I know what you’re thinking. You’re either in the camp of die-hard Gleefans, feeling akin to the way you swooned over the new 90210 (until you found out it was a huge disappointment); you know all the words to “Defying Gravity,” which, like Rachel, you’ve sung (probably in a frighteningly off-key falsetto) to your hairbrush in the mirror.
Or you’re grouped with the crowd who relive this morning’s Wheaties when you hear the very mention of Glee— the same group who wrote off Across the Universeas a success. And who could blame you? No one thought that a movie based entirely on Beatles highlight hits would be a cinematic joy, with intriguing plot and characters, built completely around a familiar classic rock soundtrack.
Friends of mine from this camp have tried to tell me they’ve seen Glee, but that they couldn’t get past the first 10 minutes because the acting is sub-par or the sets are terrible (which is true due to most of the production budget being siphoned off for song royalties and the choreographed musical numbers).
You name it, they’ve devised a reason to hate it. But one thing remains the same: When I turn on the series musical opener “Don’t Stop Believin’” in the car, no one denies it’s a great rendition of a Journey classic, nor can anyone help singing and toe-tapping along.
While it doesn’t have the twists and turns of Lostor Fringeor the cinematic drama of The Wire or CSI, Gleeis 45 minutes of refreshing, enjoyable TV.
See, the thing with Gleeis, as is becoming true of a lot of modern sitcoms, the big shot director and producers in Los Angeles are getting increasingly better at digging into the psyches of preteens, teens and twentysomethings.
Maybe it’s the rise of social networking sites that filter through what we’re thinking, saying to our friends, clicking on and buying online. But the success of Gleecomes from a time-honoured tradition of taking what the masses find entertaining (e.g. catchy tunes) and building a familiar, witty sitcom around it.
Gleeis riding on a time-tested float of cheesy, pop culture goodness some of us hate to love. We saw it with the Brat Pack movies that gained cult followings in the ’80s. Breakfast Clubhad the makings of a teen hit from the get-go, with likable and familiar character profiles — the jock, the loser, the popular girl. They are the tired and tested stereotypes we find resemble little pieces of ourselves, whether we admit it or not. Pop culture has always been a reflector, not a trendsetter.
While I’ll admit none of the cast may garner a daytime Emmy for their performances, Gleehits on some serious issues like teen pregnancy and disabilities with humour, wit and sensitivity. The characters are your typical underdogs and your normal, popular-yet-very-troubled socialites who come together to form a cohesive, functioning team.
And while the acting might not be the highlight of the show, the cast, who were mostly unknown to the television world previously, can belt out classics and recent radio hits with a fervour and directness that is both refreshing and iPod-playlist worthy.
Plus there are a few acting gems, such as Jane Lynch, who plays the devastatingly cruel, and subsequently hilarious Cheerios cheerleader coach Sue Sylvester. Lynch, who previously appeared in sitcom Two and a Half Menas Dr. Linda Freeman is pee-your-pants funny with her dry humour and lanky stature.
Regardless of whether you like it, or pretend not to like it, when you find yourself doing a secret shimmy along to Glee’s “Proud Mary,” it’s OK. You can let it out. Your hits-on-Broadway, motown-loving, inner persona is not alone.
And whether you openly rejoice or not, Fox announced Jan. 11 that Gleewill return for a second season. Like it or not, it’s here to stay.