The Gleek Critique: "Saturday Night Glee-ver" Episode

Mercedes belts out a groovy 70s hit with her back-up dancers, Santana and Brittany.
Image property of Fox.

by Jack Garcia

I wasn't overly thrilled when I heard Glee was doing a disco-heavy musical tribute to Saturday Night Fever.  As the kids all shouted out when Mr. Schuester suggested they perform disco numbers, "DISCO SUCKS!"  However, despite having no desire to download any of the episode's 8 songs, I thought the episode was pretty decent.

Mr. Schuester is worried about several of his graduating seniors, but mostly Mercedes, Santana and Finn.  Why?  He just doesn't feel like they have any dreams or ambition.  So given the assignment to "find themselves" through disco music, Santana decides she wants to be famous at any cost, Mercedes wants to be a powerful diva like Mariah Carey or Whitney Houston, and Finn...  well, we'll get to Finn in a little bit.

Santana's declaration of "famous no matter what" gets the better of her when Brittany, with the brain the size of a child's fist as Sue points out, decides that a sex tape will get Santana the notoriety she so desires.  It just so happens that McKinley High's hottest lesbian cheerleaders made a sex tape of their own already, so Brittany just went ahead and posted it online... but not before splicing it with some footage of her cat Lord Tubbington doing household chores.  What's the name of the video?  "Two Girls One Cat"?  Anyway, Santana soon realizes that she doesn't just want to be famous... she wants to really do something worthwhile with her life.  Maybe even go to college.

Mercedes delivers a powerful vocal performance, as usual, but admits to the group how very scared and nervous she is about her future.  She has no idea how to get to where she wants to be.  Sam took the initiative to record her performance on his phone and upload it to YouTube.  I'm surprised Mercedes never thought to do that before.  When he tells her what he's done, she's surprised to see that it has quite a few hits and lots of positive feedback.  She thanks him for his support and he swoops in for the kiss.  I bet she's regretting breaking it off with him now, eh?

And Finn has no idea what he wants to do with his life.  Rachel takes a moment to play the supportive fiancee and encourages him to go to college.  She even says that she'll wait on Broadway to make sure he's doing something that he loves first.  But after a trip to the guidance counselor, Finn throws all the college applications away.  Mr. Schuester confronts him about this, and Finn launches into an argument that he's a loser with no potential.  Having felt that way myself more than a time or two, I understood where he was coming from.  By the episode's end he has decided to become an actor, and with as equally an unrealistic goal as Rachel, the two are once-again the happy couple.

The last storyline involves a student named Wade from Carmel who stops by to talk to Kurt and Mercedes... well, mostly Kurt.  As one gay man to another, Wade comes seeking some advice.  He identifies himself as a woman named Unique and his dream is to dance in drag for his school's regional competition.  Mercedes and Kurt try to talk him out of it (although Sue thinks they should egg him on, hoping the performance would destroy their competition), but in the end Wade performs as Unique and it was probably my favorite number of the night!  That boy makes one helluva woman!

The Pros:

• Despite the initial dread over disco, the music wasn't half bad.  It managed to be far more fulfilling than "The Spanish Teacher" which featured some of the worst music in Glee history.  Of the 8 songs featured in a 45-minute show (yeah, they really jammed them in there) my favorites would probably be "Disco Inferno" by Mercedes rocking a really sexy red dress, Rachel's "How Deep Is Your Love" sung to Finn, and "Boogie Shoes" featuring The Glee Project finalist Alex Newell as Wade/Unique.  Just watch this clip:
• On Alex Newell's appearance, I find him to be much more interesting than the others who have joined the cast from that show.  And I know people are going to be hating, but I think it's kind of awesome that a transgendered character is being represented.
• We haven't had some awesome Brittany S. Pierce in a while and I was very glad she was given some dialogue again!  She is seriously so funny and sweet. 
• And speaking of Brittany, we even got Lord Tubbington back!  Ha ha!  Shots of him mopping and doing dishes were pretty great.
• I liked Puck's scene with Finn.  Beneath the tough guy attitude, he's a good guy.
• Seeing Sue dance is always a fun sight.  Even more fun when she's dressed like John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever!

The Cons:

• I know that sometimes characters need to take a backseat, but they should at least be visible in group shots. Quinn was inexplicably absent as was the Irish kid Rory and his girlfriend Sugar.  Last week Mercedes was MIA.  It's weird!
• A lot of the disco songs are sung really high and hearing Blaine, Finn and Mr. Schuester sing in screechy falsetto wasn't exactly my favorite.
• People probably wouldn't react so favorably to a cross-dressing high school student in Ohio, but maybe they just thought it was a girl?
• Jesse St. James.  I just don't like him anymore.  Make him go away.

The Gleek Critique: "The Spanish Teacher" Episode

Ricky Martin guest stars as a singing Spanish teacher on Glee, image property of Fox.

by Jack Garcia

Glee gets bilingual in tonight's episode!  Unfortunately, Mr. Schuester is not-so-bilingual... which really is a bummer considering he's a Spanish teacher.  When a student files a complaint about his lackluster teaching abilities, Mr. Schuester decides to take a night class to brush up on his Spanish.  The instructor, David Martinez (played by guest star Ricky Martin), also happens to be a spectacular performer, so he decides to show off his music skills to the students.  The students really dig him, and their assignment for the week is to sing songs that are in Spanish by latin artists.

Sue Sylvester, finds herself in a similar situation as Mr. Schuester:  a student has complained about her teaching as well.  Apparently Sue has lost her passion for cheerleading and the swim coach is eying her job.  But Sue has bigger aspirations now... more maternal aspirations.  As shocking as it may seem, she wants to have a baby.  And even more shocking is the fact that she wants Will's sperm to do the trick!

Rachel spills the beans about her engagement with Finn to Mercedes and Kurt and both of them are surprised at the news.  Kurt confronts Finn about it, telling him that the real reason he asked Rachel to marry him is because he's given up on himself.  Finn insists that isn't so, but ultimately questions his motives.

Mercedes and Sam talk with Ms. Pilsbury about their feelings toward one another and the fact that Mercedes has a boyfriend.  Ms. Pilsbury helps out with one of her quirky pamphlets.  Will doesn't think her pamphlets are so awesome though, and he snaps at her while struggling with some Spanish translations.  She's hurt, of course, but when some of her pamphlets help out the football team and spread to all the other teams in the district, Will realizes just how motivating Emma's pamphlets really are.  She's such a good teacher, in fact, that she earns tenure.

It is discovered that Becky was the one who wrote about Coach Sylvester and Santana was the one who wrote about Mr. Schuester.  Santana helps Mr. Schue to realize that Spanish isn't his thing, so he convinces Principal Figgins to hire David Martinez as the new McKinley Spanish teacher.  So what will Mr. Schuester teach besides the glee club?  Well, he likes The History Channel.

