Melissa McKenna

Columnist

Two words: Jane Lynch. Whether it be one of her classic Will Shuester hair jokes or borderline jokes that are barely slip past the cutoff for the wildly inappropriate, there’s no denying she is seriously hilarious. Wearing nothing but track suits (she has one in every color), she pounds protein shakes and barks out orders as if it was her job. Most passionate about extreme taxidermy, tantric yelling and poking the elderly with hidden pins, Sue Slyvester adds many dimensions to the show through her character as a quasi-villainous cheerleading coach obsessed with bringing down the glee club. Truthfully speaking, the show wouldn’t be half the phenomena it is today without her on the cast. As Sue Sylvester once said, “Allow me to ladle you a piping hot bowl of This is How it Is”.

    I get it, some people just don’t like show tunes. Songs redone by Glee have a certain sound and people who pride themselves in their eclectic taste of music will scoff. Oh, will they scoff. I see how it looks when us “gleeks” are singing along to the Glee version of “Teenage Dream” while you scroll through your list of song names from obscure bands we’ve probably never heard of. I get it. But, there’s no denying the fact that these people are talented. Two of the actors Lea Michele (Rachel Berry) and Matthew Morrison (Mr. Shuester) have been on Broadway, and there’s no denying the credibility of Broadway. While the rest of the cast may not have sung on Broadway, their voices are all outstanding and unique, each complementing one another in a perfect, harmonious fashion.

Connor Rice

Columnist

 

Before I begin, I’d like to point out the following facts:

1. I have seen an episode of Glee.

2. I actually enjoy Broadway musicals.

That said, I don’t understand all the hype surrounding this show. Not so much because it’s a bad show, but because it bores me.

I’ll be the first to admit that my taste in television is a little offbeat, but I don’t think I’m out of line when I say that there is little that I find redeeming about Glee.

I see the same bland stereotypes from the same bad programming on other channels.

I see the same over-sexed portrayal of what high school really isn’t like.

I see the same conventionally good-looking white people that can’t wait to teach me some lesson.

I understand that the show takes on some relevant social issues. I think that’s great, and it’s cool that those topics are reaching a wide audience, but…

As a show, it’s a poorly-written, auto-tuned mess. What am I getting from these people that I wouldn’t get on the Disney Channel? As a fan of punk music, I shouldn’t be allowed to harp on repetition, but I feel like I’m being beaten over the head sometimes by shticks and trends from all sides. I just don’t feel challenged or entertained in the very least by Glee.

So, because I listen to a lot of bands that most people don’t know, I’m instantly a snobby jerk who doesn’t like something just because it’s popular and conventional. I’ll say this: Mean Girls is one of my favorite movies and I (somehow) didn’t hate 17 Again. I have my guilty pleasures. But Glee I will always, without a doubt, bring a roll to my eyes.