Saturday, January 16, 2010

Obsession Fills Me With Glee!

by Caren Crane

I have a new TV obsession. It's full of stereotypes, teen angst, dysfunctional relationships and topped with extra cheese. My name is Caren and I am a Gleek. I am totally addicted to Fox's Glee and I unashamedly adore it!

I glommed onto the gouda-laden goodness long about episode 4 last fall. Unfortunately, the season is now over, since Glee shares the Wednesday night timeslot with the results episode of American Idol. So, it will be April before we get any new Glee. Meanwhile, I will watch episodes on Hulu.com until they all fall off the list.

I was a little surprised I loved Glee so much, despite the major cheese factor. I haven't been hooked on a TV that was still on the air in a long time (American Idol not included). Wondering why this show and why now, I analyzed my fascination and have created a list of reasons I love this wedge of TV dairy so much:

5. Baby Daddy Drama - The captain of the cheerleading squad (the Cheerios) and President of the Chastity club, Quinn Fabray, is pregnant. The father isn't her boyfriend (and captain of the football team/quarterback) Finn, but his mohawk-wearing friend/teammate/glee club member Puck. Everyone knows this, it seems, except Finn.

I love baby daddy plots because it is astonishing how many women pass off other's men's children as belonging to their husband/boyfriend/significant other. This stuff happens all the time in real life and I enjoy the angst on everyone's part. The lying girl, the unacknowledged father, the betrayed guy who is inevitably crushed by the truth. Awesome!

4. Sudafed Dispensing - The glee club sponsor, Will Schuester, is married to a heinous witch who was faking a pregnancy until the season finale. In one episode, she is so jealous of the guidance counselor, Miss Pillsbury, that she claims nursing experience and become the school nurse to spy on them. To treat every ailment that walks through her office door, she gives the patient Sudafed. She gives it to the entire glee club at one point since they are exhausted from rehearsing for sectionals, keeping up with school, etc. Except the pregnant girl. She gets folic acid for the baby Terri hopes to pass off as her own. *g*

I take a Sudafed-like substance every day and you basically have to sign your life away and swear to the Feds you aren't running a meth lab before you can buy it. So Terri handing it out like candy and the kids pinging off the walls was a plot I found hysterically funny. Especially after the hapless guy who was buying the stuff for her got arrested.

3. Gay Male Soprano - Kurt is a diva and everyone knows it. They either love him and his unearthly voice or they utterly despise him (usually the homophobic jock types). The relationship he has with his widowed car mechanic father is incredibly touching. Kurt's vulnerability and jaded-too-young view on how the world sees him and his sexual orientation give his character amazing depth.

I always enjoy divas, makeovers and people on the cutting edge of fashion. Plus, gay male characters are always the most fun ever. Kurt never disappoints and, even when he gives Rachel a makeover for all the wrong reasons and makes things between her and Finn incredibly awkward, you want to forgive his bitchiness because of his (completely unrequited) love for Finn. Plus, he has such great clothes!

2. Show Tunes - Show tunes, pop songs, old school rock, jazz numbers, folk songs. You name it, they sing it. The kids (and Mr. Schuester) all have amazing voices. The choreography is always interesting, since Artie is quadriplegic (and also has a great voice AND plays electric guitar). They even did a whole number in wheelchairs. If you get to watch the 'Sectionals' episode (the season finale), you'll get to see Rachel (the wonderful Lea Michele) do a rendition of Barbra Streisand's Don't Rain On My Parade that may surpass Babs's rendition. I'm just saying.

I've talked before - at great and exhaustive length - about my love for musicals, music of all types and cheesy, over-the-top entertainment. Show tunes + cheese = AWESOME. This show has it all. I rewatch the song and dance numbers on YouTube far more often than I should.

And the number 1 reason I love Glee:

1. Mean Girl Turned Mean Woman - You may know her from movies like The 40-Year-Old Virgin or Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. You may recognize her from roles like the lesbian dog breeder in Best In Show. She is Jane Lynch and she delivers caustic wit like no one else. As the evil Cheerios coach, Sue Sylvester, Jane gets in touch with her inner Mean Girl. She undermines the glee club, New Directions, at every turn and even went so far as to give their set list to the other glee clubs competing against them at sectionals. Despicable! Yet she also has a softer side, which we saw (exactly once) in the "Wheels" episode.

