Being Renewed Day by Day

The Premiere Season of Glee from FOX proved to be a HIT! With the 2010 Golden Globes wrapping, Glee is onto the second half of Season 1 with bragging rights to the best comedy/musical TV show of the year. I just happen to be in agreement. Perhaps it’s because they pulled out the stops covering hit after hit in musical selection. Perhaps it’s the brilliant casting of superb triple-threat acting, singing, dancing stand-outs such as Lea Michaels & Matthew Morrison, Chris Colfer and Amber Riley. Or maybe it’s the comedy and quirkiness from Jane Lynch & Jayma Mays. Whatever it is (and Glee packs a punch) I love it.

Why it works: Glee is the culmination of FOX’s successful reality series American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance and Disney’s hit High School Musical trilogy plus the humor/music combination in many episodes of The Simpsons. The reality shows, AI & SYTYCD, showcase rare, raw talent like the Kelly Clarkson/Susan Boyle voices and the Tabitha & Napoleon Dumo choreography we all love. But in order to get to the perfect performances & well-synced choreography we must endure the pain of disappointment and at times, horror of the not-so-talented. Glee is a gold mine of chill-inducing, pitch-perfect, light-blazing performances. While some scoff the reality-TV fad, audiences young & old can justify watching Glee because the performances are from the professionals & the songs are from their very own iTunes library: Journey “Don’t Stop Believing,” The Rolling Stones “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” Van Halen “Jump,” John Lennon “Imagine” and well, you get the picture. Younger audiences will love it too! With songs like, “Gold Digger,” Rehab,” “I Kissed a Girl,” and “Single Ladies” they keep it relevant.
Another evidence of their musical success: Mashups.
Beyonce/Hair “Crazy in Love”/”Hair”, Bon Jovi/Usher “It’s My Life”/”Confessions Pt. 2″ and Beyonce/Katrina & the Waves”Halo”/”Walking on Sunshine” mixing old and new.

Let’s be honest, it was hard to call myself a fan of HSM 1,2,&3 when they’re geared toward 8-15 year-olds, but with catchy tunes and sharp choreography, it was I who dragged Nick (9) & Zack (7) to the theater for the third installment. Glee was just what I (and the thousands of other 20-somethings who secretly watched HSM) needed. With Glee, I can still enjoy song, dance, PLUS mature story-content and witty humor but in a more acceptable & predictable format -the TV Dramady series.

A reviewer I admire, Rachael Maddux of Paste Magazine, recently wrote a Season 1 Reveiw, gave it a “respectable” 51 out of 100 and pummeled it due to it’s lack of realistic plot points & far-fetched props/costumes during musical numbers. I am disappointed with this review and join ranks with the opinions of three online commenters that follow the article. Trish says, “GLEE is great satire with fantastically executed musical performances. To me, it’s like a mash-up of the best unexpected covers from American Idol with Friday Night Lights-loveable characters.” The show gives me more of what I secretly want when watching American Idol – good song choices, good voices, good performances, and a little DRAMA.

Maddux does bring up some clear issues with the show:
“…most of the characters’ wounds are self-inflicted, the natural consequences of self-serving lies and deliberate manipulations of friends, family and co-workers. There are some exceptions, some challenges and conflicts parlayed into teaching moments with all the saccharine wisdom of an after-school special. But, for the most part, every moment of character development is merely an excuse to unveil another dark layer of these people we’re supposed to identify with, root for—even love.”
So yeah, I’m not a fan of how the characters lie and manipulate in order to make things better… is the “happy ending” worth the frustration it takes to get there? Additionally, the writers of Glee aren’t afraid of sex, sexiness, and sexuality. I realized this very quickly. From the topics of Glee Club member, Kurt’s sexuality to teen pregnancies to the sensual dance numbers that only sickened me at times, Glee might just be a bit obsessed. At the same time, the show brings up several other hot-button topics such as physical & mental handicaps, marriage & faithfulness, and the all-American “just be yourself” campaign. One other shallow mention in the mix: religion. Two references to religion I can recall are when the pregnant, gold-cross-necklace wearing “Christian” cheerleader is outspoken about abstinence and when Puck decides to date Rachel because he’s a Jew & she’s a “good-looking Jew” and he wants to make his mother happy… hm. So spiritual.

Besides the music, the character rivalries are my favorite plot tent-poles of Glee. Mr. Scheuster vs. Sue Sylvester. Even the somewhat sketchy Mrs. Terri Scheuster vs. wholesome guidance counselor Emma Pillsbury keep me watching. Jane Lynch as Sue Sylvester is nearly perfect and the comedy that ensues between Sue and Sheu is belly-laugh worthy!
(see this & more great Sue Sylvester Quotes)

Will: ”I will destroy you”
Sue: ”I am about to vomit down your back.”

