Hello and welcome to Big Gay energy. I'm Bree. I'm Fiora and I'm Caitlin come along with us while we dive into the fun and nuances of queer media representation matters. And we're here to talk about it. Hello. Hello, welcome back. This is see you again Tiara. Yeah, same, thank you. Everybody at home for joining us. What are you doing today? Caitlin, we have a super super special video. So special, like everyone's been begging for this? No, they have not an utterly, no
one. No one has asked for it. Today we are going to be talking about the best show in the world that has no issues whatsoever. No Glee Glee. So when was the first time you watch Glee? I watched it since the beginning. Like when it first aired because like this show. Sounded so appealing to me because it's like oh it's about like I didn't know what a glee club was. But I got from like the original trailer from what I can
remember. I got like theater Club Vibes and I was like okay cool like high school theater. Like that's awesome. We never get to actually see into that world like that'd be super fun. Let's do it. Because like I grew up watching musicals Like I'm from New York. Originally, I used to go to Broadway as a kid, like I love musicals like, yeah. I finally like a TV show about that, kind of stuff.
And yeah. So I was watching it from the beginning and boy did this show evolved over time, which we will get into but like, yeah, I like it very much appeal to me from the very beginning. I think I was in elementary school and started. I can't remember time periods but yeah it was 2009 now so I was just entering Middle School.
And so I think I was like slightly too young right in the beginning but then I was a theater kid so I don't know how I've just, I never saw the show until the pandemic and the whole reason. Yeah, it took me forever weird. Oh, I thought you were seated earlier because it's like know your jam and Tino and I watched the first, okay? So a lot of things happen like this.
I have to be like fully committed to Watching something to actually get into it because I A lot of times I watched the first episode and just stop because I had I think I was like, forcing myself to watch it. I can't force myself to watch things. Yeah. Just doesn't work. but, I was obsessed with Melissa was is past tense. Let's just say, is because every time I see her, then I become
really obsessed. I so I think I tried watching it for her, but I knew she wasn't in it till the fourth season so I got I didn't get past the first episode. It's like screw it. I'll just watch the fourth season so I watched the four and a half of five. Interesting. Yeah so I have had no idea what happened other than 4 and half of 5. Then one day I was like I guess I will watch the whole thing and then I fell in love with the show. This is 20:21 the summer of 2021.
Yeah, these are watching it during the Glee Renaissance that was happening. Basically. Yeah, but I was actually not aware that everybody else is everyone else, watched it? And then a few months later because some other things happened in real life and I think it was like right before the year anniversary of Nia that I actually like fell in love. The show and I fell in love with Nia. She's amazing.
And this whole time, I will not say anything past tense with her ex. I refuse to Everything is as it should be in my mind. Yeah, but anyway, this show made me very, very depressed. Just which is weird for a comedy. So right now I have made me very angry. So all you are discovering Lee during the Glee Renaissance in the locked out. I was revisiting Trauma from the show that I had suppressed with, like, there's like podcast coming out about it and I was,
like, listening. I was like, oh God, yeah. Like you're expressing all of my feelings that I've had penned up about the show because like, damn, the trauma. But, so we'll get into all that. So I'm glad the Good Bad and the Ugly that is our was Glee which was like, it was a Worldwide phenomena and like, we'll get into it. Yeah. Okay. Out of control. I'm glad that you watched it as it came out. So I have no idea what the world was like, when Glee was airing. I barely heard about it.
But it's also depends on when you watch it in life so I have different experiences from you. Yeah between Age and what was going on in the world? Yeah we'll get into it. Why it like at the time it was a it was a big deal for a lot of reasons and we'll kind of jump into that we like jump into the show and throughout this episode maybe two episodes because depending on how much we scream about this show It might be multiple parts will have compilation clips that we found
on YouTube and patreon. You'll see us react to it. YouTube, we're going to cut most of it out just because it get too long and I don't want to deal with copyright because, but since we are found to be wanting to be like the YouTube version, yes. Okay, so full reaction /. A trip down memory lane with YouTube video, with the YouTube videos will be available on the patreon and you'll get a little taste. If you're watching on YouTube or listening on audio podcast also especially for audio.
There's some things that are confusing but will try to read as much as if it is the first video. Since we're an lgbtq+ media podcast, I titled this section. Everyone is gay. Perfect. So what do you think? Is everybody gay on the show? No, I don't think everybody is gay on the show.
I think there's a lot of insanity that went on the show as the show evolved over time and like there are other podcast at have like super gotten into detail with likely, but like one of the big problems with the show is there's so many writing and consistencies and so there's no like consistency with like characters from like episode to episode. Episode. So like all their plot lines,
get all kinds of weird. So yeah I can see like if you really searched through the whole show you could find. It's as if everybody acting really gay when they may not be a gay character because like the it's almost like the writers and talk to each other when they were at the show. And so it's like it's a know, it is like it's such a hot mess.
Like they will have a whole episode dedicated to one thing about one character and then the next episode, completely forgot about it. And like never bring it up, again. That's true. And then they'll contradict themselves later, correct? Yeah. It's like they didn't talk to
each other. So, yeah, you can have I'm going to be like, yeah, I think Artie's fruity and like have one Offline that he has and never talk touch it ever again, so like maybe they were but maybe they weren't because the writers on the show did not talk to each other. Well, speaking of that, I guess we'll skip down a little bit because we have a video just for that. It's such a, this show is such a disaster sometimes. Okay, history of Joe run, Joey run first.
