Nothing to be Gleeful about

There are bad episodes of GLEE, and then there's the recent Christmas episode, which is barely watchable.
My position on the show, in general, is that the plots should be completely abandoned. They're completely inane and I get mad every time they try to teach me a lesson. The show has six positive attributes: Sue is fun. Brittany is hilarious. Santana and Quinn are really hot. Other Asian can dance. And finally, THE MUSICAL INTERLUDES ARE GREAT!!!
So yeah, I watch just for the music videos, and when they suck the show is barely watchable.
In Glee's rendition of HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS the songs fail to elevate a particularly bad plot.
I don't know what I hated worse, the fact that Sue robs poor people (while we're supposed to sympathize with her) or the pukeworthy presence of the Glee club at Shue's house.
With the awesome directions you can pull Christmas songs, I'm bummed that GLEE, which is usually very creative, didn't come up with some original creations. And no, I'm not forgetting the duet of BABY IT"S COLD OUTSIDE, with two guys!!! CRAZY! You're so edgy, except you're not.... (On a side note, when is Kurt going to make a move?)
Here's to hoping I don't strangle myself during the next episode.
On a final note, though, I am seriously addicted to Santana's rendition of VALERIE in a previous episode.

Gleeful Podcast

So with the Glee finale a few days in the bag, i sat down with my friend Steve Wuest to breakdown the finale and the season. We ramble on for a while about the things we hate (story lines), people we love (Brit and Other Asian) and moments we keep coming back to ("My Life Would Suck Without You" vol. 1 finale).

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You'll notice we got cut off during recommendations, so here is the last two minutes of the show.

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At one point I mention Josh Groban's tv medley from the Emmy's, and here is that video.

WTF!!!

Ok, so i'm 18 minutes into the season finale of GLEE. Things are going great, as I've been emotionally won over by the Journey mash-up. As these twenty something high school kids tap back into their roots i'm forgetting about all the terrible story lines. Heck, i'm fighting back tears as I watch these young bastards sing their hearts out.
And then, it happens...
QUINN'S WATER BREAKS!!! WTF!!! She is the skinniest pregnant lady ever!!! I'm surprised she didn't crap out the kid. UGH...

Guest Post: GLEE

(Editor's Note: THis was first published as a comment to one of Dave's articles. It is a crime when the comment is better than the actual post, so we're hoping to correct that injustice by highlighting the work of Steve . We think people will like this, and hopefully we can start grooming Dave's replacement. At the very least, maybe they'll figure out how to arrange a GLEE podcast and sing-a-long. P.s. The first picture is Steve)

I have a weekly date with a group of friends. We started watching GLEE in the fall, and it used to be fun. GLEE is not normally a show I would watch, but everyone else was into it and the group dynamic was fun. It helped that there was a group setting to make fun of the utterly ridiculous things that happened. The characters were fine, the story was ok, but it was a fun experience.


Lately though, the story has gotten more out there. The show is a lot more preachy, and is much less fun to watch. I probably would have stopped watching it if not for the group.

Unlike most people, I'm not blown away by the music. Some songs are really good (Dream On was fantastic) but most of the others are just ok.

Miscellaneous points:
-I was going to rant about Kurt and Finn, but you beat me to it. My thoughts exactly. I used to like Kurt but now I can't stand him.
-My favorite characters (in order): Other Asian, Brittany, Sue, Puck, Santana. Oh, and Neil Patrick Harris.
-No Sue this episode. I was disappointed.
-When you find yourself rooting for the jocks against the protagonists, it's not a good sign for the show.

Finally, is Rachel hot? I change my mind from "super attractive" to "not good looking at all" at least ten times an episode. No exaggeration.

(I vote SUPER HOT)

Gaga for Glee

In last night's Lady Gaga centric episode of GLEE, I took away three things.
1. Idina Menzel was perfectly cast to play Lea Michele's mom. They look exactly the same and I could really believe that Menzel was a hardened version of what Michele's Rachel could become. As for how quickly the show exposed this truth and how equally fast it did away with this revelation, I was not as impressed. It all seemed very unbelievable in the way Rachel just accepts this is her mom and how willing she is to have this woman abandon her life. Rachel is still in her formative years and would want a mom around!!!!
2. Absolutely loved the BAD ROMANCE video. The costumes were amazing, with my favorite being Brit's Face Lobster. THe only downfall was the fact that the choreography was a poor tribute to the actual video.
The vocals by Santana were my favorite part, as she reaffirmed her part as one of my favorite characters.
3. Ok, here's my rant: I HATED THE STUFF WITH KURT AND FINN. It's one thing to be tolerant of someone's lifestyle, which Finn is, but it's another thing to demand someone embraces that lifestyle as their own. I would argue that Finn moving into Kurt's house made him the oppressed minority since it was basically Kurt's way or the highway.
Kurt's dad's outrage was completely unwarranted. He goes on this tolerance rant, while failing to recognize that Finn was basically getting sexually harassed. Finn wasn't uncomfortable being naked in front of a gay guy. Finn was uncomfortable being naked around a gay guy WHO HAD A CRUSH ON HIM!!!! It's homophobic to assume a gay guy wants to jump you, but Finn wasn't reacting to nothing.
The show went out of it's way to justify Kurt's behavior, and it was wrong. He can dress however he want and live however he wants. People need to respect his decisions, but they don't have to accept or respect the kind of behavior Finn was forced to tolerate.
Additionally, the message at the end of the episode was totally misguided. We're all freaks???? Kurt isn't a freak because he's gay. Kurt's strange because of what he wears, but that doesn't mean the glee members need to isolate themselves from society in their merry band of misfits.
I'm all for educating America (I'm looking at you "flyover state"), but don't jam it down our throats the way Kurt did.

