falulatonks (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
falulatonks) wrote2010-11-25 12:39 am
falulatonks) wrote2010-11-25 12:39 am
a valuable use of my time (i.e. raining on everyone's parade like nobody's business)
I was going to have my first entry back be on Friday, after my last paper, and I wanted it to be about many cool, interesting things, because I miss typing rubbish, but I watched Glee this week (because I have only one paper left, ugh) and just - so many issues, guys. So many issues.
This was too much work for me. And I had this much to say about an episode that was, all things considered, less offensive and more internally-consistent than the show usually is? I quit. (Hear that, show? I QUIT YOU. STAY AWAY FROM ME.)
-
In other news, Anne Hathaway was damn near flawless on SNL. I have such a girl!crush on her that I got a little flaily every time she did each new character that separated so neatly from the ones she played in previous sketches. The Bill Hader-reporter sketch was absolutely the best, though - Anne's accent aside, Bill starting to hit the camera made me lose it, and when he pretended to be dead so he could hit the camera again, I choked.
I still haven't seen HP7, and it's hurting my soulllll. I'll probably watch it this weekend. I did watch Easy A last night, though (my first movie in months!), and I enjoyed it a lot - fresh, fun, and with a terrific lead, even where the storyline started to get predictable. Plus, Stanley Tucci! That man can do no wrong.
My exams have mostly been decent, but I don't want to call them anything more than that - especially since the more I think of them, the worse my stomach seems to churn. My paper on Friday is Literature. And then it'll be over!
-- rachu
- I don't know how many of you are big Kurt fans, but my patience for him mostly wears thin if he's a major part of a storyline. It's not because I dislike him (although I do, kind of, despite how much I like Chris Colfer), but because the writers - Ryan Murphy in particular - clearly idolize him. He does No Wrong. When he does do wrong, he learns his mistakes. When he does do wrong, everyone must sympathize with him and help him feel better anyway. Was it a big surprise that this episode grated on my nerves?
I do, somewhat, appreciate the value of the bullying storyline. I enjoy that people who are gay and had problems in school are happy that there's a character on an extremely popular show who has the support of his friends and his family. When it takes over an episode completely - hell, when it's starting to take over a show completely - it gets too much to tolerate. It's the wedding in particular that bothers me: the dad talks about Kurt - which is understandable, I guess, but seriously, the man was staring at his son pretty much the entire time he was at the altar, instead of the woman in front of him. The stepmother talks about Kurt, and then decides to mention Finn - in the capacity of him being Kurt's step-brother. Finn has a speech? Oh he's going to honour the new marriage - oh wait, I remember he's singing Just the Way You Are, wouldn't it be sweet if he dedicated it to his mom? - oh no, no. It's about Kurt! Let's all dance for Kurt! Kurt, Kurt, hooray.
And let's not forget to highlight the tragedy of Kurt having to transfer - everything was going well! His stepbrother has accepted him (in front of only his friends at the wedding, of course, but let's forget how much that doesn't matter!)! Will was going to give him a solo for sectionals!! But he must leave. Bye. - It's a shame they didn't get enough screentime (not even in referring to their own love), because I do love Burt and Carole. I think they're sweet, and the best minor characters. It's kind of touching that they've met each other after losing their first spouses, and that they're happy enough with each other that they got married. Why didn't they even touch on that a little bit during the wedding?
- What the hell was Quinn's random burst of feminism in this episode? And how ridiculously misplaced was it? Her issue was with Rachel asking for the help of stronger guys to help defend Kurt, and that's just brainless, and completely illogical. I have the same issue with Blaine telling Kurt to stand up, to fight, instead of running away - it's unrealistic. It's a good sentiment, and of course you should be strong, but it's going to get you into trouble if you blindly get into attacking right back. Tell people. Tell the relevant authorities. Tell people you know can help. Rachel was smart to use stronger guys against a bully like Karofsky, who has no issue with pushing girls around (see: the way he pushed Tina in Theatricality) - he only responds to strength, and can Quinn stand up to a boy like that?! Let's see what happened to Kurt when he stood up to Karofsky - he was pretty much assaulted.