So the history of Glee and why it just gets more and more. Ridiculous overtime is like if you you may not be aware. Like if you if you came in during the Renaissance of Glee during the pandemic and you're like whoa this show you have to understand that this show was like novel. Before its time. So first of all, it was a syndicated show. So it was on broadcast TV on Fox network, that's who had Glee, which doesn't make a lot of
sense. If you've heard the term Fox, because Fox as a company is very, very right-wing conservative. So this show was on a right-wing conservative Network, which is crazy to begin with. And it had all that even happened. How did I even happen did the jokes over? Heads or I don't know that, I don't know.
But yeah. And so it had openly queer characters in prime time which was very rare at the time especially on this network so it was a huge deal and after its first season it blew up like this at one point in time was the most popular television show in the world like globally and it very much got to the creators heads and instead of making it About the show, they started doing things like trying to sell songs on iTunes and just the show became less about what it
originally was, which was a satire and everybody forgets. It's a satire. So it's making fun of this theater culture and like of children, like growing up in that culture, that's really what it is. And it started taking itself way too seriously as a television show and was trying to tackle like Teenage issues, real world issues, like we get unique. Later.
And it's about like, you know, being trans and then or about like homelessness, there's one whole episode dedicated to like Sam and his family struggling and homelessness. So they tried to like, take themselves way too seriously and like tackle big topics, but they forgot what they were which is a satire about basically, whatever culture they were in, which is
America, middle of nowhere. Like Ohio is like a middle state in America, if you're not familiar with America, But, you know, and then kids, small town have dreams of getting out going to the big city that kind of stuff. So it's supposed to be like not being serious about that, but being a satire about that and then you have like the burnout mr. Shue. Who like forgo that dream to like, be a teacher for whatever reason, and like, it's supposed to be making fun of itself.
Not taking itself too seriously. So as it started taking itself too, seriously as the show is like gaining popularity. It got way too full of itself and like again that's where you started getting all these inconsistencies that were happening the show was trying to make money off the so what they would do is they would essentially like the Glee club would do a cover and then they would sell that song on iTunes.
This is before like free streaming was more mainstream and they would sell it so they were making a ton of money off that. So then the show became less about the show and more about like having hit song like centered around hit songs they could sell which is why as you watch the show there becomes more hit song.
It's just like centered around putting hit songs in the show so they can sell it. So it just lost its way and as it started doing that, it started declining in popularity to the point where nobody talked about the show anymore because it got so bad. Whereas it used to be a show that like rival the Super Bowl, as opposed to like, how many
people were watching this show? Like, it was the most watched television show, and it just lost its mind, as it, you know, it's a great metaphor for capitalism it. Be lost its mind and then people are like, this isn't what I signed. And up for and stop watching it and just fizzled out. So that's Glee. So run. Joey run is like the most quintessential Glee thing on Glee because that is what Glee actually is. Like, it's Rachel basically
trying to make something. She thinks is super cool, which is a music video. If I call the guys that are into her, that she's in do, and she thinks it's really cool. And it's like, it's like edited, like, the way, like somebody would minimal technology would have like an 80s edit kind of thing, and she's so proud of this. And He's like, what are you doing with those reasons?
Trash, we hate this, but like that's what Glee was, that's the most Glee thing on Glee and like they keep making fun of it again because it's a show that makes fun of itself. That's part of the satire of it and they keep bringing it up because like at the audience hated it but like I think the audience forgot and Glee eventually forgets what Glee actually was because it just it loses its mind. And yeah it just it just became a way to sell iTunes songs.
Over time and just that's why it just stopped making sense. And Rachel became way too serious. About her like everybody becomes way too serious about themselves and it's like that's not what this show actually is run, Joey run, is what the show actually is, but they constantly bring it back and make fun of it. Because like everybody throughout Glee was basically, I think that makes sense. Sorry for why I do like four and five because that's what I
started with. So those were the more serious Seasons. So I'm used to Glee as a not, okay? So it can never be serious but no, it's a more serious show. which is why when I went back to the first like, I tried the first episode first and it just didn't work and So I guess I get what that's also why I have a different Viewpoint of the show in general because I started in
the middle. Yeah. You started in the middle and like for me for is when I stopped watching because for repeated what was happening in the first season but made it too serious. And I was like and it fucked up a lot of shit that I was mad about and I was like, I'm not watching. This is what it even is the show anymore. And if you weren't watching it live at the time, like it was a big deal that that was even on TV and fox of all things.
So that made it more of a leg cultural phenomenon that was happening. And it was making, like, theater more mainstream people are like, yeah, this is actually pretty cool and a pretty hard thing that people are doing and it made it more relatable to people who didn't really know what theater culture was or I didn't know what a glee club was, but I knew its theater culture was so it just it was very
revolutionary at its time. But then like, yeah, for you, Later it went off the rails and it was just trying to make money. I couldn't with the show anymore. So basically I said, I would say there's like three or even four different errors of Glee because halfway through five, they get rid of half their caste which I'll talk about later again. It's just that makes no sense and then six is a brand-new show itself again and six I stopped at six because I could barely get through it.
