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The premise is simple: a group of high school misfits join an unpopular show-choir club and through following their passion to sing, make friends and find somewhere to belong. Sounds fairly humdrum and possibly cheesy, but the draw-card for me was, without a doubt, the music. The friend who suggested Glee to me described it as “ a show about kids in high school and their lives are basically a musical” and anyone who has ever appreciated Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s Season 6 Episode 7 “Once more with feeling” would be daft not to check it out. True entertainment superstars are sometimes called ‘triple threats’. These are the performers who can not only act, but also sing and dance. Glee features on-screen performance based musical treats and the performers have to be able to do it all. But the all singing, all dancing concept is one that is at risk of being camp and too showy. So then, why do I still proclaim to love Glee? Because intertwined with punchy musical performances is a relevant storyline dealing with relationships, sexuality and social issues. But what wins me over, hook line and DVD box set is the music, because I am an ardent fan of cover versions of songs. A cover version, unlike a remix whose purpose is to better a song, is a rather a tribute, an ode. It says ‘I love this song as it is and this is my take on it’.
Glee’s creators have strived to maintain a balance between show tunes and current chart-toppers. Clever move if they want to please a larger demographic. Music taste is such a fickle bride to please. By doing cover songs of various genres, executed by young actors whose ambition matches those of their characters they produce fire. And notable success: The cast of Glee have had more songs chart than The Beatles and more Billboard hits than Elvis, showing that clearly the cast and creators of this show love the music and nothing can really detract from that. From the Christmas classic ‘Baby, it’s cold outside’ made popular by big names such as Ella Fitzgerald, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr. and Ray Charles that gets a remake by a homosexual male pairing to episodes devoted to the likes of Britney Spears and Lady Gaga. I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to mention the mash-ups! Mixing Beyonce’s ‘Halo’ with ‘Walking on Sunshine’ or a go-right-now-and-get-your-hands-on-this fusion between Rihanna’s ‘Umbrella and Gene Kelly’s 1929 ‘Singin’ in the Rain’.
Even with all the mastery of cover songs, Glee has in its second season introduced original music. I raise an eyebrow and wait to be either highly disappointed or thoroughly impressed, but so far so good. Every episode I watch leaves me wishing that it could have an encore. And I’ve already asked Santa to leave the Glee music box set under my tree. It’s fun and upbeat but still seamlessly full of social critique and debate. It’s unabashedly light and gleeful.
Accurate title I guess.
Dana_derailed 