2x18: Born This Way

Thanks to the X-Factor, Glee is on hiatus until Nov. 1, so for the next few weeks, I’ll be delving back into some season 2 goodness. First up is my favorite episode of season 2, “Born This Way.” If you haven’t seen the episode, check out this quick Glee-wind!

This episode is all about accepting yourself for who you are. Our favorite Gleeks grapple with the things they don’t like about themselves, but by the end of the episode, they learn to embrace who they are because they were born that way.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

When Finn accidentally breaks Rachel’s nose during a dance practice, the opportunity arises for Rachel to get a nose job. She's concerned that she has a stereotypical, large Jewish nose, and she considers getting a more demure nose like Quinn.

I find it really sad that some girls feel like the only way to feel better about themselves is to undergo surgery. Quinn and Rachel address this by singing a lovely duet, “I Feel Pretty / Unpretty” that beautifully expresses the pain of girls who struggle with their self-image.

It takes a wakeup call from her idol, Barbra Streisand, to snap Rachel out of her self-image crisis. Kurt stages a “Barbra-vention” to remind Rachel that like Barbra, who is also famous for having a large nose, she is one in a million, and her nose makes her special. 

I love this message. All teenage girls struggle with their body image at some point. They want a smaller nose, they want blue eyes, they want full lips, they want to be thinner, they want to be prettier. But this storyline really shows that you don’t have to change your appearance to be beautiful.

Baby you were born this way

At the end of the episode, the gleeks perform the anthem for this episode—Lady Gaga’s hit song, “Born This Way.”Each kid wears a shirt with a word or phrase that shows something that they were embarrassed about or wished they could change, but that they now accept because they were born that way.

Examples include “nose” (Rachel), “can’t dance” (Finn), and “likes boys” (Kurt). I love everything about this scene. The shirts are a great way to accept and make light of a flaw, the dance is fun and upbeat, and the message of the song is inspiring.

Here’s a little tid-bit of the lyrics:

“I’m beautiful in my way

Cause God makes no mistakes

I’m on the right track baby

I was born this way.

Don’t hide yourself in regret

Just love yourself and you’re set

I’m on the right track baby

I was born this way.”

This song really motivates people to accept and embrace differences. It says that no matter what your appearance, race, or sexuality, you should be proud of who you are. Gotta love Glee and its penchant for inspirational messages!


And to throw in some shameless self-promotion, I also recommend that you check out a rendition of “Born This Way” that some friends and I put together. We even made our own shirts. You may recognize the dance. :)

3x03: Asian F

Don’t let the title of this episode fool you. This week, Glee brought its A-game. This episode packs an emotional punch, showcases some amazing musical performances, and reminds me of why I love this show. If you haven’t seen the episode, check out TVline.com's Glee Recap and then meet back here for the drama dissection.

This weeks topic is: pushy parents and the pressure for perfection. How's that for alliteration?

Option 1: Doctor, Option 2: Lawyer

Mike Chang’s dad is worried because he got an A-, aka an Asian F, on his chemistry test. He thinks Mike Jr. is getting distracted by glee club.  “Performing is a waste of time,” says Mike Sr., and it won’t help his son get into Harvard. Of course, in Mike Sr.’s eyes, Harvard is the ultimate achievement that will lead his son to a successful career as a doctor or a lawyer.  He believes that “Dancing is something you do at a wedding. It’s a hobby, not a career. There’s no future in it.”

As a student at a top university, I know a lot of perfectionists. Confession: I am sometimes one of them. People are willing to go a long way for the best grades. Because the best grades ensure a successful career as a doctor, a lawyer or an engineer, right?

Well, grades aren’t everything. I mean, yes they are important. But I think that you shouldn’t study just to advance your career. You should study because you want to learn something. You should choose your extracurricular activities based on what you love to do, not on what will get you into Harvard.

Do What You Love

Mike doesn’t want to disappoint his dad, but his true passion is dancing and performing. So he goes behind his dad’s back and auditions for the musical. He delivers a fantastically talented and passionate performance of “Cool.” He says “It’s what I love to do. It’s never going to be a waste of my time.”

But of course, lying to your parents never works. Mike’s mom finds out that he auditioned for the musical, and she is surprisingly supportive. Turns out she had dreams of being a dancer too, but she was too afraid to stand up to her parents. She doesn’t want her son to have to give up his dreams too. And, in what has got to be the cutest and most heart-warming scene of the episode, Mike tells his mom that it’s never too late to achieve a dream, and he gives her a dance lesson.

I loved this storyline, and I loved this scene. What a great message from a mom: “My job is to encourage your dream. Not mine, not your dad’s.” So many teenagers pursue things because they think it’s what their parents want. But a parent should encourage their child to pursue what the child is passionate about. Each kid should get the chance to do what they want and love to do.

Mike Chang went after his dream, and it paid off. He gets the part of Riff in West Side Story!