Yeah, they took. Yeah. But what are we going to go through the what are we going through? The eras of Glee. Um Maybe in the next part. Like when we talk about the new kids and stuff because we'll just But do you want to talk about your favorite character right now? My favorite character. I have two favorite characters. Why Anna? And Sue?
Yeah, those are exactly one it sue because we're still in the problematic section of Glee. Is that we're doing, okay, there's so many problems with Glee. Most of them are seasoned for for me. But I don't think Sue Sue is not problematic to me.
Sue is like the rational person in the room because this is, again, it's a satire, which is like over-exaggerated in certain aspects and Sue is usually like the voice of reason who's like colleagues only person calls mr. Shue out for being the villain of the show. He's the villain. Okay? Like the writers, try to make him be like, he's the protagonist. He's really not. He's a lot of the problems and the show's stem from him being selfish, and trying, A teenager
again. Like he's so creepy and weird and Sue is just like keeping it real all the time. So I love Su and I just I love so I don't have bad things about her. Sometimes she's those problematic you, but I don't care because to me, she is the voice of reason and you gotta shout out Jane Lynch. Queer actress. Absolutely love her. She's probably the most iconic and successful person from this
show like in this show. Wouldn't it be have done what it did without her in it and literally nobody else can Taesu like Jane Lynch is so talented. Like she was absolutely the perfect person for this role. I love Jane Lynch. I'm just not the biggest fan of Sue.
She has funny moments. I just I don't know all the adults it's because you came in and sees if you're again went off the rails and that's not who suits they tried to paint her as the villain when she's really not like Glee lost its mind like yeah so I again my viewpoint is very different. Because of coming in at 4:00, I came in when everyone else stopped, anytime I'm sad or need the laughs. I literally just go on YouTube and watch, like, best moments of
Sue, Sylvester, and just laugh. Because she's, she's just the best. Her lines are so Great Khali out. Mostly to shoot his bullshit. Would you like to see some of her times? Yeah, let's do it. If you want to let you know, we're talking about. Please like join us on this journey, patreon members. while I get the screen share up, I will let the ads play This video, who is the most problematic character? It's okay.
Well, again you saw the outline, you could have said that Sue's not problematic and think she can be read as problematic, the most problematic character issue. He just, he's so he's next. Don't worry, you can, you can do, okay? So actually, I did not see him as creepy the first time until and then, I kept hearing everybody say that. He's so creepy. I'm like, did I just I did not care about him so I didn't pay attention when he was on the screen and that's how it should
have been. He should have been so like I don't need to pay attention to him but he just he constantly kept getting centered and stuff and it's like this is not about you but his whole story line in the first season I hated I hated his wife. Terry, I believe she pissed me off all the adults in the show. Really pissed me off. So I just did not pay attention to them Pillsbury. Yeah, yeah. Emma was great until everything got way too serious. The oven and it got weird.
Yeah. I love Kurt's dad, though. Oh yeah, he's a great guy. Let's talk about shoe. Do we have to? I mean I kind of feel like we need to do, even though I don't like him, I hate him. He is the most problematic character in the show. And again, like, Ryan Murphy very much tries to Center shoe
as like, oh he's the good guy. He, this is that, but he does so much shit like he's centers himself in everything and it's like this is a group of like high school kids who are trying to find their place their community and like he constantly centers himself in like their world and it's weird instead of like being a good teacher and like supporting them, he sent her some self constantly and he does it in super inappropriate ways, like there's that one episode in season one, I think,
where they Glee Club gets to do the assembly and he has them do this like, Forget the song but it's like this sexy inappropriate dancing and he's in it with his underage teenage kids. Was that the song? The push it song? Yes. It's the push it song. And it's like why are you adult married man? Dancing with these miners in a sexually suggestive and he doesn't more than once in the show. Like it's just creepy and like pedophile e and like a Zuri and it's just like and that's why I
love suit. Casue calls him out for being a creepy weirdo and inappropriate with his students, which he constantly is, and it's just great. You know, what those things do happen in real life, which is stupid because, and I'm aware of that. But, like, the writers Centre him as the good guy in these scenarios and it's like, no, he's being extremely inappropriate with his students. And like, please portray it for what it is, which is Is highly problematic instead of making
him the hero of the episode. That's the problem I have with it. Not that they're showing these things but they're elevating him to the good guy protagonist, and they want you to root for him in this really inappropriate situation. And it's like maybe that's why it's on Fox Igor. See the Baptist Church if you don't know what I'm talking about. They're super node for this kind of crap.
I think it should. His storyline should have ended with him being on trial and then everyone testifying against him, and then he gets put behind bars. Personally, I think his story line should have ended when the original cast graduated high school and we get less of mr. Shue person. Oh yeah, something. Well, he came back for a reason. Yes, is not a know, we'll get
there when we get to the Why? I stopped watching Glee, but I think there's a he just is constantly being centered as a main character, and it's like why this show is not really about you anymore, but he's hella problematic. And like, he just, he basically just wants to be thin and he's trying to like the she live. His high school Glory Days and like, okay, the discovery. Can we go k the discovery of fin as a singer again right off the bat shoe being stupidly creepy.
