Mass media.

[hannah]

As the other person in the common dining area put up some fuss when she came back to the room to find I'd turned the TV off, and seeing as she was having a hard time of things and not wanting to make it worse, I stayed quiet and remained in the room for the first twenty minutes of one episode of Glee.

I still can't figure out the appeal. Beyond knowing other people enjoy it while I don't, I can't see where the appeal is to begin with. I'm well informed it's there, given the number of people watching it when I left the room, but I think this is yet another case where I need someone to translate.

I keep saying that my high school years are most accurately reflected in fiction with Freaks and Geeks, in no small part due to the fact that it managed to grab onto the simple truth that high school isn't worth glamorizing. Paying attention to the drama of others isn't worth the effort, and the level of pettiness to the politics simply proves that Sayre's Law is alive and well. That there are characters in Glee doing their best to grasp at the slivers of power alloted to them by popularity seems to me a failing on the part of the show's design: for a piece focused on a small band of misfits, whose organization gives the show its title and framework, there seems to be a deep focus on characters outside of that social sphere, to the point where they're major players in the general conflicts. For characters to focus on the gains of high school - while failing to fully comprihend the transient nature of such pretty accomplishments - does little to endear them to me, and only serves to confuse. The seeming naivite on part of the characters without any counterbalance leaves me without any comprihension or sense of drama. But perhaps that's the intention, to create a farce. Yet if that's the case, there are still greater distances to cover to fully communicate the message of such a work.

Perhaps the show's creators had happier high school periods than I. Which seems to be the case with the majority of creators of shows about high school.

Comments

[recrudescence.livejournal.com]

Oh, Glee. I have no explanation for why I keep returning to that show (it might involve hoping against hope for an actual lesbian subplot). I will say, though, that comparing Glee to reality is generally not the best parallel to draw unless you want to give yourself a headache.

There is a popular theory that Glee is Ryan Murphy's way of giving himself a do-over of his own crappy high school experience, especially since Kurt's story has been pushed to the forefront.

[hannahrorlove.livejournal.com]

I think the show would work better as a cartoon, since then it'd be much more evident everything is an exaggeration and stereotype meant to be taken as such. With the musical numbers, it seems it's halfway there already.

[recrudescence.livejournal.com]

There's already so much controversy over Glee's seemingly wholesome nature being at odds with its actual target demographics that I feel like it being a cartoon would cause the PTC to explode. If people need something in cartoon form to recognize that it shouldn't be taken at face value, perhaps they should steer clear of television altogether. Also, in cartoon form, I'm sure there'd be less prestige attached to opportunities for big-name guest stars, which seems to have become about one-third of Glee's reason for existing these days.

[hannahrorlove.livejournal.com]

The wholesome nature with unwholesome content - what bothers me is that while it has that combination, it doesn't seem to be doing enough with the disparity between those elements.

I think I'll just wash my hands of it and go back to Community.

[recrudescence.livejournal.com]

It's changed considerably from when it first started out and had more elements of a black comedy than anything else. I'd like it if the show returned to its roots instead of constantly trying to outdo itself.

[hannahrorlove.livejournal.com]

Good black comedy is hard to come by. If it'd been touted as such I might've tried it out, but as it wasn't and given that it's seemed to have changed so much...pass.

[tiny-antares.livejournal.com]

or you could just... not like it.

for instance, oatmeal cream pies? much better than glee. no analysis or translatio needed. pie > glee.

you should make yourself a scale. is this better than an oatmeal cream pie? it will help you prioritize your thoughts.

[hannahrorlove.livejournal.com]

Mmm...pie.

As a bonus, thinking about pie reduces stress and blood pressure. The only downside is I don't have any pie with me. M&Ms will have to do.

Thanks for the tip. :)