3x02: I Am Unicorn (part 2)

Gay pride and gay, but slightly straighter, pride

Kurt’s running for class president, and everyone’s favorite dopey cheerleader Brittany wants to be his campaign manager! In her eyes, Kurt’s the biggest unicorn. What does that mean? According to Brittany, “A unicorn is somebody who knows they’re magical and isn’t afraid to show it.” How does Britt plan to highlight Kurt’s unicorn status? Make him the leader of the gay pride parade!

But Kurt wants to expand his image to something other than being gay.

At the same time, he’s trying out for the lead in the school musical—Tony in West Side Story—and the gay isn’t working in his favor. He’s undoubtedly talented enough for a leading role, but he may not have enough masculinity to play a leading man. Indicator number one: His song choice- “I Am the Greatest Star,” a song sung by Barbra Streisand in Funny Girl.

Kurt, we love you, but singing a song by a girl isn’t the best way to show off your masculinity. And the directors aren’t buying him as leading guy. Coach Bieste says she doesn’t believe that Kurt could be an alpha gang member like Tony. Putting it bluntly, she says, “Hummel’s too much of a lady.”

Embracing originality: Unicorns are unique!

Kurt, distraught about being boxed into a gay corner, turns to his ever-knowledgeable father for advice. Kurt explains that he sees his chances of playing all the leading male roles dwindling because of his inability to pass as a straight guy. And Burt, one of my personal favorite characters, tells it straight like usual.  

“You’re gay. And you’re not like Rock Hudson gay, you’re really gay. You sing like Diana Ross, and you dress like you own a magic chocolate factory. What is wrong with any of that? It’s who you are.”

Burt reminds Kurt of what Brittany has been saying all along. Kurt’s unique because he’s gay. And uniqueness makes you special. A unicorn without a horn is just a horse. So Kurt may not be cut out for the typical swoon-worthy leading male. But that doesn’t mean he can’t be the lead. He just has to come up with a new type of lead. As Burt says, “Change the rules. Write your own history.”

Problems solved?

Hooray! Kurt’s going to accept himself for the unicorn that he is! Everything’s happy in Glee-land! Nope. Of course not. With all her encouragement for Kurt, Britt ended up inspiring herself. She’s found her inner-unicorn and is running against Kurt for class president! And to top it all off, Kurt’s cutie BF, Blaine is also auditioning for the musical. And Blaine has the swoon-worthy straight-act down. This could (and definitely will) lead to trouble in paradise. As Blaine’s audition song from West Side Story aptly predicts, “Something's Coming.”

3x02: I Am Unicorn (part 1)

The drama that Glee is known for is back, with a baby! If you haven’t seen this week’s episode, read TVline.com's Glee Recap, and then come back to dish out this week’s major issues.

Since this week’s themes require a lot of backstory, I’ve decided to split this post into two parts. First up: baby drama.

Mamma Mia! Everyone gets a mother!

First, let’s take a trip back to season one for a moment to recap some important plot lines. Midseason, Shelby Corcoran shows up on the scene with a big surprise: she’s Rachel’s birth mother, and she wants to be a part of Rachel’s life! 16 years ago, Shelby gave her daughter to Rachel’s two gay dads, and she didn’t look back, until now. But Shelby quickly realizes that she has missed her chance to raise and to get to know Rachel, and she decides to not pursue a relationship.

In the other corner, Quinn and Puck just had a daughter, Beth, and Quinn decides she does not want to keep her. Hey, wasn’t Shelby looking for a daughter? Bingo. Shelby adopts Beth and the two go off into the sunset.

Ok so back to the present. Shelby’s back and she brought Beth with her. She wants Quinn and Puck to get to know Beth and be a part of her life. As a mother who gave up a daughter, she relates to Quinn. She says, “Since the day that I gave Rachel up for adoption, I have been walking through life, searching for her face everywhere I go.” Puck’s all in for getting to know Beth.

But Quinn wants one better, and she eventually drops the bomb to Puck that she wants to get her daughter back from Shelby, full custody.

I Stand for Motherhood! So who's the rightful mom?

Shelby? Quinn? Let’s look at what both women have done.

Quinn: 

• gave birth to Beth 
• shares DNA with Beth 
• gave Beth her blond hair and blue eyes

Shelby:

• is raising Beth 
• feeds her, clothes her, and gives her a loving home

Leaving out the legal matters, and strictly looking at what each woman does for Beth, I'm going to have to side with Shelby. A mom is the person who takes care of the child. Sharing DNA does not make you a mom; it makes you a biological mother. As Shelby once told Rachel, “I’m your mother, but I’m not your mom.” A mom is there for you during all the tough times. She takes care of you when you are sick, she wipes away tears, and she reads you bedtime stories. As Shelby tells Quinn, “The real measure of motherhood is how much of yourself you will give up for them.” How much is Quinn willing to give up to get Beth back? We're about to find out. And I will be eagerly waiting to see which mother prevails.

To leave the post on a more optimistic note, let's return to Shelby and Rachel. Although Shelby probably won't be doing any mothering for Rachel any time soon, the two seem to be getting back on good terms. They sing out a truce and agree that “Somewhere” there’s a place for them.