In is of the football but he's supposed to be the jerk who also is an artist kind of deal and he gets discovered by accident quote, on quote. I hope because shoe, just wanders into the boys locker room, shoo, the Spanish teacher, / Glee, Club, founder, or whatever. Just meanders into the miners locker room where the football team is showering and like creeps on, Finn straight-up naked. And showering and listens to him saying and he like lingers there for like a hot man at while.
This minor is singing in the shower, I used to cry. It's so creepy like it's like this is not as this isn't bad because not I'm the okay let me get my thoughts out. So I'm about to relate this to a scene, but the scene that I'm relating it to isn't bad because it's not a teacher and a student but it reminds me of that Pitch Perfect scene when Right. Yeah, sneaks into the shower, I think she's like, what are you doing? So that's just what writes me of. Okay.
But they are both the same age less creepy than your no future. Without your consent cream. Like Finn doesn't know he's in there. Creeping on it. Like it's just the creepiest, I go to be less creepy if like Kurt was in there because he got out of gym and need to get something from his locker and heard Finn. Why was it mr. Shue creeping in the boys locker room. Like what a? And then again the writers are portrayed as like what a good thing he found a star male singer know.
It's like you're an adult creeping on children. Showering like that is so weird. I actually just chose not to think about it too hard because the writers don't frame it that way. They they don't they just they luckily excuse every bad thing shoe does in the way they write and frame his character and that's what drives me nuts about him. He's not a good person like he's just not. He's very inappropriate with his minor students and it's never portrayed that way.
The only person who calls him how to sue you. Well, actually, there is another person And we have one who calls about the most consistently issue. It's sushi beginning soon shoe. All right. Anyway, I hate him. Do you have anything to say about, you know, I choose not to because you just, you could see the problematic stuff, I just ignored him because I just didn't like him. So, I have no words. A lot of this is just like I have no words for which does not
translate well for a podcast. He's just he's the worst you just again, that's hims just centering himself. He does it all the time. It's very annoying and like again it goes Santa Ana for actually calling him out on his bullshit because very few people doesn't he just constantly gets away with it. It just, it's annoying. He's very, he's very, very, very does anybody like him? The Euro? I don't know if he likes shoe. Why? Why he's not a good person. There are better adults in this show.
See Kurt's dad probably the best adult in the show. Yes we all need a Kurt's. Dad in our lives are better adult. Now, I think you can come on. Yes, he is. The best of all he is constantly supporting Kurt. Always like he is the best adult in the show. Yeah. He's he's such a great, dad. He's the best stuff. Tastes the best. I love him. But all right, I think that's enough, mr. Shue talk like that guy. Yes. Yes, please. No more.
Mr. Shue, I'm so bored with him right now that I'm just like, No, well everybody do do we want to talk about how it foreshadows real life events or do you want to talk about what sounds like in real life? Do the foreshadowing because likely basically took on the role of The Simpsons, where the Simpsons Simpsons ran for like decades.
And essentially got to the point where, like eight was predicting crap that happened in the future, like a trump presidency and things like that and Glee foreshadowed like its own internal stuff, because there's a lot of fuckery that went on with the cast, the creators of the show and it like predicted its own Own bullshit which is wild.
Yeah, yeah. There's some horrible things that happened with Glee that they predicted for their actors and there is a lot of like sex candles and hooking up that happen with cast members and there's the writers put their lives on glasses. Really fucked up. Yeah, they did that with Naya's boob job, yes. Like you're taking something that she was proud of her, like, like comfortable in her own skin and like making it a negative thing. That's so wrong.
They were fucked up and what's also fucked up to in like the casting of these characters, which always bothered me is like Cory Monteith is like 30. and he was supposed to play like a sixteen-year-old and it's like, You do that a lot? Why I hate when they do that, especially cause like, not all the actors were in their 30s. Like some of them were like, young 20s, bordering teenagers, and it's like, this is really weird that you're doing. Oh, well, speaking of you want
to talk. Everything sucks on Netflix. That age Gap was ridiculous was weird because it was like 13 and Luke 21, I think. Yeah. And it looks it. So it does it. Yeah, it does. It's really weird. I don't know who approve that. Yeah, but that's another child. That was a good show. But yeah, the bit, the age that gap between the leads was fucking weird and there's no need for that. Like if they had a younger, they replaced the older ones. Younger one Gators.
Yeah, it would have been a lot better, but that shows weird. Yep, it was a good show, but that was weird. But this is weirder because it's like a lot of the characters are like that. Anyways, we don't like, why'd you high school? TV shows because it's like always played by adults and that's like, which I get but it has to be young adults. Yeah, like, get them in like, I don't know why are there younger?
There's younger actors. So she has two younger people like that are teenagers because of it's just dumb legal stuff, but it's down to deal with parents don't, but then they always make them do adult plotlines, and that's like they're supposed to be 15 like, yeah, just dumb. I like, who's the audience? Really? The audience is really adults, not like the teenagers, I just, I don't like it. I'm past, like watching high school stuff. Personally if you're into it, no. No shade.
