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shadowkatWell, that was one of the better written Glee's, although I had issues with it - mostly because Rachel and Finn have zero chemistry, and the idea of losing your virginity in high school seems a bit...(I don't remember everyone having sex in high school. Did I go to school in the dark ages?) OTOH, at least they underlined the theme that you should do it with someone you are in love with - not just to do it. I'll give them that. But hey, I don't watch Glee for the story (which is impossible to take seriously, these kids are obviously in their 20s), I watch it for the musical numbers. And the musical numbers this week were fantastic. Glee? You really should stick to the show tunes. Just saying. Probably helps that I adore West Side Story. I do. The music, the story, everything about it. It is one of those few musicals in which everything works, every single little thing. Only bad acting or bad singers and dancers can ruin it. Some musicals are all about the actors - The Producers is an example as was Sunset Boulevard -- which could not survive after the stars left, Adams Family will probably run into the same problem. Others, the one's that last, and get revivals, and show up on Glee - are well like the Shakespearen play that West Side Story was based and upgrades to the highest level. West Side Story is an example of how you can actually improve on the source material and make it more interesting. West Side Story takes the feuding family theme of Romeo and Juliet and turns it into a commentary on racism and xenophobia in America - which is timeless. When West Side Story was first created and produced, inter-racial marriage was well...taboo in much the same way that same-sex marriage is now. People got death threats. West Side Story is as much a love story as a political commentary - on the race wars going on cities, which continue today. Maybe not with Puerto Ricans and White Polacks, but it doesn't matter.
Glee went another route - and discussed the romantic elements of the story, but it did keep the song America and did a rather interesting variation of it - with the Jets and their girls showing up to sing the lines "Stick to your own side" from the audience, while Santana and Puck and the Puerto Ricans danced on the stage.
Another excellent number was "A Boy Like That" - where part one of the song that Rachel/Santana are singing is interspersed with Blaine flirting heavily with Sebastian, the warbler who took his place. Here - Kurt is in Maria's role, and Blaine is Tony. Should Kurt trust Blaine? This is the portion of the duet that Anita sings to Maria - after Bernado has been killed by Tony in the musical. The stakes are higher ...of course, in the musical.
When we switch to Rachel asking her friends whether she should sleep with Finn or wait, Tina tells her that if you are in love - it is right, but only then - this bit is effectively punctuated with Maria's portion of the duet or Rachel singing Maria's part and rather beautifully, I might add. Really wish I could see this version of West Side Story all the way through. Makes me want to re-watch the movie, even though I despise Beemer in the role of Tony. (I can, I have it on DVD.)
The whole episode, outside of two songs is interspersed with West Side Story numbers being performed by the cast for the high school musical. This episode worked far better than Rock Horror Picture Show. In part because it made more sense and wasn't as over-the-top.
Also the music is used to heighten and explain critical moments in the story, yet nothing is taken away from the music to do so, nor is the music used out of context nor is it cheapened.
Often Glee will cheapen a song or use it so far out of context, that the song loses its resonance. It did not do so here. Clearly the writers have a love and appreciation for the music of West Side Story.
The other songs presented were Tonight - where Artie states, and this scene bugged me because it was so unrealistic, that they aren't singing it with enough passion because they haven't had sex. Oh, please. People you don't need to have had sexual intercourse to show passion. Or to act in love on stage. It's as idiotic as saying - oh, you aren't truly a woman or a man until you've had sex. Again? Give me a break. The media states this too often and I want to kick them for it. Another bad message brought to you by your local tv outlet.
Although it may well have been meant satirically, considering it's Artie. And we know Brittany doesn't love him and called out other names when she did it with him and can barely remember it. From Artie's perspective...well. Also both Miss Pillsbury and Beist took off, leading to unrealistic and I guess satiric scene number 2, where Artie has a heart to heart with Coach Beiste about her virginity and dating, and sets her up with a guy he figures out has a thing for her. This works out. But I found it highly inappropriate conversation and unrealistic. Artie is directing his friends and teacher's sex lives. Oookay. The song Tonight fell a bit short as a result. One Heart...was beautifully sung, better than Tonight, where Rachel was a bit too pitchy - I expected Artie to critique her pitch. Also suggesting Rachel have sex after Quinn had an unwanted pregnancy, and not talking about condoms...again, hmmm. At least Rachel uses protection.
But hey, two out of three isn't bad. The other West Side Story songs were sung earlier in the year during auditions - "Be Cool Boy", "Somewhere...", and "Something's Coming.