My problem isn't with the fact that these characters brought these things up, because teenagers can be dumb and silly and too optimistic when dealing with issues like this. That's who they are. That's probably how they think. My problem is that this is clearly what the writers believe in, and that means that younger people who have the same problems and watch this show are going to believe it, too.
No. - People defend this show by pointing out that inconsistency and inaccuracy is part of its charm - but look, I'm never going to point out how stupid it is that club goes around performing every kind of song even a week before the sectionals, or how unbelievable it is that the wedding took place so soon after the proposal. By deciding to use the show as a Mouthpiece, and by addressing serious issues seriously, they're calling attention to how ridiculous they are. It's not bad to want to give hope to kids. It's great that they're raising awareness of relevant issues on an incredibly popular show. So then why don't they address these issues by bringing up relevant solutions and by allowing them integrity in terms of storytelling, too? It's troublesome - nothing fits with other characters or plots or previous storylines.
- I pumped my fist in the air when Rachel said, "Wait, does this mean you're going to be against us at Sectionals?" Thank you for reminding me that even when Kurt is taking over this show, Rachel is still the star of her own. Love you, crazy girl. The fact that Rachel is written with flaws is what endears her to me the most, in fact.
- Finn is a terribly-written character and I feel sorry for Cory Monteith, whom I think is much more talented than he's given credit for.
- I adore Darren Criss, and Blaine is sweet, but I get increasingly terrified the more time he spends on screen. It's only a matter of time before Blaine gets character-massacred, guys. Squee with caution.
- The Sam/Quinn storyline is dull, dull, dull. This show seems to pride itself on bringing up minorities, but they waste time on two blonde, popular people who are devoid of personalities, which makes everything else come off as token concessions. (And Sam is a little bit creepy, but let's not get into that.) Although I suppose they should stay away from the minorities, considering the way they used Mercedes last week (i.e. of course people are fat because they eat, because they're lonely; Kurt SAID SO, too, which just proves the point!!one!).
- A minor complaint, but: DO NOT SPEAK SHIPPER NAMES, OH MY GOODNESS. I hate you, Ryan Murphy. It's OK to acknowledge your audience. Let it stop there.
- Maybe my problem with this episode was that I do not care enough to be moved by Emotional Moments?
- I have nothing to say about Carol Burnett/Jane Lynch, which is the biggest failure of this episode. I like talking about talented people. Too bad they were given nothing to really do. (Did love Ohio, though, especially since we got to hear Jane's natural singing voice.)
- Marry You was adorable, but I loved this version of the song even before I watched the episode. It made me happy. And damn it, I love this cast - their chemistry, their excitement, how much fun they're clearly having.
This was too much work for me. And I had this much to say about an episode that was, all things considered, less offensive and more internally-consistent than the show usually is? I quit. (Hear that, show? I QUIT YOU. STAY AWAY FROM ME.)
-
In other news, Anne Hathaway was damn near flawless on SNL. I have such a girl!crush on her that I got a little flaily every time she did each new character that separated so neatly from the ones she played in previous sketches. The Bill Hader-reporter sketch was absolutely the best, though - Anne's accent aside, Bill starting to hit the camera made me lose it, and when he pretended to be dead so he could hit the camera again, I choked.
I still haven't seen HP7, and it's hurting my soulllll. I'll probably watch it this weekend. I did watch Easy A last night, though (my first movie in months!), and I enjoyed it a lot - fresh, fun, and with a terrific lead, even where the storyline started to get predictable. Plus, Stanley Tucci! That man can do no wrong.
My exams have mostly been decent, but I don't want to call them anything more than that - especially since the more I think of them, the worse my stomach seems to churn. My paper on Friday is Literature. And then it'll be over!
-- rachu
no subject
Stanley Tucci is perfection, and I will watch anything he's in, ever. *draws hearts*
no subject
no subject
Anyway, you have my sympathies. And I'll still keep liking all your Glee posts on Tumblr.
He really is perfect. Watching him with the perfection that is Meryl Streep in Julie & Julia was too much perfection for me to handle. (I've mentioned the word 'perfect' an awful number of times considering this entry is about Glee!)
no subject
Sam and Quinn are SO SO SO BORING. And... calculated? I feel like Sam's speech to Quinn hit every single one of her insecurities that she had in her relationships with Finn and Puck (and she's clearly using him for popularity purposes). Whatever, plywood pair. I'm actually more offended by Sam taking up so much screentime than Kurt's monopoly, because at least a) Kurt has been there since the beginning and serves a unique role in the show and b) Chris Colfer is talented. Since Sam isn't The Boyfriend he's completely and utterly pointless. I think the writers have lost track of what to do with him and I kind of just want him to be hit by a bus. That's mean.