The Pros:

• I learned something while watching Glee!  By 2030 more than half the nation will speak Spanish as a first language!  See?  It's an educational show.
• Gloria Estefan's "Don't Wanna Lose You" is a beautiful song (growing up my dad had all of her cassette tapes) and I thought Mercedes did well with it... even the parts in Spanish.
• In response to Mercedes, Sam sang a mash-up of "Bamboleo" by the Gipsy Kings and "Hero" by Enrique Iglesias with the other boys.  He sounds even sexier in Spanish!
• Ricky Martin sang twice in the episode, and I enjoyed his duet with Santana the most.  The two of them sang "La Isla Bonita" by Madonna and it was fantastic.  I think it was my favorite song of the night.  The other song he sang with the glee kids was L.M.F.A.O.'s "Sexy And I Know It" which was fun enough, but not really the best to showcase his voice at all.
• I really enjoyed the scene between Kurt and Finn, mostly because I like seeing how the two get along as brothers.  We don't see that enough.
• Surprisingly, I thought Ricky Martin did a decent job with the acting on the show.  He's a singer, not an actor, so I was impressed that he seemed pretty natural with his dialogue.
• Will's apology using his own pamphlets was pretty adorable.
• Sue was pretty funny this episode, and I loved how everyone kept asking "With whose vagina?" every time she mentioned she wanted to have a baby.  Can you imagine a little baby in a track suit?

The Cons:

• Mexican hipster boots??  Why boys?  Why?
• No Blaine this episode because he's still recovering from his eye injury.  Stupid slushie.
• Ricky Martin guest stars but nobody sings a Ricky Martin song?  Where was "Livin' La Vida Loca"?
• Mr. Schuester's Spanish rendition of "A Little Less Conversation" by Elvis Presley goes on my con list.  His matador costume combined with Mike and Brittany running around like bulls was really pretty pathetic.  I guess it was supposed to be... but still.  Even the opening rendition of "La Cucaracha" was less painful to watch.

The Gleek Critique: "I Am Unicorn" Episode

Brittany is dressed as a unicorn, and Kurt is concerned it's "too gay."  Image property of Fox.

by Jack Garcia

Brittany wants to help Kurt run for student body president, but her campaign ideas involve lots of pink, glitter, unicorns and rainbows.  Kurt doesn't want to be seen solely for his homosexuality, so he tells her they aren't going to use the posters she made.  However, she's stubborn and goes ahead and puts them up all over the school without his permission.  Kurt, of course, is upset about this, and it doesn't help matters that he's seen as too flamboyant to play the male lead in the school musical...

Speaking of the school musical, Coach Beiste and Ms. Pilsbury are co-directing it along with the help of Artie.  Mr. Schuester was going to do it, but he decided instead to focus all of his attention on New Directions.  He's putting the kids through a "bootie" camp to improve their dancing.  Obviously Finn is struggling the most...

And since Mr. Schuester wouldn't let the tone-deaf Sugar join New Directions last episode, Sugar's father has hired Shelby Cochran to start a rival glee club at McKinley that she will star in.  Having Shelby around creates some drama for both Rachel and Quinn.  Rachel now has to see her estranged mother at school everyday and somehow come to terms with that.  Quinn isn't sure she's ready to be a part of her baby's life, which Shelby adopted at the end of Season One.  However, with some nudging from Puck, she decides to get her life back in order to try and gain custody of her daughter!

The Pros:

• Brittany's definition of a unicorn (someone who knows they are magical) was pretty adorable.
• I loved Sue's comment about Quinn's "thin, forgettable alto."  Mostly because it's true.
• A great duet between Lea Michelle and Idina Menzel!!  "Somewhere" (from the musical West Side Story) was moving and I thought they fit it nicely into the plot.
• Kurt's rendition of "I Am The Greatest Star" (from the musical Funny Girl) was a lot of fun to watch!  No wonder Coach Beiste said, "He owned that song like it was his prison bitch."
• I loved when Santana said (of the posters), "This is toned down.  In the original the unicorn was riding you." Ha ha ha...
• I like that Finn is now working at Burt's garage.  Smart move, writers!
• Sue's exploitation of Quinn's life to further her anti-arts campaign was pretty funny.  And I really loved when Mr. Schuester told Quinn straight up to quit blaming everyone else for her problems!  Someone had to do it...
• Blaine's audition singing "Something's Coming" (also from the musical West Side Story) was fantastic!!  I LOVE BLAINE!

The Cons:

• Only three songs??  That's it?
• Seriously, I'm loving Season Three so much that it's hard to find things to complain about...

Emmys 2011

by Jack Garcia

Michelle is awesome.

In other news, we watched the Emmys tonight.  She came over and watched them with Brian and me, so I guess that was actually a pretty decent opening.

Here are some of the pros and cons of the evening, assuming that A, you didn't watch it or B, you give a crap what I have to say about it.

The Pros:

• Jane Lynch (Sue Sylvester from Glee if you are stupid enough not to know her) hosted and she was phenomenal!  I sure do love that lesbian!  Her opening musical number featuring lots of stars from popular TV shows was very funny, as was her bit as a Jersey housewife.  And I disagree with the characters from The Big Bang Theory because I would LOVE IT if spontaneous musical numbers passed through my apartment!
• Apart from Glee, my favorite television show is Modern Family and I was very happy that both Julie Bowen and Ty Burrell won for their roles as Claire and Phil Dunphy!  Oh, and Ty's speech was very funny!  I'm also happy to say that Modern Family took home an award for Best Direction, Best Writing and for the second year in a row they've won Outstanding Comedy Series!
• The Emmytones (a group of actors who sang little doo-wop songs) were pretty cute.  But I really loved the performance by The Lonely Island featuring Michael Bolton and Akon!  So hilarious, especially when they started grinding on poor William H. Macy!
• Matt LeBlanc (of Friends fame) has gray hair now.  I didn't know this.  He looks really good with gray hair!
• The nominees for Best Actress in a Comedy Series, starting with Amy Poehler, all ran up on the stage when their names were called... and it had all of us laughing.  Melissa McCarthy (who I love most for her role in the movie Bridesmaids, although she was nominated for her TV show Mike and Molly) won and I was very happy about it!  They gave her flowers and a crown just like she won Miss America or something.  Even backstage that woman would not take off her crown!
• Although I've never seen Boardwalk Empire or Mildred Pierce, I was happy that Martin Scorsese and Kate Winslet won awards... mostly because they are awesome and deserve it.  And did Kate Winslet look sexy tonight or what?  Loved that red dress!