I'm over it like because they always make them do stuff that college kids do, I'm like, just put it in college. Why are we doing high school? Then there, that's just me. Gosh, there's, there are a lot of problematic stuff in Glee, but it's just still makes me laugh. And this part like with it being unrealistic, like I'm fine with this part being like Hollywood eyes because it is a TV show. And like, yeah, It's fine. Like, what them?
Embellishing sets and like, embellishing the music and the singing, like, that's fine. That's supposed to happen. That's supposed to have it. Suppose to be like fantasy, like a fantasizes, the television show and makes it unreal, which is okay with me. Like I'm okay with that part of the story that they those choices that they make, because like, it would be weird on TV to watch what you just played like
I want to watch that. Yeah, it's nice to have those videos with the laughs that in the fruit, your free time, but I, you definitely need the unrealistic of the music because yeah, it is on the Dozer Dan. It's a big city theater eat because they're like, you know, if we could do this is what we would love to do as the theater apart department. Like, I appreciate that and the fact that they call it out for being unrealistic in the show like their self aware.
That like we understand this is unrealistic were doing for entertainment because like Sue again we had the clip or soon as I close this is how much money your set would have cost like how silly can make fun of it. So it's I remember those jokes are why I really love Glee because I love when characters are self-aware of like the stupidity of the stuff they do. And that's again, and that's Glee for what it is.
That's what it's supposed to be. It's a satire about itself like yeah, this is what the Glee club with love to do and they're showing you that, but then being like, yeah, this is unrealistic like making fun of it. Elf. That's at the core. What Glee really is. So like yeah, those moments are really great and it also showcased like all of the actors are very talented when it comes to singing dancing and doing their choreography on itself.
So it is nice to see like what that height of that could be for them through like these like crazy sets and stuff, like, it gets crazier over time but like, it's okay. Like for me, it's okay in the, in the genre of what they're trying to do. I mean, we talked about a lot of primary stuff. Obviously, there's more we can get into everything. Well, you have to figure out how do you have a favorite performance that they did? Or like a favorite song or anything, the everything.
I'll let you know at the end because I need I need the video that we're going to watch to help me. Okay, so I have a bunch of favorites but I one of my favorite song. Favorite adverbs episode song, favorite songs. They did was, I think it's the episode where Santana gets outed by Thin and it was at the time rumor has it? Yes. It was at the time where the treble tones were still a thing. Which to me, I like them better than one direction. I know. Other way better.
Because again we got to hear more than Rachel Berry and you directions not One Direction as a new directions. You said One Direction I meant news right. Sorry? Yeah, your actions, it is harder. So the trouble tones and it was the trouble zones which consisted of like, Amber, Riley is Mercedes. Nia as Britney or not. Nia Heather. And I think some of the newer girls I think. Yeah, I think. Yeah. Sugar was.
And they were led by this one of the stupidest plotlines ever Rachel's. Actual biological mom, who's played by Indiana Menzel, who is like one of the greatest show sound so much alike though. She was, she was the original Elphaba in Wicked. She was like in rent, like she's one of the biggest Broadway stars of all time. Iconic, human being. She played Elsa and Frozen like she's iconic. Yes, that's again.
That's how much pull this show had that it got Crazy big stars because that wasn't the season one. Yeah they got her in the be and Kristin Chenoweth was also in it who played Glinda, the Good Witch in Wicked, she's another like iconic brought. These are like legitimate start thanking them and it still pisses me off that they never
put them together in a single. Same like I would love to see them together sort of like they had, I think they were both in an episode where the kids sing Defying Gravity. Yeah man. And I was just like the saying it rather than have them sing something together. Just actually say hi to each other because it's just so weird to have them. Both are in the same episode and it just like not say anything. Okay? But like, I have two favorite songs actually do.
I'm thinking about more Rumor, Has It was one of them because I love the way they did. The Adele songs, all of the Adele songs were really great. This one of your big like Rolling in the Deep but that's probably because Like the characters who are singing it. I like that song, too, but this one I thought was better and I like the way they overlaid like Nia with Amber singing together they're just they sound so fucking good together, they needed more sexy.
And then my God, she was a tree graph. The two of them are my two favorite singers, but the way they choreographed it and they have like an aisle looking at like, Heather during it. Like, it just that, love the way that was done. The dancing, the singing, all it. My second favorite, that will always like, Always like bring a fond memories to me is when Brittany and Santana. We're trying to figure out how they felt about each other. Like, Brittany news and I was
still figuring it out. Lance life. Yeah. So that Landslide and that was an episode with quite as Paltrow I think what her character's name was but she was like peace and love kind of like character who is like facilitating them communicating and just it was very emotional the way. It was like sung And it was just so good. Episode should be Season 2 Episode. 16, I love that. Whole episode is one of my favorite episodes Rumors by Fleetwood Mac.
That was one of that was one of their best episodes ever was the Fleetwood Mac episode. I love that episode, I love it. Okay, so I love When the tick tock. Song and Brittany throwing up. I'm Leah. That was and I love that. She got to film that on her birthday. That was good. I'll take um, Hold on. I'm trying to think of this. What's not good. River Deep Mountain high. Oh God, that song to again, but Nia the Nia a songs kill it. Those two together are so iconic.