I watched the preview clip of the Warblers next week, and even though the song is terribly boring all I care about is Rachel Berry encouraging Kurt to make a showface. She makes me happy.
no subject
SO CALCULATED, YES. I'll help you look pretty, I'll help you be popular again, etc. It's part of why he's creepy. And he's such a Golden Boy, too - check out his "dorky humour", how strong he is, how much damn screentime he has. He could go and get hit by a bus, except inanimate objects can't die.
Her telling him to do the showface was too cute. I love her so much. I love her with him, too, even though it feels a little bit like the writers finally tossed them together so that they could let Chris and Lea be adorable at each other without having to rationalize it or to come up with excuses for it every time.
no subject
the heart behind everything that happened in the wedding was sweet and well-intentioned
I think this is why I'm not nearly as annoyed by the Kurt Show as I should be. I feel like the characters were coming from a genuine place, even if the writers were being ridiculous. Also, each individual scene in the episode involving Kurt were fine on their own (like, I literally did a seal clap when Kurt and Finn started dancing together despite the problematic issues of that entire number and its motivations), just taken together there was Kurt Overload. Overall this episode (and season) is making me feel strange because I should be drinking the haterade with everyone and yet... I find myself becoming defensive of Kurt (in my brain, obviously, because I refuse to fight with gleeks). What is this I don't even. He's never been my favourite! I should be annoyed! Too many feelings! I think I have Glee Stockholm Syndrome. Mostly, I just get peeved at people who bitch about Chris/Kurt (and Lea/Rachel) getting too much airtime... and yet the person they would give a ton of airtime and songs to is Dianna/Quinn /irrational crazy person.
I really just don't know where they are going with Sam. Dumb jock? Cute secret nerd? Pointless character is pointless. It doesn't help that I don't care at all about Quinn re-ascending the high school hierarchy. He's taking screentime away from Finn and Puck (WHO I DON'T EVEN LIKE). Also promise rings are gross.
I don't really care about the motivations behind a possible Kurt-Rachel friendship, I just need it to happen (and hopefully not disappear if they need conflict again). I am curious about why Rachel is so smiley happy for him at Sectionals, judging by her reaction to his leaving at the end of "Furt". I'm guessing by the promo that they have some kind of heart-to-heart (involving singing "Don't Cry for Me Argentina"!), which would please me greatly.
Why why why why do I have so many thinky-thoughts about this show? It's obscene. OBSCENE. I apologize.
no subject
That is all.
Also:
I just get peeved at people who bitch about Chris/Kurt (and Lea/Rachel) getting too much airtime... and yet the person they would give a ton of airtime and songs to is Dianna/Quinn /irrational crazy person.
RIGHT? God, you're me (but more critical) when it comes to this show. What the hell is fandom even doing. I don't understand it, ever.
(Except for St. Berry fandom, which is and always will be an adorable place of cupcakes and showfaces. ♥)
no subject
I want to go to the fandom place where my head canon of Kurt/Blaine and Rachel/Jesse frolicking around New York and geeking out over musical theatre is real (Brittany/Santana can come too because we need feirce ladies up in this joint). Glee fandom is just so perplexing. Like, Dianna has extraordinarily pretty eyelashes and she seems like a lovely person but I will never get the appeal of Quinn (ETA: though
no subject
But isn't that the way to watch this show?! I wish I were better at it! WHY DO I EVEN CARE LIKE THIS. It's unhealthy for me. A rational part of me knows that if I ignored these things, I'd be having a better time watching this show, this show that I can't seem to keep myself from watching. And yet I do not ignore these things. I do this to myself. (/melodrama) And I can defend Kurt as a character - he never brings the attention to himself, everyone else does. It's not Kurt, it's the writing. Oh, the writing.
You know how I feel about Dianna/Quinn fans, though. At least Kurt and Rachel are fiercely talented. And compelling!!