Every episode, I wondered how Sue could be more evil than she was the week before, while also delivering the best one-liners of the show and keeping us all hungry for more. I have no idea how they do it, but somehow the writers and Ms. Lynch pull it off time after time. Sue Sylvester gets to act the way we wish we could when faced we're under the influence of hormones - lucky duck. I can't wait until she returns from her sabbatical to Florida (since, you know, she got fired for the sectionals thing)!

Until Glee, there was no other show I went out of my way to watch except my other obsession, American Idol. Glee is over-the-top, satirical and wildly entertaining. It's as if it was designed just for me.

As a matter of fact, I am so hooked on Glee that it was with a bit of hesitation that I tuned into Wednesday night's episode of Idol. But come on, it was auditions in Atlanta, so I knew it would be extra fun and Atlanta did not disappoint. Still, I'm counting the days until we have a new American Idol and Glee returns to Wednesday night!

So what's your current TV obsession? Tell us what makes it so great for you.

And did anyone see AI this week? If so, all I have to say is, someone is losing a best friend this week (Lauren) and General Larry Platt's Pants on the Ground will be on YouTube forever!

53 comments:

Unknown said...

Is he mine today?

Unknown said...

I guess my latest obsession would have to be American Idol, I have the DVR set to record. Also into Castle, Greys Anantomy, House, Mercy and a few other things.

Anna Campbell said...

Hey, Virginia! Looks like it's a chook for your today!

Oh, man, Caren, TV obsessions! I'm a British property show geek. BPS (as they shall now be known to save me from getting RSI) proliferate on our cable over here. I watch them by the hundreds. Location, Location, Location. Selling Houses. Relocation, Relocation (it's like CSI - they have spinoffs of succesful series). Selling Houses Abroad. I Own Britain's Best Home. Property Ladder. And then there are a million lesser imitators that I WILL watch at a pinch. It's awful. I have no idea what petrol costs here but I can tell you what a thatched three-bedroom cottage costs in a very nice village with a lovely local school in Somerset. It's tragic, I tell you, tragic! Perhaps I should start watching Glee instead!

Susan Sey said...

Hi, Caren! Hey, great topic, since I'm currently addicted to Glee. My husband got the soundtrack for xmas & I've been listening to it nonstop in the car for a week now. My kids have asked me repeatedly about the lyrics to Golddigger at which point I flip over to Taylor Swift for a while.

I wish I could say I've seen more of the actual show but I've only heard the music. I'll have to catch up on line, sounds like.

PinkPeony said...

Hi Caren!

Mad Men...hands down! Jon Hamm...major hubba hubba. Wonderful script and I love mid-century modern. Sigh.

Congrats on the GR, Virginia!

Helen said...

Congrats Virginia have fun with him

Caren what a great post I don't watch much TV at all and haven't seen Glee at all I will have to check out foxtel and see if it is on. Sounds like a fun show one show that I always watch is Australian Idol but they have axed it over here in Oz apparently because of low ratings so last years Idol was the last one SOB.

Have Fun
Helen

Jane said...

Congrats on the GR, Virginia.

My current TV obsession is White Collar. New episodes are starting up again in February. I'm also excited that Southland has found a new home on TNT. I really like the gritty cop drama for its realism. Can't wait for Mad Men to return in the spring.

Suzanne Ferrell said...

LOVE GLEE, too, Caren! But for me it's all about the music. I'm a sucker for musicals, too and if the voices actually match the music all the better.

My latest TV obsessions...Gibbs, er NCIS. Top Chef...Althought it has me torn. On one hand I love to figure out if I can make the stuff they do and on the other hand wonder why would anyone want to eat some of it?

Then there's Castle and the Mentalist....sigh...need I say more?

Caren Crane said...

Virginia, congratulations on grabbing the chook to keep you warm. Is it still frigid up your way?

I agree, it's hard to break the Idol spell. I read an article in Enertaintment Weekly yesterday about Simon leaving after this season. I really don't think it will be the same without him. He's often the only one who is honest at all!

