This week’s episode of Glee is tragic for several reasons: the first (and most important) tragedy?  Sue’s sister, Jean (the Downs Syndrome patient who we’ve visited in a nursing home every time we need to be reassured of the existence of Sue’s heart) passed away.  The death is sudden (though quite predictable), and it set the stage for many of the issues that were tackled in “Funeral.”

Another tragic event?  The return of Jesse St. James, who regularly ruins Rachel’s life, Adele’s songs, The New Directions’ easy harmony (no pun intended!), and my personal love for Jonathan Groff.   Mr. St. James is hired as the show choir consultant for the New Directions.

It’s interesting; so many of the characters in Glee stand for different ideals, and the struggle between two characters is often just a microcosm for the war between the two larger ideas.  For example: there’s Sue vs. Will (let’s just call that one “good vs. evil,” even though we all know it’s more complex than all that.)  There’s also Sue vs….another side of Sue, Rachel vs Quinn, The New Directions vs The Warblers – you get the picture.  This week, we’re introduced to another character war: Finn vs. Jesse.  If you think that the only beef these two have has to do with their affections for Rachel, you’re wrong.  After hearing about Sue’s loss, Finn insists that the Glee Club take some time away from practicing for Nationals to help organize the funeral.  Jesse disagrees and says that the idea is counterproductive, but Finn, who finally grows some balls starts displaying some of that leadership that we’ve been missing for so long, is adamant. Read More »

Finally! A place for your discarded bridesmaid dresses!

Speaking of ugly bridesmaid dresses, look at our album of the most hideous ones

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Post-sex etiquette for the modern lover

Tonight “Glee” introduces new songs and covers ???

What happens when phone sex is just not sexy

We have to wonder if Bristol Palin’s new look is all weight loss

Can men and women be just friends?

Wedding mishaps from movies

You know it’s a slow news day when this makes headlines

Just gotta be smarter

According to Lea Michele, this week’s episode of Glee is considered one of the show’s best to date.  And since I pretty much take anything Lea Michele says or does seriously, I had some VERY high expectations.

So were they met?  Yes and no.  Unfortunately, this week’s musical performances fall short – in fact, it’s highly likely that none of them will even make it to my iTunes library, and that’s huge.  Also unfortunate is the fact this episode is not the most satisfying – actually, all of the storylines this time around are so directly connected to the whole prom theme, it seems as though none of them were fleshed out the way they should have been, and the episode just seems abrupt.

But there are some positives.  Glee is at its best when it focuses on the struggles that real teenagers face, when it stays away from life or death situations and kooky guest stars and outdated tributes.  Unlike popular teen-centric shows like Gossip Girl and 90210, Glee actually acknowledges things like body image issues and unrequited crushes.  Last night’s episode – despite its flaws – did a great job of focusing on the quiet sentiments of inadequacy that all teenagers inevitably face.

We’re introduced to prom season when we hear some brutal news: Air Supply canceled their McKinley High Prom appearance, leaving Figgins to enlist the new Directions to perform at the Prom.  But not all of the members are planning to go: Mercedes is dateless, Sam doesn’t have the funds, and Lauren is struggling to find a dress that fits her. Read More »

These days Glee’s been flip-flopping more than Sam Evans’ hair.  I mean, one week I’m struggling to get through the hour, hoping against all hope that Rachel will do one of two things: open her mouth to belt out a Broadway standard, or open her mouth to make out with Finn – probably the two only things that could salvage a truly boring episode.  And the next week?  Well, somehow they’ll manage to pull out something that has me more juiced up than Noah Puckerman’s arms.

Sadly, last night’s episode is one that falls into the former category.  “Rumours” has potential: songs that are pulled from a great album (Rumours, by Fleetwood Mac), major relationship drama, and a dramatic plot twist – but somehow, it just didn’t work for me.

I can more or less divide the various plotlines of this episode into three neat little categories – the romantic stuff, the dreaming big stuff, and the sneaky stuff – and they were all tied together by one idea: that muckrakers ruin everything.   The cast and crew of Glee have had more than their fair share of media warfare.  From racy photos, to reports of offscreen cattiness, to the widely held belief that Lea Michele is a diva, to Ryan Murphy’s tireless advocacy of his personal beliefs, polarizing as they may be – this is a show full off people who aren’t always on great terms with media giants.  And this episode was a not-so-subtle dig at journalists, bloggers, and the general public.  What can I say?  Haters gonna hate.

So let’s get to those three categories of plotlines, shall we?  To kick it off, let’s talk love….because, well, those are my favorite storylines.  Newsflash, kids: Blaine and Kurt are SO ten minutes ago.  These days, it’s all about pulling for an equally lovable same-sex pairing: Brittany and Santana.  To make a long story short, Artie and Brittany break up because he grows uncomfortable of her relationship with Santana.  It seems like another little argument between a high school couple – until Artie calls Brittany stupid.  Yeah, HE WENT THERE.  It’s more or less used as a figure of speech that has a special place in any fight, but Brittany takes it to heart.  She runs away crying, saying that he is the only person who had never called her stupid, and just like that, the entire essence of their relationship is revealed.  It isn’t just because she was his first, or because they make an insanely cute couple (who, let’s face it, don’t make a ton of sense).  The reason these two thrived for so long is simple: Artie, in his desperation to hold on to the pretty and popular girl he never would have never envisioned in his life, fails to call her out on the shortcomings that are so apparent to everyone else.  By doing this, he validates Brittany’s sense of self worth – after all, she did acknowledge her lack of brain power as her most undesirable trait in last week’s episode.