I'm guessing they didn't like "Officer Krumpke", "I Feel Pretty", "the Jet theme song".
Uptown Girl - the non-West Side Story song, also was a bit pitchy...
And we still have the terribly cliche Mike Quinn story about his father disowning him for wanting to be a dancer not a doctor. (Again, come on.) I was sort of hoping that had disappeared. But Ryan Murphy likes to rehash cliches.
The Kurt/Blaine romance from start to finish works and their get together at the end also worked and was beautifully written, better written than Rachel/Finn - re-emphasizing that the writers suck at hetersexual romance. Which is okay, usually it is the other way around.
Which goes to show you, some people really can't imagine things they don't know or haven't experienced directly themselves so of course assume no one else can. Not true, thank god.
Overall rating?
Story - C+
West Side Story Numbers and Narrative Structure with their use: A
Other songs - B-
Glee went another route - and discussed the romantic elements of the story, but it did keep the song America and did a rather interesting variation of it - with the Jets and their girls showing up to sing the lines "Stick to your own side" from the audience, while Santana and Puck and the Puerto Ricans danced on the stage.
Another excellent number was "A Boy Like That" - where part one of the song that Rachel/Santana are singing is interspersed with Blaine flirting heavily with Sebastian, the warbler who took his place. Here - Kurt is in Maria's role, and Blaine is Tony. Should Kurt trust Blaine? This is the portion of the duet that Anita sings to Maria - after Bernado has been killed by Tony in the musical. The stakes are higher ...of course, in the musical.
When we switch to Rachel asking her friends whether she should sleep with Finn or wait, Tina tells her that if you are in love - it is right, but only then - this bit is effectively punctuated with Maria's portion of the duet or Rachel singing Maria's part and rather beautifully, I might add. Really wish I could see this version of West Side Story all the way through. Makes me want to re-watch the movie, even though I despise Beemer in the role of Tony. (I can, I have it on DVD.)
The whole episode, outside of two songs is interspersed with West Side Story numbers being performed by the cast for the high school musical. This episode worked far better than Rock Horror Picture Show. In part because it made more sense and wasn't as over-the-top.
Also the music is used to heighten and explain critical moments in the story, yet nothing is taken away from the music to do so, nor is the music used out of context nor is it cheapened.
Often Glee will cheapen a song or use it so far out of context, that the song loses its resonance. It did not do so here. Clearly the writers have a love and appreciation for the music of West Side Story.
The other songs presented were Tonight - where Artie states, and this scene bugged me because it was so unrealistic, that they aren't singing it with enough passion because they haven't had sex. Oh, please. People you don't need to have had sexual intercourse to show passion. Or to act in love on stage. It's as idiotic as saying - oh, you aren't truly a woman or a man until you've had sex. Again? Give me a break. The media states this too often and I want to kick them for it. Another bad message brought to you by your local tv outlet.
Although it may well have been meant satirically, considering it's Artie. And we know Brittany doesn't love him and called out other names when she did it with him and can barely remember it. From Artie's perspective...well. Also both Miss Pillsbury and Beist took off, leading to unrealistic and I guess satiric scene number 2, where Artie has a heart to heart with Coach Beiste about her virginity and dating, and sets her up with a guy he figures out has a thing for her. This works out. But I found it highly inappropriate conversation and unrealistic. Artie is directing his friends and teacher's sex lives. Oookay. The song Tonight fell a bit short as a result. One Heart...was beautifully sung, better than Tonight, where Rachel was a bit too pitchy - I expected Artie to critique her pitch. Also suggesting Rachel have sex after Quinn had an unwanted pregnancy, and not talking about condoms...again, hmmm. At least Rachel uses protection.
But hey, two out of three isn't bad. The other West Side Story songs were sung earlier in the year during auditions - "Be Cool Boy", "Somewhere...", and "Something's Coming.
I'm guessing they didn't like "Officer Krumpke", "I Feel Pretty", "the Jet theme song".
Uptown Girl - the non-West Side Story song, also was a bit pitchy...
And we still have the terribly cliche Mike Quinn story about his father disowning him for wanting to be a dancer not a doctor. (Again, come on.) I was sort of hoping that had disappeared. But Ryan Murphy likes to rehash cliches.
The Kurt/Blaine romance from start to finish works and their get together at the end also worked and was beautifully written, better written than Rachel/Finn - re-emphasizing that the writers suck at hetersexual romance. Which is okay, usually it is the other way around.