I've been (very slowly) watching House on DVD. I think I'm mostly through Season 1. *g* I love it, but my TV time is incredibly limited. *sigh* I've heard great things about Castle, so I plan to put that one in the queue. I guess I'll watch those when/if I retire!

Caren Crane said...

Anna, I can see the attraction of the BPS shows. Kind of like Lifestyle Of the Rich and Also Middle Class. *g* I cannot let the kids even pause on HGTV. It's worse than the Food Network!

I, who have no intention of selling my house OR doing renovations anytime soon, get sucked into that Channel in a heartbeat. It's crazy!

You can't go wrong watching Glee. It's insanely over the top. So fun!

Caren Crane said...

Susan, the great thing is, Glee is like a soap. They do a slight recap at the start of the show, so at least you know whose drama we're in that episode. Also, the plot lines were basically all lined up for you in my list of five, so even if you want to jump in starting in April, you'll be all set.

Just remember, Mr. Schuester (Will) left Terri, Miss Pillsbury (Emma) did not marry Ken the football coach, and Sue Sylvester (the evil cheerleading coach) has had the Cheerios taken away from her. At least for now.

You're all set! Oh, and your music thing reminds me of when my younger sister was taking a hip-hop dance class for exercise. She quickly learned she had to censor the songs for my nieces. *g*

Caren Crane said...

Pink, Mad Men is one that is in the Netflix queue and I will probably get to watch long about 2015. It sounds like such a great show, but I've lamented my lack of screen time. *sigh*

I look forward to putting in a DVD and having a Mad Men marathon. It sounds like the new season, with the rival agency ramping up, is going to be awesome!

What besides Jon Hamm is your favorite? I think I would watch just for the clothes and kitsch from the 60s!

Caren Crane said...

Oh, Helen, it's tragic you lost your Idol! Surely they will carry another, similar, show? I swear, the auditions shows for AI have been so horrible so far, it's like watching a train wreck. I find it fascinating how incredibly BAD some of these people are. Why would they stand in line for days when they can't even sing? I suppose it's claiming their 15 minutes of fame or something...something.

Caren Crane said...

Jane, what do you love about White Collar? That one hasn't snagged my attention yet, for some reason.

Is Southland the one with Steven Seagal working as a cop? 'Cause that looks like it could be good. I swear, I am new TV illiterate!

Caren Crane said...

Suz, my sister Gleek! I love musicals, no doubt about it. Who can resist the singing and dancing in the middle of a scene? Okay, lots of people, probably but not me!

Now, what about NCIS has you hooked...besides Gibbs?

I, too, am conflicted about the things they whip up on Top Chef. Some just don't look like they're worth the trouble AT ALL.

MJFredrick said...

I love Glee, but my favorite bits are the music numbers. I hit iTunes the next day for the songs! Oh, and also love Will. I LOVE a man confident enough to sing and dance.

Deb said...

My husband is the one with t.v. obsession. He has a lot of shows set for the DVR. One of the shows I watch with him is NCIS, sometimes House.

I love Dancing With The Stars and American Idol and---as I confessed yesterday, I am a Disney Channel Mother--The Suite Life on Deck. (Cute, slapstick, clean comedy.)

I used to be obsessed with the British show Cash in the Attic, but haven't watched it for a few months.

When I was single, my t.v. obsessions were slightly different. (Dating me here: Love Boat and Little House reruns.)

pjpuppymom said...

Congrats, Virginia!

Caren, I *love* GLEE! It's the best new show on TV! At least I think it is. :)

I'm a huge Idol fan and have been since the first season but I think it will quickly lose its appeal without Simon.

Actually, I'm a bit of a reality show junkie. Love Dancing With the Stars, So You Think You Can Dance, Survivor, The Biggest Loser and, even though I tell myself every season that I'm not going to do it, I always seem to get sucked into The Bachelor/Bachelorette.

Castle is a great show!

KJ Howe said...

LOVED Pants on the Ground!!! What a fabulous addition to the show this week. I was ROFL at his antics. We need more humor in life.

My current obsession is Dexter. That show keeps getting better and better.

