Sunday, January 23, 2011

Glee: New Directions, Same Old Shit.

Oh Glee, where to begin really? I could start off by saying its a redundant show with now real plot lines, arcs, or character development, and is little more than glorified karaoke, but this is a blog about dirty and perverted things. Is Glee this? Actually, I would argue that it is. It is quite filthy in the best way (the campy way) hidden behind a seemingly innocent high school context filled with teenage humor and harmless sex jokes. The context of Glee allows it to get away with a TV14 rating. Nothing is really explicit, and compared to shows like 'Hung', 'Breaking Bad', and 'Skins', it is more or less harmless. 
Controversy has planted its flag firmly in the show after the Britney/Brittany episode wherein the main characters perform an a capella version of Britney Spears' 'Toxic' and one of the biggest nerds at the assembly goes crazy from sexual frustration and inadvertently well, shoots a load in a pants. 
More controversy followed after Lea Michelle, Corey Monteith, and Diana Argon appeared on the cover of GQ dressed like contemporary versions of high school lolitas with Monteith's hands grabbing their bums, with a douche bag grin on his face. They very appropriately resembled that ever so infamous cover of Rolling Stone from 1999 where Britney was photographed in her underwear and shiny purple bra, holding a teletubbie. I know what you're thinking, Roman Polanski was the first to buy a copy...too soon?
Is this little more than glorified kiddie porn? Is that true of the show as well? Even though most of the cast are in their mid-twenties playing 16-year-olds, is it appropriate? Probably not, but that's the best part about it, and that's the only thing that makes Glee tolerable for me.  
The infamous GQ cover from last year. 
Britney's historic Rolling Stone cover after the release of her first album, 1999. 
The backstage antics of the leads have also made headlines from gossip mongers desperate to cash in the sex dough that has been stagnant since Lindsay Lohan went to rehab. Seemingly nice-guy Matthew Morrison (Will Sheuster), apparently has an assistant who's only job is to trip his chest hair. While Mark Salling (Puck) and Corey Monteith (Finn) have a contest as to who can bang the most extras. Honestly, the hottest person on the show is the incomparable Jane Lynch. She has definitely become a sexual icon in her own right. After the Madonna episode, where she did a shot by shot remake of the video for 'Vogue', she became the sexual tour-de-force of the show that is overflowing with hot 20 somethings. 
If I could put my two cents in, Glee should stop focusing on recreating (somewhat badly) musical theater versions of classic rock songs, and milk that sex angle for all its worth. It doesn't have to be superficially; addressing the burgeoning need for teenagers to mate, and loss of virginity, or dedicating 'the very special episode' to it, but to implement clever innuendo, musical if must be, in order to transform this somewhat too fluffy show into something really provocative. 
The pregnancy arc was the most sugar-coated 'very special episode' that I've seen in a long time. C'mon Glee, it's been years since Beverly Hills 90210 and Brenda's little problem. Not to mention it was the most awkward birthing scene in the history of birthing scene (this includes those horrid videos we had to watch in health class). The character of Britney always articulates that she's a mega-slut and has slept with nearly everyone at the school discounting the faculty, but why not play that up a bit? There seems to be constant sex-talk among the members of glee, or singing about it for that matter, but seldom any actual doing. Why not show more and tell less? I think it would work wonders. Dirty up Glee. It's about time you did. 

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