I love that song River Deep Mountain High. I had I bought that song on iTunes and like, listen to it all the time. There it is so good. Oh my gosh, Jess. And like another. I got most of my favorite episodes are like, I think season to season one sees, do the Britney. Britney episode was also fantastic. Oh, yes, that's it. All, All the like the Brittany focused episodes are my favorite. Actually, I just remembered good. You and I was gonna say what's I agree?
And what's amazing about that is that both Brittany and Santana. We're just supposed to be characters with no lines. They were just was be background characters, but because those actresses, like acted their asses off, they got promoted to like speaking roles and then we got these amazing episode. They weren't supposed to exist, but those two like seriously work their asses off. So like in a sense like some She's got downgraded for absolutely no reason.
These two got elevated for a very good reason, like they work their asses off and became speaking characters. And then we got these, their episodes are some of the biggest oncotic episodes. Just because like those characters were so fun, especially for see. Brady was hilarious. Well, okay, we'll get to hurt a little bit. I can't wait to just figure out because, but I've spawned one of my like, everything about her. Sorry. We'll get this crew. Don't worry. I have it.
It's all in all caps. Let the screaming convinced we're gonna get there really soon. One of my favorite songs is you have more friends than you know and this is in season four. So I don't know if you know it but it's Melissa Marley wrote the song and it's when mr. Shue was being so rude to all of them and you know, what do you want to hear it? No. Okay, but you don't have to you'll hear some of it.
But it's just it's such a great song in unique is in it, and Blaine and Sam, I believe so it's like It's just everybody who like they were being really rude to at the time and it's just a very sweet song about just you have more people around you. There's people who love you even when it doesn't seem like it and it's just it's just so very sweet and I love it. Okay, so there's a good stuff about Glee. I promise there is our artists, it just got it, lost its mind and got problematic.
And just had problematic elements from beginning, like soup or shoe. She was another, she she wasn't surprised how to do, but Sue was funny. She was not funny. He was just, I was reading Sue and shoe. Right next to each other and it was like, very confusing. I'm like, wait a minute. Do you just feel shoe with suit with an H? But no, there's a c in there, too. I just their names are so close together. Did they do that on purpose or something? Maybe, Okay, so We've gone through.
Quite a bit of problematic things, but I also found a video that's called important lgbtq+ moments in Glee, and this is by Shannon, and there are some moments that I think are really important. Now, I'm going to put a trigger warning in front of this of stuff. We might talk about and the stuff. In this video, I might cry in it because there is some real
stuff. So, Everybody warned. And just and like for contacts to we were talking off mic but like I compared the lgbtq stuff that went on with Glee to like the L word in the sense that it was novel at the time and a big deal because a big network was was airing this at Prime Time like prime time it got the prime time slot so like everybody was watching it. So all the subjects and
characters they were showcasing. Like you rarely saw this kind of character on a mainstream Network so it was a big deal that it was a Even that even exists but in hindsight some things did not age. Well, just like the L word so just keep that context in mind for some of the stuff, you know, what to say, my heart is so heavy right now with it.
It was that was the roller coaster, that just keep going down and then a little up. And in the back down, I mean they did a good job of encompassing again, a lot of different again, it became too self-aware and it's Just trying to tackle issues versus like using the characters, tell a story. So like with Kurt there's a lot more epic examples with Kurt and his journey like telling his dad first boyfriend, first homophobic bullying. That's a closet case other bullies that are maybe closet
cases. Maybe not just like weak men looking to like use their fists Express themselves. Kind of deal, there's a lot more examples of current because that's what Glee started with. And, you know, you can see the Ernie through Kurt versus like unique comes in later and they're like, okay, let's use this episode to tell about like unique real quick and then we'll look move on next episode.
So it's a much more disjointed and like it just it felt more performative like as they went on not to say that the issues and the character stories were not important is just the way they chose to tell them is very disjointed and weird. And there are more like, okay, you get this episode, This Is The Traveler don't like, basically they would do stuff like that. And it's like, it felt disingenuous versus Having the character establish and like, seeing more of the progression of their.
They also did that with Santana, like she got multiple episodes to figure stuff. She was there from the beginning and like the Brittany Santana thing was, it started with AN offhanded line between Heather and Nia and that evolved into a. Okay. Let's actually explore this kind of thing. Wait, so did they come up with that line? Like I can't remember if it was scripted or not, but it was like, it was like a supposed to be a joke where I feel What was going on going to see it.
Don't worry, we have it anyway but yeah, it started with that line and season 1 and like, then the writers are like, huh, let's
see. Let's let's explore as they were because again, they were just mostly background characters when that line was delivered and they're like, okay, maybe let's actually give them more screen time in like let that play out and it turned out to be very interesting cause you got to see it Santana. Pre-post like you got to see her Evolution. Same thing with Brittany who like again was more of a open book but still like had a journey that Progress versus like plopping in almost like
Tolkien characters and trying to tell a story, very disjointed, lie to just like again, mostly centered around this performance. That's going to happen versus like a natural story where you it became less character Focus. That's really why I couldn't keep going with the shows. Like, what are we doing? So, why did you stop like was there? One reason, there's many reasons the biggest was, so, I Was very into the show.
Like I was big team Britannia like I was I was very invested in this show because it was novel at the time to like see queer people on prime-time television, like portraying stories like that I could really do like you know it wasn't the L word, which have you seen the L word?
