Rant/Rave: Glee

RANT/RAVE

GLEE

ILLUSTRATIONS BY GRACE SUBLETT

RANT

BY MAGGIE VALENTINE

After three failed attempts, I cannot bring myself to like “Glee.” The bad storylines and terrible music covers make the show unwatchable. While watching the show, I cannot help but get angry at the character of Rachel Berry, played by Lea Michelle, who is an overdramatic, annoying, and generally terrible person. Michelle gets a lot of praise for this role, as her performances outshine the rest of the cast, while in reality, people overlook the actress’ terrible personality and accusations of racism she received on set. I think about this every time I see her face on the screen, and it is not just Lea Michelle that has a controversial history. There are other cast members on the show with poor reputations, which brings the focus away from the comedy and to the real-life actions of the cast. I find the performances on the show cringe-worthy, and I cannot believe they went on tour and people paid to see them perform with a lower budget and bad costumes. No character did any musical artists any justice, and there were times when I skipped through the covers because I couldn’t bear to hear a good radio tune be completely demolished by some B-list actor. Any scene with Matthew Morrison’s character, Will Schuester, was unbearable and half the time he acted like a student rather than a teacher. I will admit the show made me laugh on occasion but only because of lines delivered by Sue Sylvester, played by the outstanding Jane Lynch. Without her, this show would not have the cultural impact it has today. I respect those who enjoy the show but most seem to have a hard time with anyone who criticizes the show. This is shocking considering how non-serious this show is. “Glee” is fun to hate-watch, but there are several other shows I would rather watch before I willingly watch “Glee” again.

RAVE

BY HANNAH CAMPBELL

“Glee” is one of the most controversial shows out there. The cast takes weird approaches to popular music, the comedy is borderline offensive, and the drama on and off-screen is truly intense. I love every second of it.

Growing up, I fully identified as a “gleek.” I watched every episode multiple times and constantly listened to music from the show. Even with the crazy amount of memes of how weird or cringey the show was, I still believe it is an iconic one.

The storylines cover a wide range of topics, many before they were popular in teen shows and movies: LGBTQ+ issues, sexual health, and what life is like after high school and college. The show’s creators were able to find actors like Chris Colfer, who were able to connect to these issues, and convey the show’s message even better. Despite the drama and many storylines that the show portrays, what makes it so amazing is the music. Each of the cast members has a special way of singing another artist’s cover and make it sound like they wrote the song themselves. They were able to connect with the music on such a deep emotional level.

Lastly, watching Jane Lynch play the neurotic Sue Sylvester is absolutely hilarious. She is able to roast anyone on anything, and I still quote many of her infamous lines in random conversation. She is rude, offensive, and obnoxious, and that is why I love her.

Being a previous theater nerd myself, I remember how cringey my previous performing days were. “Glee” is exactly that: a little cringey but lovable. I was absolutely shocked to see the cast perform “Push It” in the second episode, but every theater kid has a performance that they look back on cringe on. It is part of the enjoyment.

The TikTok memes are funny, but the show truly kills. I guess you will have to watch for yourself if you are a loser like me.