Whew! So much momma drama! Be sure to check back later for part 2 of this week’s episode where I'll tackle Kurt's Unicorn dilemma!

3x01: The Purple Piano Project

After a long summer break, McKinley High’s New Directions are back and they've got the beat. Literally!

For those of you who haven’t see the episode, hit up TVline.com's weekly Glee Recap, and then join me back here to rehash this week’s big issues.

Arts in schools, for or against?

Sue Sylvester is running for Congress, and her campaign platform? Get rid of the arts in schools. (Bad news for our favorite Glee club.) To Sue, the arts are merely a distraction from real subjects like math and reading. And how can students be competitive if they can’t read or multiply? As she put it in her segment on the local news, “America is failing. China is on our ass people.” Sue’s solution: No arts until students can prove that they are up to par on their core subjects.

But our favorite vest-wearing Glee club teacher has a different opinion. Mr. Shue thinks that the arts help kids succeed in school. In a glitter-filled protest, he tells Sue that “John F. Kennedy once said the arts are the roots of our culture. The arts enrich our lives and help kids achieve in all walks of life.”

And not only do the arts inspire creativity, but research has proven that the arts also increase learning and memory capability. 

As a student involved in the arts for the past 9 years, I’m going to have to side with Shue on this one.

College, a time to dream

It’s many of our favorite characters’ senior year in high school, which means one thing: graduation is just around the corner. Time to tackle that big question that every high school senior dreads: Where are you going to college and what are you going to do with the rest of your life?

For Rachel and Kurt, who have their sights set on Broadway glory, the answer is the New York Academy of the Dramatic Arts. Piece of cake. With their talent and stand-out personalities, they’re sure to blow the competition out of the water. Or so they thought. Apparently there are a million other Kurts and Rachels out there with the same big dreams. As Kurt puts it, “We might be hot stuff at McKinley, but outside those walls, we aren’t even stuff.” Rachel worries that “not everyone’s dreams come true.”

Wait a second. I’ve always been taught that I can do anything I put my mind to. Is this the naïve and idealistic way of looking at things?

Well, yes and no. Rachel’s right, not everyone makes it. But, (as clichéd as it sounds) you’ll never make it if you never try. If you give it your everything, you have the best chance of achieving your dream. And that’s what Kurt and Rachel decide to do.

You can knock ‘em down, but they can’t be beat

So the New Directions have an uphill battle (as per usual) this semester. But Mr. Shue has vowed to take on Sue and prove that the arts are beneficial. And Kurt and Rachel aren’t giving up on their dreams. And in typical Glee fashion, they wrap the episode up in a catchy and inspiring musical number, proving that no matter what obstacles you throw at the Glee club underdogs, “You Can't Stop the Beat.”

Greetings loved ones, let's take a journey

Hello Gleeks! and any other readers who may have stumbled upon this blog! WELCOME! I would like to take this first post to introduce myself and to tell you a little bit about this blog. Here goes:
Who am I?
My name is Molly, I'm a sophomore at Rice University, and I love love love television. I will pretty much watch anything. But right now, my biggest addicition? GLEE.
What is Glee?
If you for some reason have been living under a rock and have completely missed the cultural phenomenon that is Glee (just kidding, it's totally cool if you're new to Glee), the show is about a group of high school students who are in the school glee club (show choir). The group is composed of a variety of kids--the cheerleaders, the football players, the drama queens, the nerds, the open and not so openly gay, and everywhere in between the typical high school cliques and stereotypes. But the thing that all of these kids have in common? They love to sing. And together they form a motley crew of underdogs. The show is about how they come together to face the difficult time that is high school. I think the theme of the show can be summarized best in what has become the Glee anthem, Journey's "Don't Stop Believing." Check out this clip of the club's very first performance of the song if you want to feel all warm and fuzzy.
So what's this blog about? And why are we talking about Glee?
I'm writing this blog for my Communications class. The assignment was to pick a topic that we are passionate about, and blog about it for a month. If you haven't already noticed, my passion is Glee. So I knew I wanted to blog about Glee...but how would I make my blog (A) different from the millions of other Glee blogs and (B) interesting and relatable to a large audience, not just Gleeks?
Well, my solution was to make this blog about the social issues on Glee. Because yes, Glee is about singing and dancing, and sometimes petty high school drama, but I love it because it also tackles really important issues that many teenagers face. Bullying. Body image. Popularity. Pressure to succeed. Sexuality. Relationships. And many more.
The goal with this blog is to talk about those issues, problems that everyone can relate to on some level, through the lens of Glee's lovable (and sometimes totally frustrating and unlovable) characters.
Here we go!
So, on the eve of Glee's return to television after the summer break, I invite you to come along on this journey with me! Please be patient, it's my first time blogging, so I haven't quite worked out all the kinks yet. But, (and forgive me for sounding a bit cheesy) I hope that together we can learn a little bit about ourselves and our society, while still having some fun with a really great TV show.
Cheers!
Molly