It's The awards, not realistic. Like it's just that you don't just like, go up to people randomly, they're just happy to be gay and you like to fuck them in a car like that was basically that weren't everybody's clear and just like ready to go at anyone. It was like the weirdest show
ever. It was nice because you got representation, but it was like unrealistic representation in verses like this was more relatable because you had characters who were like, you know, in the small town, America, quote, unquote, trying to, like, navigate that with their families, with their friends. And, and They were trying to figure out the next steps of
their lives. Like I found a community here in glee club but like what happens after and so for me I was very I was like where they lost me was when I got the season for because it season 3 that was when like they were the main cast was mostly getting ready to graduate. This is probably high school shows and this is where a lot of shows fail is when you go from high school to Beyond and I also did not start them in freshman year, we do, they start usually,
usually you start talking. More year. That's how high all his Shooters do this, you start sophomore year. So sorry, sophomore year, but that he was some characters who didn't graduate. Like, Brittany didn't graduate Blaine was like a junior. So like not everybody was graduating but like the, the cast we started with which was Kurt Mercedes.
Rachel Santana thin Puck. I guess Polk was weird because he kept like failing and kind of not graduating also but like that And Quinn that was like the main cast we started with so they were all graduating. And again the beginning of Glee was mostly a satire that focused around these characters and you saw them grow and develop and then they're graduating.
So for me, I was like this would I thought they were going to do what normal television shows do which is you follow those characters when they graduate in their next phase of life and it's like how did the Glee Club? Prepare them for what they're doing? Like, Rachel Kurt and Santana are all going to New York together.
I'm A great follow them and see what their life is like, but no, they spent way too much time in high school and it's like the show never moved on and I was like, what are we doing? And then they brought in all these new characters like Marley and Jacob was a the love interest which basically Jacob was a combination of Finn and Puck and then Marley was like Quinn and Rachel. So it's like they just recycled characters, gave them new faces new like identities.
There was another character for Quinn. Marley wasn't could, but I meant like, more just saying, people looser than Rachel. I'm just saying they recycled. Plotlines, put new faces and new like subcategory like again, they became token characters like Jacob was like black and Jewish. So now we had like black and Jewish plot lines, we could explore through this character versus Marley who had she was like, Rachel and a Quinn hybrid but with her own sub-genre of stuff.
So they re like again, becoming to issue focused with the show and trying to like have You can get in my mind token characters to tell token Stories versus playing out the ones you already established. And again, I don't know if that was so that they could be issue Focus or so or so they can keep shoe relevant because once they graduate, who cares about him anymore? Like we just faced they were stuck way to in high school for me and the go. Sorry she wasn't supposed to thing.
Huh? Shoo? Yeah shoe that's Finn stepped in and was the teacher. And she was going away for a job that's why I loved Finn as the teacher. Like he was like such a good Mentor to Marley. I just like their scenes together and then when Corey unfortunately died, the guy who played shoe agreed to come back and Morrison. Yeah, so that's why we have him again.
But it's like, we wouldn't need any of that food and spend so much freaking time at the Glee Club in high school and the episode that really pissed me off the most was in one episode in season four. So, in season 3, they spent all this time, establishing all the couples. So all the couples finally got together. You had Quinn and a coin, Finn and Rachel. You had Blaine and Kurt and Brittany and Santana, they all get together and then graduation happens.
Then in one episode, in the beginning of season 4, they break all of them up in one episode and I was What is the point of this? This was so stupid. And like, they kept having episodes where, like, they kept coming back to high school. I'm like these people live. Thousands of miles away, why? Like she's like super point that she's like, do you guys to teleporters? Like why do you keep coming back here? Like it just the way they started telling stories was
absolutely stupid. And I was like, I cannot keep watching this because there's no substance to this anymore. It's just we're trying to tell token stories and it's it was just terrible. I could it. That was at the point where they were trying to maximize like iTunes. Oh yeah, I got some way through season 4 and then I just couldn't anymore because I was like this is not the show that I liked it just destroyed everything I like about the show and I just got in anymore.
The Marc Jacobs stuff. All seems so forced and just, it was just like we're repeating the Quinn. Rachel Finn Puck triangle, just with two people and like they brought in there some other white dude there too. So they created a love. Try turning Marley. Sure, we don't talk about him. We do not touch asleep. What was the point of this? It was just dumb. I just cut. It was Dumb. And then like didn't they make Emma more of a character?
And like she got more crazy and that there was a her trying to marry will it's just like it was a do get married. Yeah but like that she had like cold feet at one point like it was a bit back and forth. He kind of like mmm plot line for a while. Was my point? It was just tear it just got me. Yeah. Okay. And again, I started in for so I'm sorry again and I watch for Melissa. So as long as she was in it I was fine. I get it care about any of the couples when they broke up.
I didn't know who they were. You already invested in them. Yeah. So and now like you have the same opinion as a lot of people. So I always feel wrong for liking the show because I don't have the same experience, and that's but I loved it because I love Melissa. But again, we'll get to that later. Um, I, Was once I started watching the show again, when Heather left at the end of four, I got really sad and then I was like, okay, but Melissa stolen it and so is Nia.
