Glee

Every Monday I become ecstatically excited by the prospect of a brand new episode of 'Glee'; the happiness watching E4 at 9pm on Mondays causes me is ridiculous to an unfathomable extent, and just shy of addiction. Whilst I love the show because I think it's funny, entertaining and fuels my love of musicals there's something about it, other than all of those things and more, that makes it one of my favourite programmes of all time.

Almost everyone has 'Glee' mania. It's success is insane, and the bigger it becomes the happier I become- NOT for the reasons you think, though. typically, I should be running around demanding everyone watch it-granted with close friends i do do this, but for the most part i understand that musicals etc aren't every one's cup of tea. The reason why I love that Glee is so huge, and why, for that matter, i have some respect for the 'High School Musical' franchise is because of what it's doing FOR musicals.

I've been brought up on musicals- both my parents are massive fans of both musicals and the big names that came with them. I mean, we named our cat Frank after Sinatra!! Our house was full of the sounds of Sinatra, Doris Day, Elvis, Judy Garland, Bing Crosby; the TV would play Calamity Jane, On The Town, Singing in the Rain, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Kiss Me Kate, High Society. We weren't pushed into at all- mostly me and Kage would sit and watch whilst Fozz played with his newly acquired Bionicle- but we enjoyed them. As I got older i realised films like that weren't around any longer, and it made me sad to think that a generation had missed an era as golden as this.

Now, in no way shape or form am i declaring High School Musical franchise to be anywhere NEAR the calibre of excellence those aforementioned classics and others displayed. Aside from the third one (which actually had a film budget, not a made-for-tv-movie budget) which is actually quite a good film, as has some well written songs in it, the franchise is tacky, overrated, and weighs far too heavily on the sight of Efron's shining gurn. But it involved SINGING. It was a MUSICAL. For the first time in lord knows how long a musical was big- IN THE CINEMA. And since then there have been other musical films, like 'Band Camp', 'Hairspray', 'Mamma Mia'. they introduce the magic of musicals!!

I COMPLETELY understand why some people hate musicals. Whilst my sister loved them, even she had an issue with people randomly bursting into song. And I for one will never sit and watch Mamma Mia of my own volition, even if 'Gimme Gimme Gimme' by ABBA is one of my favourite songs of all time. But it just makes a change from the nonsense films they were spewing out to children. Since Hannah Montana even kids tv shows have changed- one of Eli's favourite shows is one called 'Imagination Movers'- i BLOODY love them!! they're an actual band that tours too!! But it teaches kids values whilst introducing them to different music and ways of learning.

Music is just AMAZING, and everyone knows this, whether you hate efron or not. it taps into not only your mind but your soul, and as after school special this sounds, sometimes it's not until you hear a piece of expressive, beautiful music that you truly realise how you feel or think about someone or something that's happened to you. Music is pure expression- I see it as a more socially acceptable way of swearing! recently i said to a friend 'I love it when people sing how they feel', and they laughed at me. But it's true. A line in an episode of Glee just gone demonstrates this perfectly; Kurt, a young, gay man who feels he's not accepted by his typically masculine father, stands alone on stage, and thinking he's alone proceeds to belt out his own heart-wrenching version of a classic song, singing 'everything's coming up Kurt'. His Dad speaks to him as he finishes singing, asking him what was wrong and Kurt tells him that everything's fine. Kurt's father, who has no interest in singing, simply looks at him and basically tells him he can lie and tell him he's fine- but that no one can sing how he's just sung and be fine. Music catches us at our most imaginatice, thoughtful and expressive. Music is neccessaary.

And here's the real truth- I don't obsess over 'Glee' because i love that it promotes musicals. I don't like it because it uses songs i recognise, know and adore. I don't even call it my favourite show because i have such a ridiculous crush on Finn. I love Glee because it reminds me of when i used to sing. It reminds me of the freedom i used to get, walking out in front of all those people and belting my heart out, how it didn't matter that i looked kind of like a loser/geek because people weren't looking at me, they were listening to me. And every time an episode finishes i feel a regret that in the transition from home to Canterbury I've somehow lost my main form of expression. I'm thinking maybe this is the reason i've been feeling a little lacklustre this year. And i've made a solemn promise to myself that next year it's going to be different.

I need to go now. A mixture of exhaustion and hunger means i feel like im about to pass out.

xXx