The Cons:

• Some dresses were less than spectacular tonight.  Let's not lie.  Gwyneth Paltrow, Katie Holmes, Drew Barrymore, Amy Poehler and even Julianna Margulies wore some pretty ridiculous dresses.  I thought Amy Poehler was going scuba diving and Gywneth Paltrow was suddenly a belly dancer...
• Sofia Vergara's new hair color.  What was she thinking?
• Charlie Sheen.  SHUT UP ALREADY!

The 2011 Tony Awards

by Jack Garcia

So a gay friend of mine said to me "Gosh, you are soooo gay!" when I mentioned that I was going to watch the Tony Awards tonight.  My response to him was, "Um... duh."

But as tonight's opening number proudly proclaimed, the Tonys aren't just for gays anymore!  Neil Patrick Harris hosted the ceremony and he did a phenomenal job!  The entire night was full of show-stopping musical numbers, hilarious comedic bits, and plenty of memorable acceptance speeches.  After the abysmally dull Oscars earlier this year, I was very grateful for some entertainment!

Here are some of my favorite moments:

• Neil Patrick Harris' opening number was phenomenal.  But even better was his number with Hugh Jackman about midway through, where the two spoofed "Anything You Can Do (I Can Do Better)" along with several other Broadway tunes arguing over who was the better awards show host.
• Nikki M. James' acceptance speech brought me to tears.  Her sheer happiness and gratitude were so overwhelming!  And the part about the bumblebees??  Priceless.
• I was so proud of my boy Daniel Radcliffe!!  He performed so well in the number "Brotherhood of Man" from How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying!
• The numbers that The Scottsboro Boys and Sister Act performed were both very good and featured some fantastic vocalists like Joshua Henry and Patina Miller.  Unfortunately neither show was a big winner.
• John Leguizamo's standup bit from his show Ghetto Klown was highly amusing!
• "I Believe" performed by Andrew Rannells from The Book of Mormon was very very good.  I was quite happy that the show walked away with nine awards (out of 14 nominations) including Best Musical.  Congrats to Trey Parker, Matt Stone and Robert Lopez!
• Neil Patrick Harris riding in on the giant puppet horse from the play War Horse.  That thing was so cool!
• Whoopi Goldberg's hat.  What was that thing?
• The acceptance speech by Frances McDormand was so crazy and random!  Ha ha!  She didn't even dress up!  And Mark Rylance's speech was even stranger than hers... he just went on and on about how to walk through walls.  It was so odd but so funny!
• Neil Patrick Harris closed the night with a rap that mentioned so many specific details from the night that it had to have been written moments before he hit the stage.  Impressive!

The Gleek Critique: "Prom Queen" Episode

Puck, Artie and Sam performing at McKinley's prom.  Image property of Fox.

by Jack Garcia

The kids of New Directions are performing at prom, no matter how hard Sue Sylvester protests.  The entertainment for the big night has fallen through, and Principal Figgins figures it's a budget-friendly way of filling the bill.  Sue just requests that they not sing any stupid songs... like "Run, Joey, Run."

When Puck finds out that everyone thinks Zises wears the pants in their relationship, he decides he really needs to regain his reputation of being a tough guy.  His plan is to spike the prom punch bowl with alcohol, but he needs Artie's help to do it.  Without the love of Brittany anymore, Artie figures he has nothing to lose.

Kurt asks Blaine to go to prom with him, and he's a little hesitant to accept.  He had tried to go to a school dance with a boy he liked a few years ago at his old school, and it resulted in them both getting a beat-down from some high school guys.  Eventually he agrees to go.  Although things at school seem fine, at prom Kurt discovers that kids are still hating on him.  They've voted him as their Prom Queen just to make fun of him.  Kurt is supposed to dance with Karofsky (the Prom King) but Karofsky just couldn't handle it, even though he clearly has feelings for Kurt too.

Mercedes and Rachel asked Sam to take them both, but when Jessie St. James comes back into Rachel's life, the trio becomes a double date.  Finn becomes ridiculously jealous of Jessie and Rachel, and he decides to duke it out with Jessie at prom.  Quinn in turn slaps Rachel!  Such drama!  But it looks like perhaps Sam and Mercedes might become an item... but that's just hopeful optimism on my part.

The Pros:

• Adele's "Rolling in the Deep" performed by Rachel with the unexpected surprise of Jessie St. James' return was nothing short of spectacular.  I really loved turning the song into an a capella duet... awesome harmonies!
• Mercedes saying "I thought this song was about a baby..." when Artie serenaded Brittany with Stevie Wonder's "Isn't She Lovely" was funny.  Too bad Brittany is still mad at Artie...
• Rebecca Black's popularity just rises and rises doesn't it?  Not only has her music video "Friday" gone viral on YouTube, but now Glee is covering the song!  (Of course Glee does it better)
• Quinn looked so beautiful in her prom dress!
• "I'm just showing you my dental kit..."  Ha ha ha!  I loved when Sue Sylvester was torturing Artie for information after he was caught spiking the punch.  "You are the worst POW ever!  John McCain is rolling in his grave!"
• Blaine's performance of "I'm Not Going to Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance With You" by the Black Kids was pretty sexy cool.  It doesn't help that I already have a little crush on Darren Criss...  too bad Finn and Jessie were fighting throughout it!
• I love that Blaine and Kurt got to have their dance together... and in front of everyone!

The Cons:

• Kurt's fashion choices are very bold and I applaud that... but no man should wear a kilt to prom.  Hideous!
• When Kurt's name was announced as Prom Queen my heart stopped.  It was so quiet and so awkward...  Although that part was done very well, everything that followed was a little big over-dramatic.
• Quinn slapped Rachel and Rachel didn't even get mad.  I would have slapped her back!
• Karofsky still needs to man up!

The Gleek Critique: "Born This Way" Episode

Rachel takes a spill when Finn elbows her in the nose.  Image property of Fox.

by Jack Garcia

During dance practice Finn's clumsy moves end up breaking Rachel's nose, and while she's at the doctor's office, he suggests that maybe she get a nose job. She worries that it might affect her voice and brings up Barbra Streisand as an example of a great singer with a big Jewish schnoz.  But the doctor convinces her that it might actually improve her voice... and her chances of being famous.  She begins to seriously consider doing it, even though the glee club thinks it's a bad idea (although they all have things they would change about themselves).

Mr. Schuester is shocked that the kids all have such low self-esteem, and challenges them all to find songs that promote a healthy self-image.  He's also hoping the Lady Gaga song "Born This Way" will help them to feel good about themselves.  And while he's trying to help his students, he can't help but notice Ms. Pilsbury needs to tackle her OCD issues.  She thinks it's just who she's supposed to be, but he convinces her to see a therapist anyway, and it looks like we might be seeing some hard changes for Emma.