Last week, the cast of Glee serenaded us for a full 90 minutes. (Get the full Glee-cap here.) And because of that extra half hour of musical enjoyment, I’ve had Glee on the brain nonstop. But not only have I been thinking about the Lady Gaga-inspired episode of last week and re-watching ‘Born This Way’ on YouTube again and again….and again, I’ve also been looking ahead. Like, way ahead. To episodes that have yet to be written and characters that have yet to be created.

Call this genius planning or wild fantasy, but I’ve got a few guest star suggestions for ya, Glee…

10. Kanye West.“Yo Sue, I’m really happy for you…I’mma let you finish. But Voldermort is the best evil villain of all time. The best evil villain of all time!”

9. Jennifer Hudson. Since she’s lost all that weight Jennifer Hudson has been getting lots and lots of media attention. But I’d like to think she’d take some time to pay a visit to her home channel, Fox 5, and hang with the Glee gang.

8. Rebecca Black. What? Come on. Don’t give me that look. It’s not like she wouldn’t fit right in with that crazy cast of characters. And it’s not like Glee isn’t going to be using her music in an upcoming episode anyway. Why not let Rebecca Black join in on the fun while we still know her name?

7. Britney Spears. I know they already covered her music in that whole dental hygiene hallucination episode that left me and Brittany a bit puzzled, but I think the pop princess herself should make an appearance. I mean, what better way to end the season than with a Brittney Spears and Brittany S. Pierce duet?     Read More »

If there’s one song that more or less sums up the entire premise of Glee, it’s Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way.”  All the key messages of Glee are addressed in the most succinct way possible in this radio-ready song: self-love, equality, free will, and acceptance of others. Both the song and the show are basically a great big “eff you” to xenophobia of all kinds.

So naturally, covering “Born This Way” on Glee demands special treatment: not only was the episode titled after the song, it was also a supersized ninety-minutes long – so I sat down with my Super-sized Slushie, anticipating something absolutely epic.

…and for the most part, “Born This Way” delivers the goods.  Last night’s episode had powerful moments for multiple characters, some fantastic numbers, and even a plot twist that genuinely surprised me.  So let’s get to it, shall we?

At the heart of the episode is a big decision for Rachel – after Finn breaks her nose (not a lover’s quarrel, it was totally an accident) she has a choice to make: fix the injury and go on with life, or trade in her signature shnozz for a petite little nose.  Much to the Glee Club’s dismay, Rachel decides to ask her doctor to make her nose look just like Quinn’s.  An entire debate is sparked: what’s the best way for a person to live: by altering imperfections, or by choosing to accept them?

Another character who faces this question in her personal life is Emma.  Will encourages her to seek help, but Emma says that she’s content with her disorder.  Still, their conversation inspires Will’s next lesson plan: he’s going to have the kids sing songs about loving themselves, culminating the lesson with a group performance of the anthem for self-acceptance: “Born This Way.” Read More »

There’s a little part of me that refuses to believe that last night’s all-new episode of Glee was real.  For starters, there was no preemptive controversy surrounding the nature of “A Night Of Neglect,” which is just plain rare for an episode of this show.  It also lacked some other crucial elements: Rachel didn’t sing, Brittany didn’t make me laugh (am I the only one that totally predicted her being revealed as a quirky, closeted genius?), Puck didn’t make me laugh OR swoon, and there was almost no attention given to Rachel and Finn’s broken relationship (unless you count Rachel looking at him lovingly during Mercedes’ final performance – which I don’t, especially considering how powerful their scenes were in the previous episode.)

So why did this episode go largely “neglected” by media sources before it aired?  Because in the grand scheme of all things Glee, it was really quite boring.  I didn’t hate it, but it was more or less a filler episode, meant to tie the New Directions Regionals win to next week’s highly anticipated ninety-minute extravanganza.

But enough of that; let’s get on to the episode itself. 

Blame it on the booty call

Well, here’s a reason to look forward to the return of Glee

Is sugar toxic?

Put this on your summer shopping list

Is casual sex really that great?

Both stars lose in this style showdown

Click here if you want to feel really old

Just in case you didn’t know Seth Rogen was funny

Everyone’s favorite musical TV show has covered a lot of great artists. From Lady Gaga to Britney to Cee Lo, Glee is no stranger to putting their own unique spin on popular songs. But what exactly makes a song popular and where does one draw the line? Does a YouTube sensation with more than 100 million hits on her video constitute a singer worthy of a Glee cover?

Apparently the writers think so. Because according to PopEater Glee will, I repeat, they will, be covering the one, the only Rebecca Black’s Friday. Read More »

Blame it on the M-M-M-M-M-Miley

So apparently drinking and doings drugs is cool again.

At least that’s what our friends over at Jezebel are telling us the stats at Drugfree.org are telling them. 45% of high school students don’t see a “great risk” in heavy drinking. And 68% of those high school students have had their first drink by age 14. Additionally, since 2008 the use of marijuana is up from 32% to 39% and the use of ecstasy is up from 4% to 6%.

But let’s step back from the statistics for a minute an discuss the stuff behind the stats. For the first time in years substance abuse is once again on the rise and the real question on everyone’s mind has to be, why?

The director of strategy at Drugfree.org suggests budget cuts to prevention programs, the legalization of medicinal marijuana or even the stress of difficult economic times. But for me at least, these don’t seem like viable options.  I don’t think medicinal marijuana is behind this increase, nor do I think it’s the hard economic times. I mean, if teens don’t see the risk of binge drinking do you really think they see the ramifications of the stock market crash? And, honestly, I don’t think it’s the loss of prevention programs either. Teens today live in a world without limits. All the information they could ever want is at their fingertips. Pamphlets won’t tell them anything Google can’t. Read More »