Minna said...

Hmm. Let's see:
Mythbusters
Komissar Rex
Numb3rs (Bones seems to on a break, again)
Dresden Files
Last of the Summer Wine
And Life narrated by David Attenborough starts here today.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_(BBC_TV_series)

This is from another series by Attenborough:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjE0Kdfos4Y

Joan said...

I do not know this GLEE of which you speak...

I've seen it listed as being up for some type of award but past that...no clue.

Right now I am obsessed with "The Jeff Dunham" show on Comedy Central. I'm not a big ventriloquist fan as a rule, but my gosh....Walter, Peanut, Achmed and heck even Bubba J are cracking me up!!!!

gigi said...

Hi Caren,
I also must watch Glee.
I watched it last May and them had to wait for the regular season.
Sue Sylvester is wicked she is the character you love to have but you just love watching her stir up trouble and be so nasty.

You know she played Julia Child's sister in the movie Julie and Julia.
Rachel (Lea Michele I think that is right) boy does she have a great voice so does Mercedes.
It is just a great cast.
Besides Glee on Wednesday night.
I love Son's of Anarchy on FX.(I hope it comes back)also
NCIS and NCIS Los Angeles.
I can't wait for the new season of Burn Notice, White Collar and Psych on USA.
I am following AI this season. I can't wait for Ellen to join the cast in February and see how that turns out.
House is much better this season so I catch it quite often.
Bones is also a favorite.
For BBC America y'all need to really watch Top Gear. I got hooked on that show a few years ago.
I am bummed that David Tenant
left my favorite show Dr. Who.
I also enjoy The Graham Norton Show on BBC he is a hoot.

Gillian Layne said...

I came to watch Glee very late as well, and almost burnt up dinner because I couldn't get over how amazingly good it was. You really, really need to watch it--the acting is as good as the singing, which says something. (And the one "nice girl" moment for Sue had me in tears.)

The only other shows we try to never miss are NCIS, Big Bang Theory, and White Collar.

NCIS has such a depth of character, and the funny parts are so funny, but the suspense and gore rarely crosses into the "gross" factor. I am loving the way Tony is aging, and want Tim to find a woman who isn't out to kill him! Abby is our hands-down favorite--the girls love how brilliant and out-there she is.

I love all the shows for the same reason--smart men are drop dead sexy. And all you White Collar fans--that season cliff-hanger? God, I hated it. It had better not be what it looks like. Just sayin'. Guess we'll see Tuesday night.

Deb said...

Joan said: Right now I am obsessed with "The Jeff Dunham" show on Comedy Central.
Achmed is funny! Cracks me up every time he says, "Shut up! I keel you!"

Rebekah E. said...

I love Glee. it is such a great T.V. show.

Pissenlit said...

Woo hoo! I'm totally a Gleek too! Gosh, that is one fun show!

Other shows I'm currently obsessed with are The Big Bang Theory, Bones, The Mentalist, NCIS, NCIS: Los Angeles, Criminal Minds and Castle. Uh and if I can fit them in, any of the 3 CSI shows...and Deadliest Catch. Oh and Doctor Who(I am so in David Tennant withdrawal). Um and maybe House, except that I'm behind because The Bachelor started up and I can't win against my mum in a battle to the death for the tv at that time. :D

tetewa said...

I can't wait because my favorite show Supernatural comes back on Thursday!

Pissenlit said...

Gillian - And all you White Collar fans--that season cliff-hanger? God, I hated it. It had better not be what it looks like.

Ugh! That's the reason I left White Collar off my list. Until I know where that's going, I'm sitting on the fence.

jo robertson said...

Great topic, Caren! I began watching Glee too, and adored it, but I had to give it up too soon. Can't wait for it to come out on DVD!

Let's face it. You either love CAMP or you don't. Glee is so campy, so over the top hilarious, that it'll be your fave if you give it a chance.

Yay, Virginia, wasn't the rooster visiting Anna yesterday? I dare say she had him hard and work.

jo robertson said...

How interesting, Anna! What do you think is the lure of such property shows?

jo robertson said...

Athough I have many TV obsessions, being a television junkie, I guess one of my current obsessions is MODERN FAMILY.