Meanwhile, Lauren Zizes wants to be prom queen, and Puck wants to help her.  But she's not the only one who wants to take that crown from Quinn; Santana wants it too.  With her keen gaydar, Santana realizes that Dave Karofsky is gay, which leads her to understand more fully why Kurt left.  She figures if she and Karofsky can band together in getting Kurt to come back to McKinely, she'd get the glee club kids to vote for them as prom king and queen.  So they start a club called the Bully Whips to patrol the halls for any signs of bullying.  She even has Karofsky apologize for what he did to Kurt.  Kurt finds out the true motives, but still agrees to come back to McKinley if Karofsky will help him start a chapter of PFLAG.

Oh, and what's Lauren's plan to destroy Quinn?  Reveal the fact that Quinn used to be an ugly fat girl named Lucy at another school... before she had her nose job!  That's right!  "Perfect" Quinn wasn't born that way.  However, it only makes people want to vote for Quinn even more, so Lauren's plan kind of backfires.

The Pros:

• Kurt is back at McKinley!!!!!!!!!
• Santana is quickly becoming one of my favorite characters.  She sure had some hilarious lines in tonight's episode, didn't she?  Like "I'm a closet lesbian and a judgmental b****... that means I have awesome gaydar" or "The only straight I am is straight-up b****."  Hmm... maybe I just laugh every time she says the B-word...
• I love when they mash up songs!  TLC's "Unpretty" mixed with "I Feel Pretty" from the musical West Side Story was terrific.  What could be better than a Quinn/Rachel duet?
• Mike's dancing was showcased again this week, this time while Finn sang Sammy Davis Jr.'s "I Gotta Be Me."  I love watching Mike dance and I feel like Finn hasn't had a musical number in a while... so I was a happy boy!
• For some reason I really liked when Burt told Finn, "Keep an eye on your brother" referring to Kurt.  AWWW!  SO CUTE!
• I loved loved loved Blaine and the Warblers' rendition of Keane's "Somewhere Only We Know" as a goodbye to Kurt!  I got all choked up...
• Kurt's "As If We Never Said Goodbye" (from the musical Sunset Boulevard - which is based on the great Gloria Swanson film) was beautiful!  Best song of the night!!  I am so glad he's back where he belongs.
• The scene with Emma Pillsbury meeting with the therapist was done very well.

The Cons:

• With all the talk about Rachel's potential nose job, I was surprised that nobody brought up Santana's boob job...
• Watching Karofsky's phony baloney pretense of "changing" made me cringe.  He's still a douche!!
• The dance number in the mall was kind of fun I guess, but I couldn't help thinking it was just a redo of last season's "Safety Dance."
• Sue wasn't in this episode!!  Where was she??

The Gleek Critique: "Original Song" Episode

New Directions performing their original "Loser Like Me" at Regionals.  Image property of Fox.

by Jack Garcia

Although Rachel's newest attempt at songwriting, "Only Child," is better than the dismal "My Headband," it's still not that fantastic.  Maybe a little too Rachel-tailored?  However, the idea still catches on and it is decided by all the New Directions kids that they will sing original music at Regionals.  Quinn agrees to help Rachel, with motives all her own, but the other kids think they should all get a stab at songwriting.  Plenty of original songs are created and sung, and ultimately the perfect two are chosen for the big competition!

So why was Quinn helping Rachel?  Only to get close enough to tell her to stay away from Finn, because although she may have Finn now, she knows that he still harbors feelings for Rachel and vice versa.  As far as Quinn is concerned, Finn is her first love and they are going to get married and live in Lima their whole lives.  Oh, and she really wants them to be Prom King and Queen.  Like really really wants that...


Over at Dalton Academy, Kurt suggests that somebody besides Blaine should sing all of The Warblers' solos.  As a sort of compromise, it is decided that the solo should become a duet.  Blaine chooses Kurt to be his duet partner after hearing Kurt's beautiful tribute to the deceased Warbler mascot.  But not only did Kurt's rendition of The Beatles' song "Blackbird" cause him to be chosen for the duet, it also helped Blaine to realize that he had feelings for Kurt.  Their friendship has officially become a relationship.

And the big competition?  McKinley's New Directions won first place!  They are going to Nationals!

The Pros:

• The Warblers singing Maroon 5's "Misery" was a great way to start the episode!  They later sang an awesome version of Pink's "Raise Your Glass" and to show their softer side, "Candles" by Hey Monday.
• The original songs that didn't make the cut were all pretty fun, especially Santana's ode to her big-lipped boyfriend entitled "Trouty Mouth."  Silly lyrics but very jazzy and sexy.  She has a great voice.  Puck's song written for Lauren was pretty awesome as well.  I mean, it's called "Big Ass Heart."  What more is there to say?  And Mercedes really stole the show with her "Hell to the No."  I love to hear that girl sing!
• When Blaine said, "You move me, Kurt" I swooned!  Oh my gosh, so romantic and way too freaking cute!  And that kiss?!  TO DIE FOR!  By far the greatest moment thus far on Glee for me!  I love Kurt's character so much and I am very happy that he has found love at last! 
• I really thought Rachel's "Get It Right" was performed beautifully.  She is such a talented performer.  And of course, "Loser Like Me" was a fun anthem for losers everywhere, ready to be a chart-topper!
• Kathy Griffin was on!  I love her, I love her, I love her!  And having her play a member of the tea party was very funny.  When she said, "I am not a witch," I almost peed my pants.  That whole judge scene was just hilarious in general, what with Rod being Rod and that stripper-turned-nun going on and on...
• "My husband is verbally abusive and I have been drinking since noon.. I'm bored, let's just see who won!"  Ha ha, so funny.  And then Sue went and punched her!  Ha ha ha, even funnier!

The Cons:

• Santana won't talk to Brittany now, and seems determined to just act is if she never said anything about her feelings for her.  She's just going to keep on dating Sam.  Sad.
• Whatever happened to Vocal Adrenaline, the big rivals from last season?  Don't tell me they didn't make it to Regionals!
• As cute as the foam "loser" hands were, where in the world did the audience get them from?  And nobody outside of McKinley High would understand the significance of the slushie-throwing at the end...
• No new episodes until April!?

The Gleek Critique: "Sexy" Episode

Mr. Schuester and Holly Holiday dance together... and then some.  Image property of Fox.

by Jack Garcia

The episode opens with Emma holding a meeting of the Celibacy Club (consisting of Rachel, a virgin, and Quinn, who's not) and is encouraging the girls to abstain from sex until their honeymoon... or later.  However, Holly Holiday is back at McKinley High teaching Sex Ed and she thinks the more informed the better.  I mean, the kids are so clueless about sex that they think they can get AIDS from a cucumber.  Brittany thinks she's pregnant because she found a bird's nest.  And let's not forget Finn believing he had fathered Quinn's baby because they kissed in a hot tub.

