Glee - Madonna - Irrational Exuberance!

I don't watch much TV. I am a news junky though. I hate most reality television. Frankly I have enough to deal with my own hollow reality like getting myself to the gym or trying to learn to cook or getting my dog George to stop pooping in this one corner of the house (any suggestions???), much less watching someone's pretend reality.


(One question. Does Fox news count as news or as bad reality TV or just pure fiction?)

Seriously, these bachelor/batchelorette shows are promoting such shallow values. What is a kid to learn from watching these people line up 30 possible " loves", then slowly widdle them down. Should anyone get married when they meet this way? (If you really care about the "sanctity" of marriage, then this should be on the top of your list to stop!). It's like watching marriage by firing squad. Now that would be interesting, if you don't get chosen you get shot. Let's show just how desperate dating can really be.

If I want humor I will just read Perez Hilton calling these people out for who they are. (Yeah I occasionally read Perez for escapism. At least the guy calls it like he sees it.) Imagine Perez as the anchor of your local news - yellow hair, pink pants - that is true Technicolor.

I have not been drawn to most network shows in a long time. HBO still is great - "True Blood", the days of "Six Feet Under", "Tell Me You Love Me.' " Flight Of The Concords" Those are great shows. But otherwise, where is the originality, the spunk? Most formulaic sitcoms suck in my opinion. It is like we are just programmed to laugh at the right time.

Jerry Seinfeld "created" a lousy new reality show in my opinion, "The marriage ref." I expect more from him. Let's put celebs on stage and make fun of "middle america" trash people. It is mean spirited and not funny at all. I bet Madonna regretted doing an episode of that crap. It made her seem very pedestrian. It seemed very beneath her potential such as the brilliant usage of her brand in GLEE. Heart, artistry entertainment, brilliance.

And even if a show starts out with promise it all too often looses sight and becomes a caricature of itself. (Lost started out very interesting and then just became ... lost).

Just when I was about to give up, along comes Glee. If you haven't seen Glee you should. In some ways it is the most unexpected show from the brilliant Ryan Murphy who created Nip Tuck. It a musical show with a mismatched bunch of kids trying to navigate high-school. It's a John Hughes movie (Breakfast Club) merged with all of the musical exuberance of the movie Fame.

Let me preface this by saying I am not a big musical movie buff. I doubt I could name any of the "Greatest Musicals of All Time" (well, probably a few). Moulen Rouge was awesome. I still sing "The Hills Are Alive With The Sound Of Music" in the shower.

But what makes Glee brilliant is that it presents an unabashed look at people with real issues and real concerns, interposing these with the angst of coming of age in high-school. It has the geeks, the popular kids, the athletes and the cheerleaders but it also includes, disabled kids (handicapabled as Sue calls them), a gay kid, a pregnant teen (Dianna Agron - is she the most smokin new actress in town or what? I think I'm in love) and a host of other interesting characters.

These kids deal with real issues, real problems all the while signing in a heightened reality that is pure bliss.. And the song list transcends all ages.

This past week, the Glee cast did Madonna. Madonna is both controversial and as much cemented in modern culture as Jesus. She may have done more for mankind with her message of "Open Your Heart". She is loved and hated. Her music is never going away, and as Glee showed to us all, full of messages of hope and inclusion. Glee used all of the big M's best messages, tolerance, acceptance, self love, etc. It might be the best television episode I have ever seen.

attn: ryan murphy and glee producers:


Imagine the Glee casting doing: David Bowie music for an episode:

changes
under pressure
let's dance
fashion
modern love
fame
rebel rebel
young americans
golden years