"Glee." Why?

It's really hard to watch a show that's number one, fanatically discussed, and a pop-culture phenomenon. Especially when you're trying week after week to like it. The show is "Glee." Amazingly, it was created by Ryan Murphy of "Nip/Tuck." He goes from edgy and fairly outrageous to, well, geeky. Maybe that's deliberate. The show is saved by the production numbers put on by the glee club. But I have trouble suspending disbelief when they're singing in their high school practice space and are suddenly accompanied by a full orchestra. Or when they go into a dance number for the first time in perfect symmetry.

The show has some sizzle with the evil cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester, portrayed by the fantastic Jane Lynch. (I got to know her and love her, showing similar lip-curling sarcasm, as the psychiatrist in "Two and a Half Men.") Many scenes take place with in-your-face confrontations between Sylvester and Will Schuster, leader of the glee club, played by Matthew Morrison. Six-footer Lynch looks down on Morrison, literally, and Sue likes it that way.

My problem, week after week, with "Glee," is the cutesy "Let's put on a show!" glee club members. Maybe that's the intention. The back stories of the high schoolers become truly tedious. And Rachel (a great singer) seems to be the lead and front-runner for every number and every competition. Aren't they all supposed to be talented singers?

It's number one in the ratings, so mine is an unpopular view. Anyone else see "Glee" as the show you love to hate?

Comments (2):

Mike Zurek @ 06/16/2010 ( 4:45:45 AM )
My problem is there are no awful singers at this high school. They're not good singers either. It appears that everyone in the school, including the cheerleader coach and her cheerleaders a terrific, professional quality singers AND dancers!
mateo @ 06/16/2010 ( 2:08:16 PM )
I have to blatantly disagree. I love Glee. It is a throw back to the silver screen musicals where army nurses break out in the production number “I'm gonna wash that man right outa my hair” and cowboys sing about “Oklahoma!”. It should not be taken literally and enjoy the music and choreography. Glee pokes fun at itself and its ‘spur of the moment’ production numbers: Rachel (Lea Michele) and Jesse St James (Jonathan Groff) are having a tender moment and Rachel starts to expresses her self in a song. The pianist (Brad Ellis) walks in from stage left to sit at the piano that just appeared. Jesse looks at the pianist in disbelief. Rachel replies, “Oh never mind him, he is just always hanging around”. Sit back and enjoy.