So halfway through five, they just get rid of them which will talk about again later as so, Melissa's gone. I'm like, all right, we got st. At it. That's it. That's all of watching for Santana, leaves. At the end of five, there's literally no reason for me to watch six and they Dover with brand new characters except they bringing Kitty as well.
Back in and I think unique comes back as well but so it's just like too many changes and they done the changes three times because halfway through five, they go fully to New York I believe and then six they're back in the high school and this is where I'll try to tell you what happens in six. So they go back to the high school. They run the Glee Club but they're going. Oh, they as in the the group, like, Wasn't good. Rachel Quinn. Who's left Rachel Quinn?
But no, I think it was just Rachel and Kurt Kurt, Kurt Kurt probably. Curtis. It sounds like they were the protagonist at that point, just those two. Yeah. And then I think watches Sue starts at glee club or something. I don't, I don't remember. Sue has been to start trying to start League clubs since the beginning, that's funny. Yeah. And then Santana comes back and so does Britney. I'm getting I'm trying so hard to not flip between the real
people's names and that's hard. Oh my gosh. They get engaged and they get married to try. It is obsessed with clean and gets them back together by locking them in an elevator. And then they have a double wedding and Besa storylines in season 5 so I don't know what happens in season six. There's new kids. They do some storylines and then I don't know what happened and then at the end, they bring everybody back except Melissa. At the for the final scene. Fantastic cheers, too.
Busy flying. She's too busy, being Supergirl actually having a gonna show you she went on from that show. She's like yeah I'm just gonna be better then with this is right now. Yeah, it was terrible. So yeah I is a season six. I was like there's no reason I just can't I it took me everything in me not to just skip to the Britannica episodes and Sears stronger than me. I only watch that nurses. To YouTube look I mean I was like I'm way too invested in this now and you had more years.
So I was just like Benji I did other things while watching it so I was like play a game on my phone or something. So it's not like I was just doing that. I don't think I could do it. No. But to your point that of them just trying to sell music. I think you can tell in for they were doing a lot of like popular
songs. Yeah I know they were going through what was top 10 hits at that time on the radio versus Beginning when you go, it's more show, tunes because theater and then it became how do I sell Rebrand, what's already popular right now? Make money. Hence, like, literally watch that song with like I forget who it was Rachel and whoever in the bathroom singing, the only reason they were singing that song is because that was a top 10 hit at the time that aired and they were trying to resell
it as a Glee cover. And I want Susan to actually or season oh that was like three four. It's definitely not floor because Has. She is in high school. Oh yeah, I think three maybe maybe to, I don't know. But like again that's where it started. They were they slowly got away from show tunes into what is popular on the radio right now. And how do we make money off of it?
And again, they were just centering storylines around these songs that don't make any sense in the show is just to make money and like that Glee got to fold itself for numb, for that reason, and then trying to solve the world problems with each episode. And it really light lost itself. It's To be a satire and it just bought it took itself too. Seriously and it just loss itself and the right is definitely different shows with in that show.
And it all depends on when you come in, you know most people start with season 1, maybe I wonder what my views would have been like if I started with season one. I don't like nine just like the show so and know and that's that's totally fine. Like again it's a completely by the time you get to season 4 it is a completely different show. It's not what Glee supposed to be anymore.
It's something it's more like a just a regular drama at that point that has singing in it. Yes, that it did because there's like this whole episode with a school shooting and that that episode got to me. Me just okay, because Melissa was crying, you know, like I don't want her. If she don't want her to be hurt, that's basically what it
was. But yeah. But I will say, one of the in speaking of that episode, one of the things that I did like later and throughout the show was was, like, you mentioned earlier, Sue's relationship with Becky and Becky's storyline in general. I really liked and hers kept evolving a past, like the, you know, the Inception of the show. And I really did enjoy that character and her Dynamic with Sue. A humanized sue but also like it.
She was an important character that kept growing over time that I really really liked and they didn't put her in a box. No, they didn't. They let her be a full-fledged fucking person at any time. Somebody tried to put her in a box, Sue would call them out. On it. They're like, why are you giving her special treatment? Like she's a person like everybody else like I like and yeah, I like the actress who played Becky was amazing. Like I really enjoyed Becky, I thought she was really great.
I thought the handle the writers for once handle, a sensitive topic. Ah, potentially two people. Very, very well and they just let her be. They just let her be in. Yeah. Teenager like, it was great. I really enjoyed that character.
I absolutely hated was Jacob, the fucking reporter because he got very pervy and sexual assault e stalkery overtime in the in the name of the news and just he became just like this outrageous character versus like a person over time as they wrote him and he so far I don't typically like the characters that he plays he also went on to be and Wizards of Waverly Place. Lace. And I don't like his character in that either, he just the characters he's given is just
not great. I feel bad for him and a shade to the actor, I don't like the way he and the beginning was much better. They just they made him more of a caricature that a person as time went on and he just got really annoying and stalkery and stuff. Anyway, we got away with everything as a character, leave the writers. Just listen.
I mean, the writers picked and choose their battles and some stuff they just wrote off as whatever when it was hella problematic and they should have focused on it and just you know yeah he's one of them we're getting as a characters now which I think is a good place to stop this part. All right? We can pick up actually screaming about the things that we love in the next part. So we'll see you next time. Yeah. And We talked about what we love next time on gleep.
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