Which goes to show you, some people really can't imagine things they don't know or haven't experienced directly themselves so of course assume no one else can. Not true, thank god.
Overall rating?
Story - C+
West Side Story Numbers and Narrative Structure with their use: A
Other songs - B-
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no subject
Date: 2011-11-09 09:50 am (UTC)it did keep the song America and did a rather interesting variation of it - with the Jets and their girls showing up to sing the lines "Stick to your own side" from the audience, while Santana and Puck and the Puerto Ricans danced on the stage.
Yeah, that was different and rather odd since they had Mike Chang as Riff singing Cool earlier which is the way it is in the theatrical version. But then it's television, not the stage.
Also the music is used to heighten and explain critical moments in the story, yet nothing is taken away from the music to do so, nor is the music used out of context nor is it cheapened.
Often Glee will cheapen a song or use it so far out of context, that the song loses its resonance. It did not do so here. Clearly the writers have a love and appreciation for the music of West Side Story.
Yes, the music moved the plot along - as the dance does in the actual West Side Story.
It certainly would be interesting to see the entire production or at least heard the entire song catalog.
The other interesting part of this episode was the introduction of the Sebastian character who is played by Grant Gustin - who just finished playing Baby John (http://westsidestory.livejournal.com/99660.html) in the 2010 National Tour. It was quite amusing to see him sitting in the audience watching West Side Story
no subject
Date: 2011-11-09 04:53 pm (UTC)When I was in High School I think that most students were virgins, but I'm betting that between 10-25% were not.... I myself 'waited' until I was a sophomore in college, but if I'd been serious about anyone sooner than that then I'm sure I would have gone for it.... Of course the late 1960s and early 1970s was the 'free love' period: before AIDS or even herpes became a worry.
Anyway I definitely agree: the music was way better than the story.... I could never stop watching 'Glee' because when the music is good, it is fabulous!
no subject
Date: 2011-11-09 05:40 pm (UTC)That said, I do think...tv and the media have gone way way overboard in the opposite direction regarding sex and violence. I get it. For years, you couldn't show anything, and I do mean ANYTHING. There was a joke - a daytime soap could show two people making love at 3pm, but at 8pm or 9pm, it was forbidden, they had to keep one foot on the ground at all times. Then NYPD challenged the censors with Dennis F's naked butt. Also back in the early days of Gunsmoke? People complained that there was too much violence, limit the gunfights. Now? We see people being tortured and ripped apart. It's as if the writers are these little kids who've just been given the keys to Toys R US or Candyland and told they can do whatever they want in the store.
People are such extremists. They went from not being able to show a simple kiss, to well...and often when less really would have equaled more.
And then they assume what works for them works for everyone, what they imagine, everyone does. If they can't imagine it, no one else can. So not true! It's like they do not have the ability to see a perspective or concept outside of their own.
I keep wanting to scream : WE DO NOT LIVE IN A ONE SIZE FITS ALL UNIVERSE FOLKS! I hate to break it to you, but not everyone has had _ or done _ or experience ____ or whatever by the time they were (fill in the gap), AND that's OKAY! It doesn't make them less or better than you, just different. By the same token if you have done _ or experienced _ or done it _ number of times or whatever - that's Okay too. Don't judge people who haven't and don't judge people who have! If you can't wrap your brain around that simple principle? I pity you.
Hee. End self-righteous rant. ;-)
no subject
Date: 2011-11-09 11:44 pm (UTC)I enjoyed your self-righteous rant against self-righteous people who think it IS a one size fits all world (where they can decide what everyone else reads or watches or does in the privacy of their own homes).
You can see, I can do some ranting too! I hate the haters, which I realize isn't a big help.
no subject
Date: 2011-11-10 02:14 am (UTC)There are approx. five topics that I am not permitted to discuss online any more due to a tendency towards self-righteousness, ranting, and getting all riled up. If you can't discuss it rationally and objectively, don't discuss - is what I tell myself.
no subject
Date: 2011-11-10 02:29 am (UTC)Don't mind me, I had a long day and I'm feeling tired and silly.
no subject
Date: 2011-11-10 03:45 am (UTC)Ditto. ;-)
It's sad. I used to come home and write stories. Now, I blog on the internet. I don't why I can't write the story...it's harder I think and requires more mental energy, you have to worry about plot, character, what you are saying, how it comes across to the reader, getting inside another head. In blogging...I do the latter to an extent, but often? This is just throwing jello at the wall.