Seriously could there have been a gayer hour of television than this past Tuesdays Glee? Lady Gaga, the queen from Wicked Idina Menzel singing Streisand’s Funny Girl, Finn, Puck and the boys in black spandex...Yet there was something also oddly anti-gay woven into the storyline. Many may disagree with my feelings about the episode, but for a show I worry about the direction of a show I so love.
Those who read message boards about Glee will see that there is quite a diverse reaction to the Finn and Kurt storyline. What does it say that many gay guys are siding with the straight guy who torn into the ‘faggy’ gay guy. I say you must thank Ryan Murphy.
Ryan Murphy has written and created some of tv’s finest hours. This past season of Glee being the best, but he also was responsible for the fabulous first season of Popular and the first few seasons of Nip/Tuck. But...if we credit Murphy for the exception first season of Popular, he must also take credit for the horrible second and last season of the show. (Not to mention the decline of Nip/Tuck). Murphy seems to have the ability to write and create great characters. What he seems to struggle with is writing them consistently.
Throughout the first season of Glee several characters have been all over the place, Quinn and Kurt being the most frustrating. Some weeks Kurt is kind and funny and very likable. Other weeks he is nasty and selfish and very much annoying. I guess there is a real element as humans are not robots, but for a tv character it is frustrating. Finn on the other hand has consistently been written kind, easy going, caring and tolerant. To then have the two characters come to blows with Finn being written as the cruel one, the one in need of a lesson was a bit hard for many to swallow. Finn, as written prior to this weeks episode could have taught a class on tolerance, not needed to attend the one Murphy insisted the character go to.
The scene in question was a powerful one I know. It was again gutwrenching to witness Kurt’s father show so much love for his son. The acting was superb, and Mike O’Malley always delivers. When the father/son was first explored earlier this season when Kurt joined the football team the result as an amazing hour of tv. The writers however have rewritten the same storyline in several different ways since. Powerful scenes like this need to be carefully woven in and not shoved in weak after weak. In doing so they are losing their impact. I don't fault the cast, Chris Colfer is doing a wonderful job, but the character is becoming increasingly unlikable.
I would like to think Murphy wrote this episode with the controversy in mind. I am not sure it was that well thought out however. Are we supposed to feel sorry and care for Kurt simply because he is gay? Are we supposed to hate the bully’s simply because they are bulling the gay character? Kurt is gay yes, but has also bullied throughout the season. He is particularly cruel to Rachel. He is a snob who cuts down others often. Maybe it was Kurt who should have been taught a lesson...
Still love me some Heather Morris! Missed Jonathan Groff though!
Idina Menzel's Funny Girl was beautiful and loved the line 'Brad's just always around ... somewhere.'
2 comments:
The one thing we have to remember, is that the characters are suppose to be 16. Hormones are blazing. I see some of Kurt's bitchiness/bullying simply because he has taken it, probably his whole life, and now he is starting to fight back, sometimes at the expense of his friends. It's either that or go home and cry. He is in that High School atmosphere where, if it was real life, probably would get picked on constantly. Maybe, in some ways, Glee doesn't always handle it well, but they bring it out to the publics attention. Mike O'Malley's performance as Burt Hummel was superb where he stood up for his son Kurt. Whether or not it was justified, considering that Kurt has been pushing Finn a little too much, it was a powerful statement that needed to be made. Unfortunately, there are too many parents who would not stand up for their gay child.
I thought it was one of the best episodes of the season! truely powerful and it hit so close to him,,lets not forget that no matter how kind and open and easy going Finn is, hes still a 16 yoa boy who is STRAIGHT, I thought that scene was portrayed very honestly and real. Hes being crushed on, by a guy, and his feelings are confused also,,, VERy moving episode,, I for one hope they keep showing this honest look at a guy/straight guy relationship!
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