I am not a regular viewer. That said, I have nothing specifically against you; and indeed, was a big fan when you debuted in the Fall of last year. But as the season wore on, buzz grew, and the masses (and Fox consumer products department) clamored for more non-sequitur musical numbers in lieu of fleshed-out plot arcs, my favorite aspect of the show, the actual writing, became less and less prevalent. The show devolved from an archly camp "Election"-
esque high school parody to rollicking feel-goodery bordering on the kumbaya. The spontaneity of the musical numbers has become positively Rogers and Hammersteinian, the newly skankified Lea Michele struts her stuff more and more. (I saw you when you were on Broadway in "Spring Awakening" - you and the 20 pounds you lost!) The occasional zinger escaping from the fantastic Sue Sylvester's lips or air-headed Brittany antic are the only aspects of the show keeping me coming back. I have to, however, grudgingly give you a nod for this week's Christmas episode. GLEE, you have truly outdone yourself. I cringed, laughed, sneered, threw up in my mouth a little, and yes, wept, all in approximately 40 minutes (thanks to much fast-forwarding, including through Rachel and Finn's lugubrious number in the Christmas tree lot). Were I a gun-toting conservative from South Dakota, Kurt and Blaine's duet of "Baby It's Cold Outside," would have easily offended most if not all of my
sensibilities and sent me running for my ptichfork; and as a liberal living in Los Angeles, it almost made run for, at the very least, a salad fork. The two of them (to quote Jack Nicholson in AS GOOD AS IT GETS) "nancing around" the library of their boys prep school was easily one of the gayest things ever broadcast on network television. It preyed on every self-hating bone in my body - I watched it with averted eyes, both repulsed and jealous. (Not that I necessarily would have wanted to nance around the McCarthy Library in the Theodore James Ryken Center at my boys prep school, but having the option would've been nice.) The number was as over the top as it was, grudgingly, adorable. Aswas the episode itself. It ran the gamut from Becky the Cheerio with down syndrome playing a floppy-eared "rein-dog" to Sue's Grinch to Coach Beast dressed as Santa to Brittany still believing in Santa to Artie being given a device that would allow him to simulate walking. The serenading
of the teacher's room with the Whoville Chorus was a nice touch, as was the emotional crescendo of Sue arranging the Glee Clubbers to come to Mr. Schuester's on Christmas Eve, bringing a truncated tear to my eye as the DVR did its usual hack job on the last 30 seconds of the episode. Regardless, I was left with the same queasy combination of titillation and disgust that NIP/TUCK used to leave me with - only the singing high schooler version, rather than the nymphomaniac plastic surgeon version. Ryan Murphy is nothing if not consistent.Despite being a somewhat ludicrous television program, GLEE, you courageously set pretty much every aspect of controversial contemporary society in your crosshairs, and succeed in debunking prejudice while savvily and inclusively poking fun with a "just-kidding, mostly" wink and nudge. While not a bastion of nuance or subtlety (and, lamentably, set to music) you accomplish your goal - which is simply to, in more ways than one, give voice. This crab gives you holiday kudos.
Best reagrds,
Dear Crabby
