Just watched the Madonna episode of "Glee." I noticed all my Twitter friends LOVED it, but at the risk of sounding like my usual stick-in-the-mud self, I have to admit I was slightly underwhelmed. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it and all. But I sort expected to be smiling from ear to ear for an hour but instead found myself thinking, "Oh, that didn't quite work as well as it should have" or "Too bad they didn't ..." The only part that really worked for me was the "Like a Virgin" scene: while it was perhaps the most obvious of them all, I'm a sucker for those revolving montages (like the final episode of "Sex and the City"), and to hear boys singing this distinctly female song just completely worked for me. (Corey!!!) The "Borderline"/"Open Your Heart" idea sounds flawless on paper, yet something just didn't ring true for me. Ditto for "What It Feels Like for a Girl," despite its gender-bending potential. Sue Sylvester's "Vogue" was flawless in production value, yet almost too true to the original. ("Will Schuester, I hate you" was the best! Why not more -- lots more?)And perhaps my biggest issue with the show was the overall concept. Putting aside the fact that I don't believe Sue Sylvester would be into anyone but herself, with the exception of gay boys, does Madonna actually HAVE any OBSESSED fans that are in high school these days? I have very little to go on, but Michael's three nieces (ranging in age from starting middle school to just graduating high school) all made fun of us when they saw we had Madonna on our iPods, and with the exception of a collaboration with Justin Timberlake, she hasn't exactly been burning up the charts with "the kids" in recent years. (Her concerts are jammed with people who are my -- and Ryan Murphy's -- age, not kids.) That the one character who might actually be into her (Chris Colfer's Kurt) would get stuck singing one of her crappiest hits -- and a boy's part to boot -- seemed awfully cruel to me (you just KNOW he wanted to sing the lead of "Dress You Up"!).
Like I said, it was fun. But I guess my expectations were so high there was nowhere to land but disappointed.
12 comments:
I felt the same way while watching the last two episodes. While many of the musical numbers were good, I just didn't feel that same sense of glee (sorry) that I had watching the story twists and turns in first thirteen episodes. The pacing between songs was slower than I expected and the conflict between Will and Sue now seems a little forced to me. Hopefully, things will improve as the new plot lines develop.
Oh Kenneth, Kenneth...sooooo literal!
Granted, I also doubt that today's real-life high school kids are much into Madonna's music but it's a TELEVISION SHOW for god's sake! And one firmly rooted in fantasy, to boot!
That said, I wished they had done something with "Material Girl" (one of my personal favs).
It was fun, though, it hardly stellar. Dear, dear Kenneth: Lighten up!
The episode was kinda fun but my issues were:
It was a free standing episode which had nothing to do with the season's plot line.
Sue's Madonna fixation came out of nowhere.
The 'Vogue' video would have been more fun had they kept it a secret and not shown it the previous week.
I love 'GLEE' but the writing is not the reason people tune in.
I agree that Madonna is not what the kids are listening to these days.
I completely get what you're saying. I think the main problem I had with it was that this episode was a prime example of how in 'Glee' story lines seem to revolve around the songs, not the other way around. That problem just seemed exacerbated in this particular episode. Overall, I did enjoy it though. Then again, I went in with low expectations, as I seem to be one of the very few gay dudes who don't really like Madonna ;)
I was a bit underwhelmed as well but disagree with you on a few things. I thought the Like A Virgin number was the most obvious and least interesting part. Oh they're all virgins about to have sex so they should sing that song? Really? (The song isn't even about sex but that's another discussion).
I loved the Borderline/Open Your Heart number. It was a bit Broadway over the top but that's true to the show. What didn't ring "true" for you?
And as for high school kids not being into Madonna, that is true. But since when did the show try to accurately represent current high school students? It's Ryan Murphy's (entertaining) fantasy. I kept thinking how great it was that the teenagers watching the show would be exposed to Madonna's oeuvre and maybe get into it.
But clearly the highlight of the show was Sue Sylvester's quip about the elves in Shuester's hair baking cookies. Classic.
Thought it was fantastic. As for teen fans, she did, and if she didn't, she DOES NOW! #1 album, baby!!!
I'm willing to bet the people buying the "Glee" Madonna songs are people like us and not kids, Matt.
And you obviously didn't think it was all "fantastic" -- I just read your post about Sue's "Vogue" and you said nearly the same thing as I did!
I saw my first episode of Glee last night, Season 1 Episode 1, I saw the last part of the Madonna Glee the other night. It seems like a cute show, exactly what were your expectations that you were disappointed? I thought the Madonna Glee was cool, I liked it, prompted me to watch the first episode. Wouldn't say I'm a Glee fan as of yet but, who knows. ;) peace
I was underwhelmed also, and the fawning comments by the kids were unbelievable. What word comes to mind when you hear the word Madonna? They replied, "genius", "icon", "MILF" etc.
I was dying to hear one of the girls say "egotistical slut".
I loved the episode. I had a grin on my face every single minute. Is that lame?
And Jonathon Groff is doing an amazing job. They should keep him around.
Brilliant and Boaring.
Which by the was is Madge's next album title.
"Sue Sylvester we love you."
Did you know she did an episode of American Dad, playing 'the fem' in a same sex farm couple relationship?
Kurt sang Madonna's part on "4 Minutes." That's kinda what was cool about the number...
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