I love the different types of families shown there, the writing is very crisp, and the acting is understated hilarity. The gay couple with the Asian baby is my favorite. The show has family conflict up the wazoo, but lots and lots of heart.

jo robertson said...

Oh, Jane, the actor in White Collar (forget his name) has those blazingly beautiful eyes, doesn't he? And I love the bromance between him and his FBI handler.

jo robertson said...

Me too, Tetewa! Can't wait to see those Winchester boys return!

Jane said...

Jo, his name is Matt Bomer. He was previously in "Chuck."

Caren, "Southland" is not the reality show with Steven Seagal. It was a cop show on NBC last year, but they dumped it to free up the 10 pm time slot for Jay Leno's new show.

Anonymous said...

I love Glee.

The thing is you watch Glee knowing it is all tongue in cheek and then go with the flow. It's fun and it makes you happy. No dead bodies to worry about, zero crimes, except some of Rachel's outfits of course.

The sound track keeps me smiling at work.

Anna Campbell said...

Snort, Jo! I don't need to be Sigmund Freud to work that one out. I WANT a million pound cottage in Somerset!

Pissenlit, I'm a Bones obsessive too. I was late coming to the party. Never watched Buffie or Angel so the DB fixation passed me by. Then I was so tired my last night in Washington, I stayed in the hotel instead of going out on a tour, turned on the TV, and caught three Bones eps in a row. Oh, wow! What a wonderful David...show. Actually all jokes aside, while he's gorgeous, I think it's a really cool show. I love that Bones is so smart, I love the geeks, and I love the sly humor. I tend to tire of series - I hate the way they just string me along to keep me watching. But this one is good enough to keep me interesting. And the crimes are interesting!

Anna Campbell said...

Gigi, another Bones fan? Cool (yeah, I'm reading the comments from the bottom up). Burn Notice is something I've only recently discovered thanks to a comment on Facebook. It's such fun - reminds me a bit of Remington Steele from my youth. And I think he's gorgeous - I love em long and lean like that and he looks fabulous in his Armani suits. Again, lots of sly humor. I've nearly finished the first season. The tragedy is my DVD place doesn't have any more. I hope they get some!

Anna Campbell said...

Deb, you watched Cash in the Attic? Then you know how addictive those shows can be! I also adore Antiques Roadshow but I can kinda kid myself I'm watching that for research purposes. Yeah, right.

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

hey Virginia, he's yours! Make him work!

Caren I had to LOL about your obsession. I purposefully did NOT start in on Glee! knowing full well I would be hooked and it's in a terrible time slot for moms-getting-boys-to-bed. Urg. Besides, I already have plenty of TV obsessions - NCIS/NCIS-LA anone??? Also, Criminal Minds, on which the incomparable Jane Lynch periodically plays the brilliant,manic-depressive mother of Dr. Spencer Reid. She really is brilliant in all these roles, truly. :>

I do love me some Cheese though and this sounds just perfect. Now I'm going to have to netflix the season and watch ie. ;.

Suzanne Ferrell said...

Hey Caren...what besides Gibbs do I find obsessive about NCIS? (Is there a need for more?). Honestly, I've always had a crush on David McCallum since his days on U.N.C.L.E and his stint in the GREAT ESCAPE. (That was such a great movie for seeing the hunks of the day!) And while Ziva and Tony's story is rocky and oddly off kilter at the moment, it's the sexual tension between Abbie and McGhee that has me wondering..."when?"

Suzanne Ferrell said...

Jeanne said: Also, Criminal Minds, on which the incomparable Jane Lynch periodically plays the brilliant,manic-depressive mother of Dr. Spencer Reid. She really is brilliant in all these roles, truly. :> ...

OMG...I know! She's creepy convincing as a nut case!

Love Criminal Minds...uh...Shemar Moore anyone?

Donna MacMeans said...

Pants on the ground
Pants on the ground
You look like a fool
with your pants on the ground...

Oh - sorry. I was grooving to American Idol's big hit. That song has staying power -

As does Glee! (how's that for transition). I really enjoy that show- when I get the chance to watch it. One of the reasons I like it (adding to your list) is that it's supposed to be a school in Ohio! (However, the very first episode shows a guy spray painting the lawn green. We don't spray paint grass in Ohio - no need. We're a green state).