And the sexual problems continue.  Lauren wants to make a sex tape with Puck in order to become famous, which would of course be child pornography since they are under eighteen years of age.  Then Brittany is confused about her relationship with Santana.  When she tries to talk to Santana about it, she blows it off like it's no big deal.  She doesn't like labels.  Luckily, Holly is around to help all of these students.  But she doesn't just help teens.  Dr. Carl asks her to speak with him and Emma, and lo and behold, it's revealed that Emma still has feelings for Will.  That's problematic for both Dr. Carl (Emma's husband) and for Holly who's falling for Will as well.

Meanwhile, Sue, hoping to get some secrets in return, tells Kurt and Blaine that New Directions is focusing on their sex appeal.  This makes Blaine wonder whether The Warblers are sexy enough, so they invite a girls school to watch them sing and give them feedback.  Turns out the guys are pretty sexy as a whole, but Kurt's "sexy face" looks like he's constipated.   He confesses to Blaine that he doesn't feel very sexy.  In fact, sex kind of scares him in general.  So what does Blaine do?  He goes to Kurt's dad and tells him to have "the talk" with his son.

The Pros:

• Holly Holiday had some pretty fun quotes about sex.  Like saying it's "just like hugging, only wetter" or that teaching abstinence is "like saying vegetarianism is an option for lions."
• "Animal" by Neon Trees sung by Blaine, Kurt and The Warblers was pretty awesome... mostly because Kurt sang and he hasn't sung in far too long!  Although, he did sound a bit synthesized.  But it's Glee, so that's normal.
• Prince's "Kiss" featured some unexpected tango-dancing which was pretty spectacular.  Hot damn Mr. Schue and Holly looked pretty sexy dancing together.  And that kiss?  Smoking!
• Some great scenes!  Brittany and Santana had some really emotional and touching scenes, which gave their characters some refreshing depth.  I also really enjoyed both of the scenes with Burt (Kurt's dad); the one where Blaine talks to him in the shop and when he later has a heart-to-heart with Kurt about sex.
• The Santana-Brittany-Holly cover of  the Stevie Nicks song "Landslide" was just beautiful.  When Santana started crying I was crying right with her!  Which leads me to the next point...
• Santana's a lesbian!

The Cons:

• "Afternoon Delight" was stupid.  Is anyone dumb enough to not know that song is one big sexual innuendo?
• I'm still against Finn and Quinn.  People with rhyming names shouldn't be together!  I'm pretty sure that's a law.
• Sue was only in one scene.

The Gleek Critique: "Blame It on the Alcohol" Episode

Brittany and the glee club sing "Tik Tok" at a school assembly.  Image property of Fox.

by Jack Garcia

One of the benefits of living in a hotel is the free cable!  I can watch Glee on Tuesday nights again!  Yay!

So surprise, surprise, high schoolers drink, and Principal Figgins is not having it.  He's asked Mr. Schuester to have the glee club perform an anti-alcohol number at a school assembly.  The problem?  To start with, Mr. Schuester himself is a drinker.  In order to unwind from the stress of being a divorced man in love with a married woman constantly threatened by his nemesis Sue Sylvester, he has to knock back a beer or two.  Or he'd explode.  His pal Coach Bieste takes him out to a local honky tonk bar, Rosalita's Roadhouse, where they both get really crazy.  Drunk off his butt he returns home and drunk-dials Emma.  His message is self-destructive enough, even without accidentally sending it to Sue Sylvester.  Of course, she can't keep something like that to herself.

The other problem?  The glee club kids are underage drinkers!  They are hardly in a place to promote abstinence from alcohol... especially after the crazy party that ensues at Rachel Berry's house while her dads are away.  And, oh, the things one will do when a little more than tipsy!  Brittany's running around half-naked, Santana and Sam are making out in the corner, and a little game of "Spin the Bottle" leads Blaine to make out with Rachel, causing him to question his sexuality.  Maybe he's straight?  Rachel sure wants him to be, and Kurt doesn't believe it.  Luckily in the end Blaine realizes that he doesn't have feelings for Rachel.  He is most definitely gay.  So that kiss?  You can blame it on the alcohol.

Pros:  

• Finn's explanation of the different kinds of drunk girls made me smile.  Very true.  We find out that Santana is a "weepy" drunk, Lauren and Quinn are "mean" drunks, Brittany's a "stripper" drunk, Mercedes and Tina are "laughing" drunks, and Rachel is a "needy" drunk.
• When Rachel kissed Blaine the music playing in the background was The Go-Go's "Johnny Are You Queer?" which is a totally awesome song.
• Lots of fun songs this week.  I loved Blaine and Rachel's duet of Human League's "Don't You Want Me" and I also really liked Brittany's performance of "Tik Tok" by Ke$ha... even if it did end in vomiting.  And we got to hear Coach Bieste sing for the first time in "One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer" along with Mr. Schue.
• I laughed every time Principal Figgins said Ke$ha's name as "Ke Dollar Sign Ha."
• Other funny lines included Brittany saying "Why is she so racist?" after Quinn referencing the phrase "like the pot calling the kettle black."  Ha ha.  Or when Coach Bieste said, "You ain't lived til you've seen me in a cowboy hat!"  It was the way she said it.  You have to say "cowboy hat" in high pitch.  And hold out the "hat" a little bit... hee hee.
• Gotta' love all the smooching!

Cons:

• What in the hell was Rachel wearing at her party?  She looked like Melissa Gilbert in Little House on the Prairie... if she were a polygamist.
• The first original song to ever be sung on Glee was called "My Headband."  How sad is that...
• I was gonna put "Oh no!  Blaine is confused!"  but in the end everything worked out so it's okay.  I still feel bad for poor Kurt though.  Rachel got to kiss the man of his dreams before he did.
• When Will's drunk voicemail to Emma (mistakenly sent to Sue) was played over the school intercom I felt soooooooo uncomfortable for him.  How embarrassing...  He really needs to get his love life under control.  He's so pathetic.
• No Glee next week.  Sad face.

The Gleek Critique: "A Very Glee Christmas" Episode

Santana and Finn decorating the tree.   Image property of Fox.

by Jack Garcia

It's Christmas at McKinley High!  The teachers are doing a Secret Santa amongst the staff, and Will draw's Sue's name out of the jar.  Oh boy.  What to get his enemy?  A robot dog?  A soul?  He decides on a fur-lined track suit, only to discover he isn't the only teacher to have drawn Sue's name.  Turns out Sue rigged the whole thing.  She hates Christmas, but loves presents.  When everyone tries to take their gifts back, she becomes a very literal Grinch and steals Christmas.

Meanwhile, to raise money for a charity, the glee kids go classroom to classroom singing Christmas carols.  They get a shoe thrown at them, so they give up pretty quickly.  Besides, they have more important issues to deal with.  Like the fact that Brittany still believes in Santa.  Artie doesn't want to tell her otherwise, and encourages the other club members to play along.  But when Brittany asks the mall Santa to make Artie walk, everyone realizes that "playing along" might be harder than they all expected.

