Glee: The End

It's been an interesting experience being a fan of glee since the very beginning. I rarely can say I've been a fan of something since it began, so glee is in a rare category of TV for me. It's been ups and downs being a fan of this show but now that the finale is airing tonight, I seem to only be able to remember the good things Glee has brought to my life. I may not be the hardcore glee fan I once was (more on that later) but I'm still a fan to the bitter end. This show was always changing its tone and trying to be something meaningful, impactful, and yet silly and ridiculous most of the time. Don't get me wrong, there were definitely episodes that had me crying (Choke; Goodbye) and others that were some of my all-time favorite TV episodes ever (Original Song). The problem I had with glee were the plotline inconsistencies and (in my opinion) character development mistakes. What always brought me back were the musical numbers. Those freaking musical numbers! They will always be my absolute favorite part of the show. 

But this isn't a review of glee, I wanted to write this post because glee really did affect my life. No matter how much I'd like to think otherwise, it changed me. 

Glee got me to love singing again and was part of my decision to take singing lessons once again. I sang in my high school choir and loved performing and learning new songs but after high school I didn't look for choirs in college. I didn't have any outlet for performing or singing acapella until glee came along. I'll never forget the moment I saw the pilot's closing scene (Don't Stop Believin'). I was sitting downstairs in our TV room and got chills when Mr. Shue hears the kids singing. Instead of quitting his job at the school, he decides to work with the misfit group of kids. *tear* 

Paramount Lot Tour where Glee filmed!

Glee brought me friends that I never would have met otherwise. Glee was my first "fandom" experience and I'll never forget it. I met friends through twitter and various other social media platforms all because I found people who also loved Glee. It introduced me to things like Starkid and Darren Criss who took me all the way to NYC to see him perform on Broadway and Chicago to see a Starkid fundraiser. I went to places and events that I wouldn't have known about if glee hadn't introduced them to me. Even the friends I made through my new fandom (supernatural) are truly because I learned how to communicate with fellow fans online and develop friendships through the glee fans first. While most of my glee friends and I aren't friends anymore, I did meet some cool people and discovered things about myself that I might not have without meeting them.

At the Glee panel during 2011 Paley Fest

Glee helped me gain confidence to believe in myself at a time when I was losing sight of who I was. I was struggling in my faith and needed something to remind me that I matter and I have a voice to be heard. Thankfully I've found my faith again but glee kept me afloat when I was looking for positive things in my life. I needed glee to help me learn my strengths and discover that being different or being "weird" was alright. It helped me accept things about myself that I hadn't previously accepted. It helped me see the world in a different way and I couldn't be more grateful.

            

   

One day I'll write a thank you letter to Rachel Berry, who I have always loved and continue to love to this day. She was a bitch, yes, but she inspired me to be stronger and fight for what I want in life. Lea Michele's voice remains the voice I dream to have one day. You can't tell me that she didn't break your heart once or twice. No one cry-sings like Rachel. 

The show failed in many ways to truly address/represent lots of groups of people, but you can't say it didn't at least try to broaden your horizons and provide a new view of people you may not have thought much of before watching the show. 

Glee will always hold a special place in my heart for all the reasons above and about a million more that I couldn't fit onto one blog post. Glee will always remind me of a time in my life when I was discovering who I was and challenging old ways of thinking about  not only my own self-worth but also how I interact with the world around me. 

Someday I'll write out a proper essay on glee (yes, I am THAT nerd that misses writing pop culture papers for class) but for now this is what I have. A look back on the show that I love/hated and will never forget. 


Thank you glee.  

OK, let me explain...

So I know that most of you have seen my Facebook page recently and have seen my new favorite actor/singer all over the place. I also know that some have commented on my "obsession" with said person. So I wanted to take the opportunity to talk about this in more detail here, on my blog. You've been warned...

I spell woman Z-i-z-e-s

OK, I confess that this is another Glee blog post...kind of.

You see, this past week in Glee meant more to me than most, if any, other episodes in the series. Another confession: I've watched "Silly Love Songs" at least 4 times since it aired on Tuesday night (and as I write this it's Friday afternoon). Moving on...

What about this episode made it my favorite episode? Was it the adorable new friendship that seems to have formed between Rachel, Mercedes, and Kurt? While I loved that, it's not the reason. Was it the astonishing developments between Blaine and Kurt? Very close because, OH-MY-GOODNESS I loved that. But that's still not it. Simply stated: Lauren Zizes.

