Glee: A Dislike Story

All of those observations are accurate but the show is still incredibly funny. At the end of the day it’s a network television show about a high school singing club, I wouldn’t dive in head first if you know what I mean.

Nah, I agree with Adrian for the most part. The writers know their audience and they know what they have to do to get their WHITE, MALE, MIDDLE AMERICAN viewership for a show that would otherwise almost immediately deflect them.

I disliked this show from the moment in the first episode when the older teacher was just overpowered with lust and could not resist gently brushing his hand on the young student’s stomach while he sang. I’m not going to watch any show that stereotypes gay teachers as sexual predators.

Excuse me, HETEROSEXUAL, WHITE, MALE, MIDDLE AMERICANS

You think networks don’t want their viewership oor their ratings? You really a think a high school television show about the singing club would really hook them without some finessing? At least, it’s why I explain all the banal stereotypes that Adrian pointed out. Have to make things comfortable for the good ole boys.

p.s. not to get into it but white privilege and male privilege is a very real thing, and clearly we see how that pans out for mainstream television. I’d love not to stereotype this overwhelming influential demographic of our country but recognizing this is not bitching.

I understand about Glee, but there is something about it, that week after week I look forward to it and it seems to make my soul feel lighter. I think we can let some of the bad writing go and watch it for the glee numbers.

oh, trust me. i have plenty to say about That’s So Raven if you really want me to get into it.

after a night of gleeful dreaming, i’d like to add:

if the show is in fact campy enough to be using hyper-stereotypes as devises for social/cultural criticism – the thematic problem is that not all characters have been given an over-the-top stereotype. ie: the dudes! namely mr. schuster and finn. these characters seem to be far more nuanced that any of the others- defying what might be considered their dudely stereotypes.

if in fact ALL of the characters were made into caricatures of caricatures or these hyper-stereotypes that comment on themselves, then i could even forgive and get on board with where the depiction of women is going. their “crazy” is soooo out of the ball park it’s ridiculous. i’m particularly thinking about all of this pregnancy insanity between Quinn and Terri Schuster.

Take these two hysterical (in the ‘that bitch-is-crazy’ sense) female characters – their hysteria creates a sense of irony.

Historically, “hysteria” as a “medical condition” has been attributed as a “strictly female condition”. (i am speaking historically here, but with the utmost sarcasm and knowing that history is fucked up). Hippocrates was the first to identify hysteria as a “disorder”. He claimed that mostly Women suffered from hysteria and thought it’s cause was (DA DUN NA NUH!) a “Displaced Uterus”. In fact, the word hysteria comes from hystera, the Greek word for uterus.

Sooo, why does this matter in the context of Glee?

with Glee’s plot of Quinn and Terri doin some serious “crazy bitch schemin” ie: who’s the baby daddy of the head of the chastity club? and terri’s faux pregnancy and baby swap… i’m gonna say it… this shit is way over the top camp ya’ll. and what good over the top camp does (i think) is be self-reflexive.

could the writers of glee be privy to the hysterical history of hysteria? (pun intended).
could it be hyper-stereotyping as social commentary?

this is my (albeit lofty and perhaps far fetched) hope.

and i CERTAINLY have my doubts. especially when comparatively Mr Schuster and Finn fall way short of their dudely hyper-stereotypes.

so is the answer for this kitchy/campy show to create more “believable” “nuanced” characters? or can political incorrectness be ‘corrected’ by applying over-the-top caricatures to ALL characters? ie: Mr Schuster and Finn need a camp caricature hyper-stereotype makeover to make this a ‘level’ playing field.

i will say that my plea for a strong female lead (if we’re going the more nuanced route) is quite possibly Rachel. Her stereotype: two gay dads = super femme, strong willed, competitive daughter. (amazing by the way) BUT although she can be cut-throat, she is not cold. she’s gradually proving herself to be a female lead who knows what she wants, and gets it via honesty/integrity. she likes a competition, but only a fair competition. and she can be kind too. definitely not falling smoothly into the cold hearted bitch stereotype or the girl next door either. and remember in the second episode how she advocated for sex positive ideology. she’s good (and she knows it) but not goody goody.

QUOTE: Faggoting: “p.s. not to get into it but white privilege and male privilege is a very real thing, and clearly we see how that pans out for mainstream television.”

… don’t forget heterosexual privilege.

I don’t think anyone is going to condemn you to attending an evangelical church for all eternity for hating Glee. Let’s face it. Glee is from the creators of Nip/Tuck. So how good was it going to get? And since you were brave enough to admit you hate Glee, I’ll admit that I watch Nip/Tuck.

Agree, the show is the bottom of the barrel. GLADD falls over this crap which uses every hoary gay stereotype and storyline imaginable when defining these high school misfits. The biggest fans are gay teenagers and the women who love them. Some of the music is fun to watch but the show is mostly unbearable.

Nip/Tuck has some great drama too in the story, the women in this tv series are gorgeous too eventhough most of them are mature.:;