The Week in Review

This is the second installment of my week in review segment. Based on last week's responses no one read it or everyone was just apathetic about it. Regardless, I will try again with week 2.
1. On the Celebrity Apprentice things got more catty than usual, as we finally realized last year's Joan Rivers vs. Annie Dukes rivalry in the form of Cyndi Lauper vs. a WWE Diva. (Sure, I could look up her name, but I won't.)
I totally love the Diva, who has proven herself to be a valuable asset and doesn't deserve the diva moniker i'm using. Lauper on the otherhand, was a terrible director of talent and basically just reminded me of my mom. Granted, my mom is a smart lady who runs a newspaper, but at home she has the same kind of attention deficit disorder and dictatorial tendencies that Cyndi exhibits.
Anyway, the two ladies butted heads, adding another enemy to Lauper's growing list of haters.
In the end, though, it was Goldberg who was sent home. He deferred to Brett Michaels and ended up losing, but kept on smiling. (That joke makes sense if u watch the show. If not, then just know that Goldberg was adamant about smiling. Ok, it doesn't work.)
2. On Monday there was no Chuck. But, I did get a return of HOUSE, even if it was 8 days after its originally airing since I watch it on HULU.
(Editor's Note: Not only is this week in review dated, it includes shows that are two weeks old! If you think we're editing this for valuable content, then think again. The only thing we took out was naked pictures of Cyndi Lauper that David photo-shopped, because we don't want to get sued.)
The episode was directed by Hugh Laurie, and it actually offered a different style as almost every scene revolved around the interplay of two characters. This was the product of some terrible scripting that required the hospital to be shutdown after a baby is misplaced and forced Cuddie to think unconventionally at the end of the show. The whole thing was uninspiring, especially the David Strathairn scenes that wasted a great actor in boring scenes opposite Hugh Laurie. Oh yeah, there was also stupid sex between Chase and Cameron. Basically HOUSE sucks. I WANT CHUCK
3. Why didn't I remember to DVR JUSITIFIED?!?!? Now i have to wait for it to show up OnDemand, which seems to take forever. So blame the stupid network's OnDemand provisions for my inability to comment on this show.
4. Wasn't wild about the Madonna episode on GLee. Loved the Like A Virgin remake, which was uber hot, but felt it was covered better in MOULIN ROUGE.
5. FLASHFORWARD killed off an interesting character in a surprising way. Well the death itself was more surprising, since i didn't think the writers would have the balls to kill off a compelling character without a bigger payoff. The death is proposed earlier in the episode, but I thought there would be a too convenient way around this outcome. But no, this guy gets wacked and the show opened another can of worms it will never close if it gets canceled.
6. FRINGE was really good. Not just episodic good, but serialized excellence was on display. Peter (joshua Jackson) finally learned that he's from the other dimension and responded by going on the lam. I also love the bad guy, whoever he is, and look forward to more tussles with him.
7. The food revolution met it's match in the series finale, and the winner was a lack of self-control! Boy I hate Jamie Oliver and hope I never have to hear from him again. Some people admired him personally and others appreciated his task, while I just hoped West Virginia would be bombed. I did get to learn that the Rascal Flats are a huge band, according to Jaime. Thanks!

SO this review didn't hit everyday or every show i watch, but offers you a little glimpse of the crap i devour. (Crap Jamie Oliver lets me eat with no second thought)