Ahh, I forgot about the DCFMA song spoiler!! I know both of them are singing it, but I figured it would be split-screen type thing. If they sing with each other my heart may explode with joy. That's not even an exaggeration.
Don't apologise!!! If you're OK with me responding with completely irrational rage and self-loathing, KEEP GOING.
no subject
I thought DCFMA would be a "Maybe This Time" sort of deal, or at the very most "Defying Gravity", but I would be so pleased if after having a heart to heart talk they just decided to sing it out (because that's who they are omg be best friends I will never stop wanting this). I'm enabling you aren't I? Feel free to write "
no subject
no subject
Hi, yes, I think this sentence cements it - we are the same person. /o\ Seriously, ask my friends. Four weeks ago, I was the biggest Glee-hater they all knew. I scoffed and rolled my eyes and condescendingly patted their shoulders for liking that show unironically. AND NOW LOOK AT ME. Watching those kids dance down the aisle and dance around Kurt brought me to actual tears. WHAT HAVE I BECOME?
Glee Stockholm Syndrome is the perfect description. One of the things that keep me sane is my disdain for fandom-at-large, and loving all the things they hate. :) Bring on some more Kurt and Rachel, I don't even care.
no subject
no subject
MY GIRL. MY GIRL FOREVER.
I think my favorite moment in the entire episode was that one moment in the choreography for Finn's song when he reached out and she ran forward—and then, giggling, stepped back and pushed Kurt forward. Perfect. Rachel Berry taking the spotlight by force of habit and charm, then stepping back and laughing at herself and letting Kurt take it because it was his day. This is who she is. This is why there must never be haters. Star power and always going to grab the light, but with a passionately self-aware core. I love this girl so much.
(So basically if an episode gives me Rachel—and Santana, as of this season—and some decent music and doesn't have a Falchuk script, it probably gets the thumbs up from me. I have never been discerning with this show: it takes an epic screwup for me to get my rageohol on, because otherwise I just coast on my biases and general good cheer and it's always worked out fine.)
I have to say that Quinn's burst of feminism, while intellectually dumb, wasn't OOC—she usually gets throwaway lines, but she's always had a strong streak of overt feminism that's sometimes hard to register because her lines are so throwaway. But yeah—she's the one who said something about how women still constantly make less than men in "Power of Madonna", for example, and she's got a backlog of little things like that. So it read as Quinn being dumb'n'haughty, not the writers messing with her that much: that's like the one constant thing in her damn character.
...I could not give less of a damn about Sam, though. Does he even go here, guys?
Also IA 100% wrt shipper names. Sets my teeth on edge. Biggest pet peeve in any context, and just—why. Why would you ever think that was cute. Fandom, I live with a side eye on; Murphy, I'm just glaring at. WHY.
no subject
I wish I were you! I'm excited about Santana next week, though; the girl sounds fabulous.
Oh you're right, she did have that thing about wages! So it's just the writers deciding to keep using her as the person to deliver all the feminist lines. Grr.
I'm glad he didn't have the chance to whip out some of the worse ones, though. Like Faberittana. Yikes.
no subject
I think the feminism thing is consistent with Quinn's characterization up to this point, but she's such a bad character to have feminist diatribes. Goddamn, give them to Tina or something (who also had a rant against Artie under her belt).
Shipper names are so gross, but Rachel's face when Finn said "Puckelberry" almost made up for their use on-screen. Almost. On girl, turning a cow's ear into a silk purse.
no subject
no subject
no subject
I left around the time of the Rocky Horror episode. But yes. I don't know. The points you made seem very reasonable and yes, clearly they all idolize (read: perhaps project onto?) Kurt and it gets ridiculous.
I'm sure you did wonderfully on your exams! Come back to it in three days, haha. After the exam, you always feel like ~death and destruction.
no subject
Ah, maybe! Exams and I don't get along, though. D:
no subject
That episode of Glee sounds AWFUL. No wonder I quit earlier this year. Ugh.
*crosses fingers for your exams*
no subject
I'm probably blowing my reaction to Glee out of proportion - this episode was hardly as offensive as it usually is, I think - but the fact that I got that worked up was surely a sign that I absolutely had to stop watching the show. :P I wish I had the mind to quit sooner.
And thank you - I'm going to need all the additional luck I can get!