However, all ends well.  Sue's heart grows three sizes, Will doesn't spend Christmas alone, and Artie walks... sorta.  It's a Christmas miracle!

The Pros:

• Black Santa.  Awesome.
• "Baby, It's Cold Outside" sung by Blaine and Kurt.  Adorable.  Can't these two fall in love already?  And I love how Kurt explains their relationship:  "We're just friends.  I'm in love with him but at least he's gay.  I call that progress."
• Sue Sylvester dressed up as the Grinch, while stealing all the presents and destroying the decorations at school was just spot-on hilarious.  Having Brittany enter dressed like Cindy Lou Who and catch "Sue the Grinch" in the act was also very funny.  Thank you, Dr. Seuss.
• Beiste's scene with Brittany was tender and sweet.  Dressed as Santa, Beiste let Brittany know that sometimes we can't get exactly what we ask for.  Sometimes we get patience instead.

The Cons:

• With Jewish students like Rachel and Puck I feel that they could have incorporated some Hanukkah into the episode.  Just saying.
• Everyone still hates the glee kids.  What's annoying, is that I don't exactly buy it.  I think high school kids would love having class interrupted for any reason at all, even if it's a choir singing Christmas songs.  It's not like the kids sound bad.  Geeks or not, their voices are impressive.  When will the other students recognize that?
• No more Glee until February...  :(

The Gleek Critique: "Furt" Episode

Carol Burnett guest starring as Sue's mother Doris.  Image property of Fox.

by Jack Garcia

The episode starts with an exciting announcement:  Burt and Carol are getting married!  And when Sue Sylvester's only match on an online dating site is herself, she decides that the one and only person she can marry is herself.  And since everyone else is proposing, Sam decides to propose to Quinn.  But not really.  He gets down on one knee and presents her with a promise ring.

Love is in the air, it's clear, but so is fear and intimidation.  Karofsky is clearly not handling his suppressed homosexuality well at all, and he's bullying Kurt more and more.  The glee girls convince their glee boyfriends to do something about it, so Artie and Mike confront Karofsky, which leads to a fight where Sam joins in and kicks Karofsky's ass!  Things get even more heated when Kurt's dad Burt finds out and it almost leads to Karofsky's expulsion.

The Pros:

• Carol Burnett and Jane Lynch singing "Ohio" from the musical Wonderful Town was simply amazing.  A fun tune, with great harmonies, and Carol Burnett is just such a legend!  I was so so so happy!
• Burt and Carol's wedding was adorable, and she looked really pretty in her wedding dress!
• The glee kids' version of Bruno Mars' "Marry You" was really fun, showcasing all of the couples.  Equally catchy and cute was "Just the Way You Are," another Bruno Mars song.
• Finn's wedding speech dedicated to Kurt was very grown-up of him, and I'm glad that he's become a lot more accepting of Kurt, especially now that they are step-brothers.
• Yes, Sue's wedding dress is a track-suit dress.  How awesome is that?
• Sue, although still mean and condescending, actually sticks up for Kurt in this episode.

The Cons:

• Karofsky didn't get expelled (just a verbal warning from the superintendent) and since Karofsky's in, Kurt is out.  At the end of the episode he decides to go to the private school where Blaine attends.
• As Rachel points out, Kurt will be competing against them all at Sectionals.
• I kept reading everywhere that "Rachel and Finn take a big step," but they don't really.  Rachel still has no idea that Finn slept with Santana once.  If anyone took a big step, it was Quinn and Sam.  Or Burt and Carol.  Even Finn and Kurt.  But not Rachel and Finn really...

The Gleek Critique: "The Substitute" Episode

Gwyneth Paltrow as the substitute teacher Holly Holiday dancing with the rest of the cast to a mash-up of "Singin' in the Rain" and "Umbrella."  Image property of Fox.

by Jack Garcia

When Mr. Schuester gets so sick with the flu that he begins hallucinating toddler versions of his students, it's time for him to get some rest and bring in a substitute teacher.  And who do they bring in to temporarily fill his shoes?  Oh, just Oscar-winner Gwyneth Paltrow!  She plays Holly Holiday, a hip and fun substitute teacher who really knows how to connect with the kids (even a reluctant Rachel Berry).  But sometimes a teacher needs to be more than a friend...

Schue isn't the only one out sick.  Principal Figgins is gone too, and our ever-powerful Sue Sylvester has somehow managed to become acting principal.  Her first order of business?  Getting rid of all the tater tots in the school cafeteria, which just happens to be Mercedes' most favorite thing to eat.  And you should never incur the wrath of a proud black woman!  She will shove tater tots into the tailpipe of your car...

And while Mr. Schue is home sick--being cared for by his ex-wife Terri--he's watching his favorite movie Singin' in the Rain which causes him to have some groggy dreams of himself and the glee kids singing songs from the film such as "Make 'Em Laugh"   And Terri decides to take advantage of his weak and vulnerable state, pushing herself on him until he caves in...

The Pros:

• Holly Holiday's Spanish class lesson about Lindsay Lohan's rehab.  Ha ha ha!  Hilarious.  Yet nothing compares to her fabulous first day with the glee club singing Cee Lo's "Forget You."  Paltrow sure can sing!
• Holly saying "Hoarders and red wine I'm buzzed!!" while bonding with Sue.
• Lots of great jokes teasing Mr. Schue's (and the show's) obsession with Journey songs.  Made me smile every time.
• When Kurt said, "I opened my mouth and a little purse fell out," and a little pink purse actually fell out!  So funny.  Oh, and it looks like things are going well with Kurt and Blaine.  Maybe they will fall in love after all...
• The "Singin' in the Rain/Umbrella" number made me absolutely gleeful!  I loved this mash-up, and I'm always a sucker for big flashy rain numbers!

The Cons:

• Terri is always a huge b****, and I hate to see her show up.  She just needs to get over Will...
• Karofsky threatened to kill Kurt if he ever spills the secret of their kiss.  He's scary.
• As much as I like Chicago, I wasn't a fan of their production of "Nowadays."  Paltrow's dancing was a little off and the number just kind of felt unnecessary. 

The Gleek Critique: "Never Been Kissed" Episode

Kurt's surprising first kiss!  Image property of Fox.

by Jack Garcia

So Glee decided to skip a week again.  Lame.  I'm getting tired of this every other week thing.  I need my Glee fix on a weekly basis, thank you!

This week, the Glee kids are getting all hot and heavy with their make-out sessions, and in order to calm themselves down, they decide to start thinking about Coach Beiste because she's, let's face it, not sexy.  Beiste finds out though, and is so hurt by it that she quits.  It's up to Will to get her to come back.

