is basically the slutty, over-privileged, and snarky version of Blaine. So, basically, a more sexually aware and mean-tongued Blaine). Yay. Just what this show needed... The writers appear to be terrified at writing anything new or thought provoking, or even good. Instead, they're rehashing the same plots from season 1: love triangle(s), diva-off (please, please please SHUT MERCEDES UP--or, at least, give her a song where she doesn't do runs. She's got an amazing talent, but hasn't showcased even half of that--and not for a lack of opportunity), and Finchel drama.

The Kurt-Blaine-Sebastian love triangle (also known as Quinn-Finn-Rachel 2.0) is rather pointless. As pointless as the on-again-off-again Finchel romance. Do we really need to see a gay love triangle? Did the writers simply say "Oh it's season 3, we need to have a character fall in love with the opposing team. We used Rachel and Kurt... i know! let's use Blaine! Plus! Since this is a GAY love affair and people are sick of the Finchel drama, let's make Klaintian the new sitch!" *barf*

So, there it is. My thoughts on Glee spread out before you in on back lit white with digitized pixelated letters. Hate it. Love it. Whatever.

end rant