Enough with Jennifer Hudson

Maybe I'll sound like an idiot, but I just want people to know for sure that I really am. Now that you know that about me, I think you should also know that I can't stand Jennifer Hudson.
My hatred for her goes way back to when she was on American Idol. To this day, that remains to be the only season I've only watched. It started when my friend Rick commented that I was on the show in the form of red head John Stevens. Stevens sang old songs, which was what reminded Rick of me. Well, I'm so sick that I began watching and living through John...
Anyway, Hudson was knocked off a week before Stevens and everyone made a stink about what a travesty that was. So what if she had a better voice? He had better hair. So what if it was a singing competition? He was more popular. Just because he should have been voted off doesn't mean I need to feel bad for Hudson. In fact, I began to resent her because she generated a lot of resentment towards my boy. (I have his debut cd).
Then she was in Dream Girls, which was ok I guess. Don't really think it was better than THE TEMPTATIONS movie from the late 90s, but I guess that's just a matter of choice. I did not think Hudson was great in the movie. She was up against a bunch of nobodies and Cate Blanchett, for her Oscar and all the buzz meant Hudson was getting it.
First of all, Blanchett always deserves to win. She could have done Hudson's role. I'm sure of it. Second, I don't think Hollywood should glamorize fat people. Besides the fact that I'd rather look at Beyonce, I really mean that i don't think she's overcoming any major obstacles in her life by being fat. You can lose weight.
Also, I'm not overly impressed with her voice. Wow! She hits the big notes. She goes for it when she sings. Leaves everything on the stage. Um no. She's no better than Jennifer Hudson-lite on GLEE, who even sang the big DREAM GIRLS song on GLEE. Was there a difference? No, except that the teen didn't get an award and she's probably a better actor.

Finally, and most damning in my opinion, was Hudson's role as Louise in the Sex and the City movie. I hate this movie. I hate it so much. Even if Hudson was great in the movie I would have not liked her. Well she wasn't great. She was annoying. I wanted to poison the next handbag she got in the mail. She just rubbed me the wrong way. If you wanted more of an articulate argument, then you're reading the wrong blog.
By the way, all of this stems from a picture I saw of her on the AOL Today page. No idea what it was in reference to, but I can only hope that she has announced her retirement.
Beyonce is a better singer/actor (Single Ladies/Austin Powers: GOld Member). That's why she gets her picture in, and Jennifer Hudson is absent from this post.

Bi-polar Glee

I think my biggest problem with GLEE is that it’s really an episode dramedy masquerading as a serial story. Granted, there are some recurring plotlines, but the characters don’t change.
The lack of evolution or progression in the wrong direction is most visibly evident in some of the key relationships. The main players in the love triangle of Quinn, Finn and Rachel act differently in any episode, as if the previous developments meant nothing. Maybe that’s a result of High School hormones, but I’m more likely to accept that it’s just a matter of convenient writing.
In particular, Rachel’s actions seem totally unwarranted, considering the way Finn has treated her and the fact she has given up on him already. It’s almost as if she’s in GROUNDHOG DAY and every episode is a new one where she will try to woo Finn. That’s a fine concept, except that this series isn’t episodic and characters are supposed to grow.
I also hate the short term memory demonstrated every time they have to sing. Early in the series they would wear their emotions on their face to show how they felt, but now the kids just get right into the swing of things. Again, there is a possible explanation, which is that they’re becoming more professional and hiding it. I’m more inclined to believe the writers are just glossing over points. Specifically, where is the fallout between Wheels and the Asian girl? There’s a ton of other examples of stressed relationships that seem to be cleaned up during the 6 days the show is off the air.
Every episode is enjoyable, it’s just depriving itself of its full potential by these ill-conceived character stories. A show can have ridiculous characters doing ridiculous things, but you can’t have them acting out of character. It just doesn’t work.
Recently we saw the compassionate side of Sue Sylvester in her treatment of a retarded girl. This seemed out of character for her until we learned that she had a retarded sister, who she lovingly dealt with. Ok, great, that explains her actions for that episode. It doesn’t explain why she’s a jerk to a kid in a wheel chair, a girl with a stutter (albeit a fake one) and minorities. She can’t be understanding one episode and just flip on a dime as the writers please. How has no one else called GLEE out on this????
I should have seen this coming since Ryan Murphy has such a large hand in GLEE. His other baby, NIP/TUCK, also has meandering story lines and characters with short term memories. There it is excusable since the show is so ridiculous. In GLEE it’s tougher to swallow since the show tries to be grounded in some version of reality.
Does this bother anyone else?????

My New Favorite Fictional Couple

JD and Elliot. Liz Lemon and Floyd. Jessica and Hoyt. All couples of the past as far as I'm concerned. Ok, I'd take Jessica and Hoyt back in a second, but I've found my new favorite tv pairing; Rachel Berry and Finn Hudson.
Sure the characters from "Glee" haven't reached Ross and Rachel status yet, but the Rachel and Finn dynamic is my new favorite couple.
As played by Lea Michele and Cory Monteith, these two young actors light up every scene they're in together. The dynamic is palpable. You almost feel like they're serious in real life the way they're looking at each other. But I guess that's just acting. ACTING!
Anyway, when Rachel and Finn share the stage for any of the dance/singing routines in "Glee" I just get swept away. But it's not just the musical numbers that i'm enraptured with, the struggle to get these two together throughout the course of the show is an uphill battle i'm willing to fight for.
In case you're not watching, what I'm talking about is the fact that Finn is already taken. In fact, his girlfriend, Quinn is pregnant and he's committed to his child. Except, the kid isn't his and he doesn't know that...
Obviously there will be many road blocks in their way before they become official, but they've already kissed and have both admitted feelings for the other. THIS WILL HAPPEN!! IT MUST HAPPEN!!!
You must watch Glee. It's great. Rachel and Finn are great.