Puck is back from juvie and needs to do community service or he'll be sent right back.  So he decides taking care of a "cripple" is good enough, and spends all his time wheeling Artie around.  Puck also takes it upon himself to teach Artie his bad boy ways to get girls... specifically Brittany who Artie still has some feelings for apparently.

Then there's Kurt, who's being bullied relentlessly for being gay and nobody seems to care.  So he decides to check out a nearby private school for boys, where he meets Blaine.  Kurt obviously wants to go to school there, where they have a zero-tolerance policy on bullying, but Blaine advises him not to run away from his problems but to meet them head on.  To have courage.  So Kurt decides to stand up to his bully, and lo and behold, the bully is a little gay too...

The Pros:

• Puck and Beiste are back!  My friend Rebecca's theory is that the two of them secretly ran away together on some romantic vacation.  Ha ha!  But no matter why they've been absent, we're sure glad they are back. 
• Darren Criss is on Glee now!  Yay!  I've loved him ever since he played Harry Potter in A Very Potter Musical and A Very Potter Sequel (with songs written by him I might add)... so to see him join the cast of my favorite show is just like Christmas coming early!
• When Beiste said, "You crap on my leg, I'll cut it off!" to Quinn I laughed so hard I almost crapped... but not on her leg.  Just in my pants.  That's embarrassing... but I really did laugh really hard.  
• Seeing Beiste all dressed up in lingerie and cheerleading uniforms was pretty hilarious as well.
• Oh, and Will kissed her!  Oh yes he did.

The Cons:

• They revealed who they are competing against at Sectionals...  what happened to the glee clubs from last year?  No bad girls?  No deaf kids?
• Happy about Darren Criss, but sad that he had to cut off all of his hair.  I liked his curls.
• Karofsky, the football player who bullies Kurt kissed him!  He kissed him!  Kurt's first kiss was with a guy who he doesn't even like... how sad is that?  And what's worse... I have a sneaking suspicion that he'll actually end up being the boyfriend Kurt's been rumored to have this season.  Ryan Murphy said he'd be a regular guy struggling with his feelings, and this guy fits that bill.
• Unless I'm forgetting one, there were only four musical numbers this episode... and only one of them was good.

The Gleek Critique: "The Rocky Horror Glee Show" Episode

Finn dressed for the role of Brad.  We think he looks hot in glasses.  He should keep them.  Image property of Fox.

by Jack Garcia

Sadly, there wasn't a new episode of Glee last week.  So instead, my friends and I all got together to watch the DVD of The Rocky Horror Picture Show to get ourselves prepared for tonight's episode.  Some of us have seen it already and just needed a refresher.  Some had been living under a rock, and needed an introduction.  The movie is such a bizarre cult classic that I find to be absolutely fantastic!

Now, I was worried when I heard Glee would be doing a homage to the film, mostly because the media has been making a stink lately over the immorality of the show.  After the girl on girl make-out session in the "Duets" episode, people were outraged saying that it was a "sex romp" on a family show.  Then of course, there's been all the talk about the Glee photo shoot in the new GQ Magazine.  Sherri Shepard had a cow over it on The View, claiming that ten-year-old boys who watch Glee are going to run out and buy the magazine so they can drool over Lea Michelle in her booty shorts.

Oh brother, people.   If you think Glee is a "family show" suitable for ten-year-olds...  you have a problem.

However, as risque and envelope-pushing as The Rocky Horror Picture Show might be, the Glee episode based on it was handled with great taste.  At least in my opinion.  Basically, it taught a lesson about freedom of speech and the value of art.

A basic summary of the episode:  Mr. Schuester is extremely jealous that Emma is dating Dr. Carl.  And it doesn't help anything, that she seems to be extremely happy with him.  In fact, she's getting over some of her OCD issues... I mean, she was able to go to a seedy theater to watch a midnight showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show with crazy, noisy people dressed in costume.  So how can Will one-up that?  By having the New Directions kids perform the musical of course!  And to get even closer to Emma, he asks her to help him with the costumes.

Casting proves to be a problem.  Kurt refuses to play the transvestite Dr. Frankenfurter (Tim Curry in the movie version), Mike then decides to take it on but is forced to quit the show when his mother objects, until finally Mercedes agrees to do it.  Dr. Carl wants to get involved and play Eddie, mostly to keep an eye on Will and Emma.  Sam is going to play Rocky, but in the end, the role is decided to be too sexy for a student and Will decides to take it on.

In the end, it's discovered that Sue has been secretly writing an expose using the show as an example of the secularization of America's schools (all to win a local Emmy) and Will realizes that his intentions were not good in the first place.  He shouldn't put the kids through so much just for his own personal gain.

The Pros:

• The show opened up exactly like the movie does, with Santana's red lips on the black background singing "Science Fiction Double Feature."  Same lettering and everything.  Great opening!
• Sam makes one sexy Rocky!  Woohoo!
• Speaking of sexiness, the scene where Emma sings "Touch A Touch A Touch Me" to Will, ultimately seducing him and ripping off his shirt, was amazing!  So hot!
• Becky saying "Give me some chocolate or I will cut you" to Will.  Ha ha ha.  I love that girl.
• "Time Warp" was a great way to end the episode!  So much fun!

The Cons:

• Still no Puck!  Luckily though, the preview for the next episode shows that he is coming back!
• I love Mercedes.  You know I do.  But a girl playing Frankenfurter is just lame lame lame.
• In the end, they didn't perform the show for anyone but themselves.  LAME!  I would be so pissed if I was one of those students and had spent all that time rehearsing...

The Gleek Critique: "Duets" Episode

Mercedes and Santana put aside their differences and make sweet music together in tonight's episode, "Duets".  Image property of Fox.

by Jack Garcia

This episode begins like many others with Mr. Schuester giving them an assignment.  This week they need to perform a duet.  And the best duet wins tickets for two to Breadsticks (the only restaurant in town apparently).  Kurt wants to sing with Sam, who has just joined the glee club, but Finn doesn't think that's a good idea.  He's sure that if Sam sings with Kurt, he'll get teased so much that he'll want to quit the club.  Kurt thinks Finn is just being homophobic, but after a talk with his dad, realizes that it's not okay to make unwelcome advances.  He's just going to have to be alone for a while.

Meanwhile, Finn and Rachel realize that as far as singing goes, they are the "it" couple and will more than likely win the little competition.  Normally Rachel would be more than happy to win -- God knows she loves attention -- but she seems to think that in order for Sam to stay in the group, they might want to stroke his ego a little.  So she and Finn do everything in their power to make sure Sam's performance is the best... starting with having an awesome duet partner.  So they sabotage their own performance and make sure that Sam doesn't sing with Kurt, but instead sings with Quinn.  Little do they know that the two would become more than duet partners.

