Glee

[seriousfic]

Does anyone else have a hard time getting this show? On the one hand, it has some of the best dialogue on TV and the musical numbers aren't bad (I'm a writer, what were you expecting?). On the other hand... you know the old joke that Hollywood would make a movie that's just "Macbeth in space" or "Die Hard in a museum"? The joke being that just because you change the setting, you're not being creative.

Well, Glee is basically Hamlet 2 with singing and Jane Lynch. Yes, it is. It is. You know it is. Which, okay, similar premises, that happens sometimes. Then just this week came along. The ol' Nip/Tuck Julie/Christian/Sean triangle with singing and Jane Lynch (alright, that is pretty cool), and the dialogue wasn't half as clever (it's like we're supposed to care if Teen Liberace finds acceptance), AND they played a Beyonce song four times. Which is three times more than one, in case you were keeping track. And did we really need TWO selfish bitches who we can root for our heroes to cheat on?

Look, Ryan Murphy, this kind of generically transplantable storytelling and shameless lack of creativity is only acceptable in police procedurals, and even then, only when you have a character actor behaving eccentrically. Also, it's kinda weird to vilify a teenage girl for not putting out. Just, you know... weird.

Comments

[tamburlaine.livejournal.com]

I started watching it for Jane Lynch, and then for the hype, and it was cute, but I'll tell you what: I have a hard time throwing myself into a "Nerd Power!"-driven comedy.

I know, I'm a nerd, and I was a theater kid, and I should feel some solidarity, but not when the TV is telling me to root for this generic motley crew of freaks and geeks.

But fandom (fucking fandommmmm!) always loves a generic motley crew of freaks and geeks. I can't wait for the "I'm the Character X to your Character Y, and I hate you for it!" secrets on fandomsecrets.

[seriousfic.livejournal.com]

Plus, NEEDS MOAR FEMSLASH.

[tamburlaine.livejournal.com]

Naturally.

[scottyquick.livejournal.com]

Did you not see Tina's face when Rachel was feeling her up in "You're the one that I want"?

[rann.livejournal.com]

Also, is it just me, or are they desperately trying to make these "geek hero" shows, while still being really insulting about using stereotypes and stuff? There are more than a few out there now, and it sounds like this is another one.

I mean, it's like they took the geek buttmonkey of the show that everyone abuses, insults, and dismisses, and made him the hero... but without actually removing any of the stereotypes or the buttmonkeyness. So he's still the butt of every joke, the sad laughable loser, only now he's the main character and we're supposed to empathize.

The funny thing is, you know that a lot of times, you can't even necessarily blame it on executive meddling, or snotty writers who beat up nerds and geeks in school... you can watch nerds to it to themselves, even without the draws of mass appeal or big check payoffs.

Just look at Real Life Comics (http://reallifecomics.com/archive/090921.html)... Greg used to be a nerd, among nerds. The character that is now his wife, and representative of the author's real wife, used to be quite the big nerd herself. But now Greg's the only truly nerdy one left, and he's an exaggerated, pathetic caricature of one, his obsessiveness and focus on every nerdy thing taken to heretofore unseen heights, while the wife-character has basically turned into the stereotypical closer-to-earth muggle woman who just doesn't get what's so fascinating about all this "scientific fiction" stuff. He obsesses over online games while she stands around and rolls his eyes, and all of his "friends" snicker behind his back at what a nerdy loser he is. It's just like one of these friggin' "nerd hero" sitcoms.

[rann.livejournal.com]

stands around and rolls HER eyes, rather