There's an article in today's paper about the appeal of cliche characters because we know what to expect. Maybe that's part of the appeal. The bad folks are mean and very bad. The sweet and innocent are made of spun sugar. The football players are insensitive (except Finn), and so on. I do love the music. I like how they take classics and turn them into productions.

Caren - If you like Glee and American Idol - you must have loved that show about acappella groups performing Idol style before judges.

Suzanne Ferrell said...

Caren said:I, too, am conflicted about the things they whip up on Top Chef. Some just don't look like they're worth the trouble AT ALL....

One of the things I think all the cooking competitions have done, (and have you SEEN the Worst Cooks In America series on the Food Network?) is teach the everyday cooks important things, like cleanliness, organization, knife skills and safety...and the importance of..........TASTING the food as you cook. How many people get nailed for not seasoning or tasting their food. There's a reason salt used to be a barter item more treasured than gold!

jo robertson said...

Thanks, Jane.

And Southland was picked up by TNT and begins again next week, I believe. I can't believe the bad decisions NBC has made in their shows recently! Dumping Southland was truly a blunder.

pjpuppymom said...

I can't believe the bad decisions NBC has made in their shows recently! Dumping Southland was truly a blunder.

NBC has a history of bad decisions like that. JAG (one of my all-time favorite shows) was a NBC series that they dumped after one season. CBS picked it up and it was a popular, high-ranking show for the next nine years. It's still regularly shown on cable channels around the world.

Pat Cochran said...

Not a Glee fan! Just don't call me
or ask me questions when David is
on the screen! (I mean when the
Bones show is on!) My favorites
are David, Jethro, and Horatio!
That is Bones, NCIS, & CSI:Miami.
Now,were there any more questions
to be answered?

Pat Cochran

Louisa Cornell said...

Good for you, Virginia! All this talk of television will have the GR demanding his own show or at least control of the remote!

Unfortunately I am televisionless at the moment. By that I mean that I live so far out in the country that a regular antenna doesn't get any reception at all since the switch. I am too far out for cable so far and the only way I can get television is if I install satellite and I haven't saved up the funds to do so.

However, I do have some of my favorite shows on DVD. In fact I have the first six seasons of CSI (the original, still my favorite) on DVD and I watch them quiet a lot. I would love to get Criminal Minds as well as I LOVE that show!

My other favs are quite old - BritComs - Keeping Up Appearances and Are You Being Served? Oh and The Black Adder and Faulty Towers.

Yes, I'm old and I like old stuff. So sue me! :)

Donna MacMeans said...

So I'm sitting here watching Castle and thinking - that's one of my favorite series! I'm a True Blood fan too -and hoping to be a Spartacus fan when the mini-series starts.

Louisa - I'm a devoted fan of DVDs! I like those more than watching series on TV - no commercials!

Louisa Cornell said...

And you can pause it for bathroom breaks, dog and cat argument refereeing and snack breaks!

Joan said...

hoping to be a Spartacus fan when the mini-series starts.

Oh, I FULLY intend to be one of these! I signed onto Starz when Suz gave me the heads up and have been watching the trailers over and over.....

Kirsten said...

Hey Caren, I've been tending to a houseful of little girls today (birthday party, anyone!) but I didn't want to miss your blog. I can't wait to see Glee! It looks fabulous. I haven't managed to carve out enough time to watch it, but I just know I'll love it when I do!

Laure said...

I am currently obsession-less. Since BBCAmerica aired the last "Robin Hood" a few weeks back. I so *loved* that show! Of course there are some hot *hot* guys, especially my beloved Robin and his tall dark and brooding arch enemy Sir Guy of Gisbourne. A bit campy at times (especially the first season) but the history, intrigue and classic good vs. evil is wonderful. And comedian Kieth Allen is brilliant as the snidley whiplash-ish evil Sherrif. Funny, fun, touches of romance, with surprising heart.

Haven't found a new show that can capture the imagination yet. I like Castle a lot, always enjoy Nathan Fillian.

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