The Pros:

• Kurt sang "Le Jazz Hot" from Victor/Victoria and it was amazing!  He sang it as a duet with himself, which Santana called "vocal masturbation."  Ha ha ha... hilarious!
• Sam was in the shower several times this episode.  And when he wasn't in the shower, he was standing around in his towel.  I approve. 
• Lots of interesting relationship developments this episode!  Including, but not limited to, Santana and Brittany making out, Brittany helping Artie get over Tina and lose his virginity, and some very definite chemistry between Quinn and Sam (who is not gay... leaving Kurt crushing on a straight guy once again).
• Tina and Mike were completely adorable performing "Sing!" together from A Chorus Line.  It was nice to see Mike singing and not just dancing.
• Rachel and Kurt sang "Happy Days Are Here Again/Get Happy" to end the episode, and it was beautiful.  Sure it wasn't Barbra Streisand and Judy Garland (Get over it, Brian) but who doesn't love that mashup?

The Cons:

• Puck wound up in a juvenile delinquent center and was absent the entire episode!  Several of my friends have crushes on this bad boy, and were devastated...
• Sue was also strangely absent.  What is Glee without her vindictive comments?
• There isn't any Glee next week!!!  AAAAHHHH!!!!!

"Glee" Speaks Out

by Jack Garcia

My friend Rebecca posted a link on her Facebook page this evening, which directed me to an MSN article about our favorite show Glee.  She and a few other friends come over every Tuesday night and we make a party of it.  We all cram around the TV and watch the latest episode, stuffing our faces with yummy treats and clapping our hands in excitement whenever they cover a song we like or say something funny.  We are true Gleeks.

The article in the link talked about Ryan Murphy's recent announcement to devote an entire episode on the issue of teen bullying, specifically towards gay teens.  I know my last few posts have been focused on homosexuality and bullying, and if you are getting tired of it, I don't apologize.  These issues have been on my mind for a while now, and I need to get them out into cyberland.

With the recent outrage over a certain religious leader's less than hopeful message for gay teens (this is me biting my tongue), I'm glad that at least the cast members of my favorite show have decided to say something positive and speak out against these tragedies.  Here are a few of my favorite statements made by the Glee cast in regards to teen bullying and the recent suicides in the news:


Cory Monteith (Finn):  "It's really important for a show like Glee, with all the exposure that it's getting, to start to bring important causes like this out in the open."

Kevin McHale (Artie):  "It's sad that it's taken these past few weeks and horrible tragedies to really let people know what's going on.  Hopefully we can move the general public and let the kids and the parents watching the show know that everybody deserves to be loved."

Heather Morris (Brittany):  "I just saw the tragedies on the news the other night.  I think people need to be aware of what the internet is doing for so many people... it's disgusting."

Iqbal Theba (Figgins):  "It's just beyond me why would anyone, anyone, dislike or hate anyone who's different, who's gay or different in any other way?"

Jessalyn Gilsig (Terri):  "Just as it's important to send this message to the kids about bullying and the effect it can have, we have to send it to the parents.  We have to send it to the teachers.  It's the adults who have to start taking responsibility and managing this behavior and educating youth on acceptance, empathy, and compassion."

Jane Lynch (Sue):  "It's way too many [deaths].  We adults, I don't care if you're homophobic or not, you've got to tell your kids that no matter how different anybody is, you don't bully them.  You just lay down the law there, you just don't do it."

Chris Colfer (Kurt):  "I know what it's like to be bullied and teased every single day, and I know that it may seem like there is no chance of happiness left, but I promise you there is a world full of acceptance and love just waiting for you to find it."  Watch his video for The Trevor Project.

Ryan Murphy (Producer):  "The core of the show is really about tolerance.  I think that's the legacy of Glee more than anything else."

Harry Potter is My Big Gay Hero!

 by Jack Garcia

Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe isn't gay (and I know I just shattered a lot of gay boys' dreams with that statement) but he is doing quite a lot lately in support of the gay community.  He's been involved with The Trevor Project for some time now and even spoke of it in a recent issue of Out magazine.  And with the recent outbreak of teen suicides among gay youth, his work with The Trevor Project seems even more important than ever, seeing as its mission is to stop just that. 

Just yesterday he spoke exclusively with MTV News, expressing his feelings about these recent tragedies:

"Learning about the suicide deaths of Tyler Clementi, Seth Walsh, Asher Brown, Billy Lucas and Justin Aaberg has been heartbreaking for me.  These young people were bullied and tormented by people that should have been their friends.  We have a responsibility to be better to each other, and accept each others' differences regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, race, ability, or religion and stand up for someone when they're bullied."

Anyone who knows Brian and I, know that we are huge Harry Potter nerds.  We are obsessed with it.  And it's inspiring to know that while Harry Potter battles the evil of Lord Voldemort, Daniel Radcliffe is battling the evils of hate and discrimination.  And he's not the only one. 

Another one of our favorite people is comedienne and talk show host Ellen DeGeneres.  A lesbian herself, Ellen knows personally what it's like to be bullied for one's sexual orientation.  She recently made the following statement:

"I am devastated over the death of 18-year-old Tyler Clementi... This needs to be a wake up call to everyone that teenage bullying and teasing is an epidemic in this country, and the death rate is climbing.  We have an obligation to change this."

Growing up I was bullied for a lot of things.  In middle school, kids in the lunch line would tap me on the shoulder and then ask if I was girl or a boy.  They made fun of my voice, my short stature, my athletic inabilities.  I was interested in all the wrong things.  I liked singing in choir or acting in drama, and I was once shoved into a locker for it.  A few times I was thrown into trash cans.  I was given wedgies, Indian burns, titty twisters, and knuckle sandwiches.  I was called a Fairy, a Homo, a Fag, a Queer, a Girl, a Sissy...  even my given name led to nicknames such as Jack MeHoff.

Brian came out early in life, age 12 to be exact, and growing up was even harder for him.  His parents forced him to attend therapy sessions through LDS Social Services to help cure him of his homosexual feelings.  After a few years they gave up on the therapy, and he lived out his teenage years as an openly gay teen.  While he says that he didn't really care about the bullying, the one thing that hurt him most was being kicked out of his youth theater group Acting Up because a parent had an issue about his homosexuality.

Recently, someone close to Brian texted that he was in town and Brian asked if he had time to come and visit.  Turned out the young man was with his mother, and she did not like the idea at all.  His next text read, "She said 'Why would I bring you down here?  So you can hang out with someone who is living that life?' and she said it with so much hate.  How am I ever going to come out?"

I worry about this young man.  And I wish I could do more for the GLBT youth of America, who need to know that life is worth living and that their happiness is worth fighting for.  If any young person is reading this who needs help, call the Trevor Lifeline at 866-4-U-TREVOR where you can speak to someone at any time.

And thank goodness we have Harry Potter on our side!