I finally watched this week's big Madonna episode of Glee, and I think it shed some light on why I often put off watching the show for a few days, letting it simmer on my DVR. Fact is, this show is torture for me – not because I don't like it, but because I love it so freaking much. I love the characters, I love the drama, but mostly I love the singing and dancing. And it hurts so good to have to sit there on the sofa, still, just watching it.
It's a lot like the pain I often experience watching a play. If I'm really loving it, I want to be up on stage performing it myself. If it's terrible, I can't help but think how I might have tackled those lines. It's a problem.
This week's Glee brought to light yet another mental sickness on my part: I want to be Rachel. Not only does she get to star in nearly every number, but now she's got two amazing guys after her. And yes, I count both the dumb-but-precious Finn and the musical-obsessed Jesse as amazing. I do it because the show told me to, and I'm helpless in the face of its demands.
On the guys - really? I hate the Jesse St. James character. He's just smarmy, and it annoys me that the show's writers let Rachel not only fall for him but get pushed around by him so much.
I was also really disappointed by that last hallway scene in this episode - you have this whole episode about female empowerment, and the last piece of dialogue on the matter basically reinforces the concept of women as property, with one guy recognizing the transfer of ownership to another guy: "I'll stay away from your girl." It made male ownership the only issue, with Rachel's preferences left out. I thought that was pretty lame.
But, as usual, all of the numbers were really fun, especially the closing number.
Posted by: Megan Wade | 04/24/2010 at 12:33 PM
I don't think we're supposed to like Jesse St. James! He's smarmy and probably a mole. But I have a kind of choir-nerd crush on him, or at least the part of me that is kind of like Rachel does.
I agree about the "your girl" thing, but I was too high on showchoir to notice it at the time. If we're going to get serious about the episode's feminist message, I'd say that the very idea that Madonna is THE representative of female empowerment is flawed. Madonna sang "Express Yourself," but she also sang "Material Girl." Taking charge sexually is more the message they were tapping into, and Madonna was important to that kind of female empowerment. That makes sense it terms of Emma's storyline, but less so that of the kids. In my opinion. :)
Posted by: Marissa Flaxbart | 04/25/2010 at 08:04 PM