I wasn’t thrilled with last week’s controversial Glee episode, “First Kiss” mainly due to the sloppy and unrealistic writing, a continuing issue with the popular series. The entire plot of the Glee boys using sexy visions of Coach Bieste to cool their boners was stupid beyond belief but I also have a big bone of contention for the Kurt/Bully plot line as well. Problem #1 for me was the casting of the bully, another ongoing issue for the series; the actor hired to play the part looked about 30 and didn’t make a believable high school student. But, the biggest issue for me was the whole, “Many homophobes are actually closet cases” cliche illustrated in the episode with the revelation that the homophobic jock harassing Kurt was in fact, a closeted “questioning” man who laid a big ole lip smacker on Kurt during a confrontation scene. Yeah, I think SOME homophobes deny their inner sexualities and cover it up with aggression and bullying, but I hate to see it presented as a mainstream FACT of life. Most bullies are just jerks and haters and only interested in the thrill of the kill and not in the thrill of the forbidden kiss. It made for a dramatic scene and you know it’s going in Chris Colfer’s Emmy reel for next year, but it rang phony and false to me, like a lot of the inconsistent plotting on Glee. (Yes, I’m aware that the show is really a fantasy, but still…the writers/producers on that show need some discipline and structure.)
I’m off my soap box and do want to mention I did very much like the boy’s prep school version of Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream” performed by Kurt’s apparent new love interest, Blaine played by the adorable Darren Criss, (and, it was just announced that Criss WILL be a regular NEXT season, so apparently he really IS the long rumored new boyfriend for Kurt). The single for “Teenage Dream” is also the fasting selling single in Glee’s history:
“The track was released on Tuesday and is on course to sell perhaps 150,000 to 175,000 downloads by week’s end on November 14, according to industry prognosticators. According to Columbia Records, which releases ‘Glee’s’ music, the track did gangbusters on its first day, racking up 55,000 in sales via iTunes — marking the highest first-day sales for any ‘Glee’ track. Currently, the cast of the Fox TV show saw its best sales week with its debut single, a cover of Journey’s ‘Don’t Stop Believin’.’ It bowed with 177,000 according to Nielsen SoundScan upon its release in May of 2009.”
And, the performers of those hit songs make about $1.37 for their success due to their crummy contracts with Fox…
Here’s another version of “Teenage Dream” performed by gay singer/songwriter Gregory Douglass. It’s not quite as peppy, but Mr Douglass is an excellent singer.
– Michael Strangeways