Lynch is pushing 50 and is JUST now on my radar with this role plus her recent role in the Meryl Streep movie Julie & Julia. That’s not to say she hasn’t been working the screen for a while. Check her IMDB listings. Keep an eye on this one. Paste Magazine covered an article about Matthew Morrison’s rise to fame and his move into recording that voice I’ve come to love. At first, I was mostly disturbed by the white-boy-trying-to-pull-off-hip-hop (not to mention trying to be the “cool” teacher) but then I watched and realized he had the vocals & moves to make it work. I predict he’ll stick to what he knows and offer an album of covers & sound-alike-broadway tunes.

That brings me to my final cheer about Glee. It’s bringing back Broadway!
With musical guest appearances like Kristen Chenoweth (who I LOVE) and musical numbers like “On My Own” from Les Miserables and “Sit Down You’re Rockin’ the Boat” from Guys and Dolls, it’s a sneak peak of the Broadway stage. I could go on about Lea Michele as Rachel Berry and her incredible vocals that make me want to jump a train to NYC to see Wicked or Chicago. Whew. This is why I love Glee.
So congradulations on winning a San Fransisco Review.)

Highlighting next week:
I’m trying to keep up with my pattern, so tune in next week for a perspective on electronic music and how my tastes have changed over the past few years. Highlighting KEXP’s Song of the Day Podcast, Imogen Heap, David Byrne, Booka Shade, Passion Pit, High Places, Animal Collective, and *gasp!* Derek Webb. Thanks for reading!

I do not pride myself in watching foreign films. In fact, I’m a bit ashamed to call myself a film lover while so many non-American movies pass miles below my radar. The foreign films that I have seen are often fixed in my mind because of the effort it takes to read the subtitles. Don’t get me wrong, I am fully supportive of subtitles. I’d much rather read subtitles than dubbed English or I’d be even more distracted by the mismatched mouths and concern for how the actors’ voices REALLY sound. There’s something to say about getting the full experience of a foreign film and that must include the sound of a language other than English. Sheesh, who prefers listening to English over French or Italian? There’s a reason they’re called the Romance languages – I fall in love with every man (and some women) who speak them!

So, now that you know my subtitle opinions… let’s get down to business. I came here to tell you about a little 2009 Oscar-winning film called The Class. It’s a French film that features – you guessed it! – the classroom; more specifically – a French class taught by the character François Marin played by François Bégaudeau. Be fairly warned: if you watch this film & don’t speak French, you MUST be prepared to pay attention to the words on the screen.

François is back for another year teaching at a multi-ethnic public middle school known for it’s tough atmosphere and struggling students. You watch as he challenges his students to succeed and think about issues such as race and language (hence my warning to keep up with subtitles). In an interview with director, Laurent Cantet, The Independent Film Channel asks, “The class in The Class is made up of many different cultures and language is such a key point in this film — is the ease of communication, whether it’s because of cultural assimilation or technological advances, actually making it easier for misunderstandings?”

He responds, “I’m not sure it’s a question of technology. I think it’s more a question of how we accept each other. Of course, a few decades ago, we wouldn’t have spoken to a teacher in the way [that François is by his students]. Street culture is getting a bit more space to exist and that of course creates more misunderstandings between generations, and between classes too.”

This problem of misunderstanding brings the film to its central drama as the students challenge their teacher on the very words coming out of his mouth. In a clear student versus teacher word war, watch as communication breaks down on multiple levels: generational, cultural, and between genders. I was mesmerized by the unexpected and seemingly small misunderstanding. One single word. Yet because it is dealt in a power-struggle context, it is blown out of proportion. The dialogue is the kicker. Take for example an exchange between two students and their teacher:

FRANÇOIS – What I’m seeing here, is that you can’t focus for more than 20 seconds, like 3-year-olds. People aged 13, 14 or 15 like
you’re supposed to be… If I ask a question, they should answer fast and then we waste no more time.
KHOUMBA – Your kidding around goes too far!
FRANÇOIS – Not at all, I don’t think I go too far.
KHOUMBA – Everyone thinks you go too far. Sorry but…
ESMERALDA – I think so too!
FRANÇOIS – Just a second, Khoumba. Everyone thinks so or only you think so?
ESMERALDA – No, everyone!
FRANÇOIS – Speak for yourself for once.

My Linguistics class at Covenant College made me more aware of and interested in the formations and meanings of words and language. What you say may have one meaning for you and another for your listener. The Class is about subtlety, characters, and culture.

Now for some linkage:
Full of info and my first place to look for movies – new and old – The Class @ IMDB.com

Chicago Tribune Piece on The Class
The New York Times Review of the film.
Official Site of The Class.
What have been some of your favorite foreign films? Let me know! I’ll add them to the “must see” list.

Highlighting Next Week:
I’m working on finishing entries started in 2009.
Tune in next week when I Gleek out! Won’t you join me as I geek out on the Premiere Season of Fox’s Musical Comedy, Glee? Dare I say GOLDEN GLOBE WINNER! Oh & speaking of music… American Idol is back on FOX! I’ll be sure to weigh in a few weeks down the line. Thanks for reading!