Lauren pictured above from a previous episode.

We have seen this character many times throughout the show (as a Vampire, sneeze attack girl, etc.) and at the end of last season, she became a prime time player (sort of) by joining New Directions only to help them have enough performers to compete for Regionals. Since then, the writers have given her more to work with and some of the best lines in each episode. This past week, she became something that no one on Glee has portrayed before. The character who brings the issue of weight and self-confidence. Yes, Mercedes is a confident character, but she isn't shown or described by her weight like Lauren was in this episode. [Side note: the only episode/storyline that angers me was the "tots" episode with Mercedes..so I don't count her in the weight representative role because it's never been a big part of who she is or how she is seen at McKinley High]. Moving on....

Glee is all about the "outcasts" in high school (Glee members, gay students, minorities, etc.) but until now, we hadn't really seen a story about weight & romance. Lauren is a bigger girl, but that's not the only reason I loved this episode. It's because of the character she portrays.

Typically on TV, we see overweight girls be shy/ not confident OR extremely asexual or unattractive to anyone, even themselves. But Lauren, excellently played by Ashley Fink, hasn't turned out to be either of those. Granted, she has changed over the course of her time on Glee to what we saw on Tuesday... but now we have seen a different side of Lauren. She isn't a desperate girl; she even requires Puck (Mark Salling) to "woo" her with more than just a song.

I love her confidence and her ability to be herself no matter what others may say about her. During the performance that Puck gives Lauren (the unfortunately titled "Fat-Bottom Girls") we see all the other girls looking shocked that Puck would sing anything to Lauren. At first, Lauren looked surprised as well, but later we see that she'll need more than just a song to get her to go on a date and she knows she deserves it. [!?!?]  I can't remember another show that had such a strong female character who was "bigger than the usual bunch" and not self-loathing. She is confident and knows what she wants. It's so refreshing to see a strong, larger woman on such a hit show like Glee.

And that's why I love Lauren and why I now spell woman "Z-I-Z-E-S" (Quote from the episode, which you can view here: http://www.fox.com/glee/full-episodes/). I doubt Ashley will even read this, but if she does, I hope she knows that she's brought a wonderful new outlook to Glee and all of us "bigger" girls out there.

Glee Controversy

As many who have gmail and have seen my status recently, I cannot seem to get "Glee" out of my mind. I sing the songs, think about the storylines, obsessively watch old episodes, etc. So when I saw this article about "The Business of Glee" I read it right away. Here is a link to this article in the Hollywood Reporter: Inside the Hot Business of Glee. It's a pretty good article about what making the show is like and gives insight into who does what and how it gets on-air each week. Basic summary: Ryan Murphy does everything! But, all kidding aside, there was a statement that I read which caught me off guard. In the Hollywood Reporter article, Murphy mentions Kings of Leon and how they wouldn't allow for Glee to use their songs to cover. Ryan said, 

" F--- you, Kings of Leon,” he says, raising the volume of his monotonal interview voice ever so lightly. “They’re self-centered assholes, and they missed the big picture. They missed that a 7-year-old kid can see someone close to their age singing a Kings of Leon song, which will maybe make them want to join a glee club or pick up a musical instrument. It’s like, OK, hate on arts education. You can make fun of Glee all you want, but at its heart, what we really do is turn kids on to music.”

What got my attention was how harsh he was towards the band and on such a public level too. Little did I know that it would spark a controversy as it has. I read the article and then it was all over the news! I guess the article was right in it's title "Big Business" of Glee. Here's my thinking: I understand that some people don't like the show. It's perfectly normal considering people's taste in things can vary. Sometimes those people are normal folks like you and me, and sometimes those people are major recording artists who don't want to associate their music with the show. It should have ended there.

But now we have twitter responses and reactions to comments that I would bet money each party would want to take back.

Here is the article I read with the comments made by both parties: Kings of Leon vs. Glee

This shouldn't have been a big deal, but once the "wear a bra" comment was made, it was all over. Especially if we think about how much Glee has showcased bullying and gay students struggling against comments and attacks. How could Ryan Murphy not comment?  Nathan from Kings of Leon, came across as the exact type of person Glee fights against and stands up to, a bully. It made me gasp when I read what he said to Mr. Murphy. It's just a sad situation that shouldn't have ever happened.