David Archuleta is featured on a new calendar.

Created by photographer Jennifer Barry, the item is on sale at Qoop.com and benefits a cause near to the American Idol runner-up’s heart: the Utah chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

“This year instead of waiting for a fundraiser to begin, I created it myself as I was inspired by David’s charity speech [in January],” Barry said. “I have been wanting to help support Crush MS through photos I have taken of David.

“So, this year, I made a 2010 David Calendar called ‘Be The Change.’ All proceeds will go to help support the fight against MS… whether you purchase this calendar or not, please make this the year YOU make a difference!”

For just $21, you can help David Archuleta fight a difficult disease.

Source: The Hollywood Gossip

MTV RADIO’S MORNING FACTS FOR TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9th, 2010

JORDIN SPARKS AND DAVID ARCHULETA

Jordin Sparks was in Miami over the weekend for the Super Bowl festivities, and the former American Idol was joined on stage by a fellow alum of the hit TV show.  David Archuleta came up on stage to sing Chris Brown’s part of Jordin’s hit song “No Air.”  Check out video of the special performance on YouTube now.

Read the full post here.

Bring Back DALIM Memories.

More pictures on her site! Click here.

Jordin Sparks Performs With David Archuleta + Ke$ha Conquers Italy With “Tik Tok”!

R&B singer Jordin Sparks did a gig last week in Miami as part of her “Super Bowl Experience” mini tour in Florida’s famous city. The surprise moment happened when she brought to the stage fellow American Idol contestant David Archuleta to perform together Jordin’s hit “No Air”. Looks like Breezy wasn’t in town or due to schedule problems couldn’t make it. I gotta say David did an excellent job.

Full post here.

More photos from Jordin’s Facebook!

Click here to see all the photos!!

Thanks, lcherrychapstick

For those suffering the ravages of an Archudrought,  Miami this week was an oasis in the desert.

The last two days have been like a refreshing shower after a dust storm.  I have been trying to cope with my own David-deprivation by reading and re-reading the posts here and going to The Voice Unplugged to chat with and get support from others sufferers.  All of us hoping against hope that the Jordin Sparks Experience would give us a drop or a morsel to get us through till a book signing tour with maybe a song or two.

I signed up for the ustream and was there an hour early hoping for a glimpse of David.  No David at first but it wasn’t a bad thing.  I learned so much about the gift of hearing and how many don’t enjoy what I take for granted daily.  Heard some great stories from those who not only give from their pockets but also of their time.  I would like to have seen David’s response when the children were being fitted with hearing aids and the children’s reaction to sound.  Here is a link to the Starkey Hearing Foundation’s homepage.  http://www.starkeyhearingfoundation.org/hearing-missions.php

I was so glad Jordin invited David.  I have always liked her and now I’ve gained a huge respect for her.  She is egoless.   She had David up front and center with her and when she introduced her friends she looked right at him.  David appeared to be her guest, not a sidekick.  He was at her side throughout the events smiling and looking so happy, swollen cheek and all.

Back in the saddle and up on the stage again, David sang Crush and one of his best performances of Apologize yet, and that is saying something.  First thing I noticed was the change in his voice.  Could his voice have possibly improved since the 2nd of December?  Deeper and even richer if that’s conceivable.  Jordin sang her set and then “WHAM,” right in the gut!  I had been so thirsty and now, I’m having trouble breathing.  David left me with “No Air”.  And he sucker-punched me twice in one day.  The vocals, the runs, the swagger up to the stage, the tie, the shirt, the pants, the moves.  This week, lest we forget, he proved once again what a phenomenal artist and person he is.  Now that we have survived the Archudrought a little longer by slaking our thirst in Miami, we face a tougher ordeal ahead.  Will we survive The Voice’s 3rd album tour as he takes it to the next level and possibly busts loose with some sweltering dance moves?  I get breathless just thinking about it.

**UPDATE 6/08/10: We now have a full listing of music featured in the second half of season one, as well as the list of music from the first half found below.**

The first half of the debut season of “Glee” has now aired, and we’ve got a little time to catch our breath before new episodes begin again on April 13th. Due to the overwhelming popularity of the show, there have already been a number of choral arrangements published based on the performances of the McKinley High School glee club, and we expect to continue to see more publications as the season progresses.

The most requested number for choirs so far has been Journey’s, Don’t Stop Believin’, which was featured in the pilot episode back in May of ’09. There are two different choral versions published to fulfill the demand; the Alan Billingsley arrangement contains strong choral harmonies to engage all of your singers and is available in SATB, SAB, SSA, CD, instrumental parts and also an abbreviated 2-part version with it’s own separate 2-part CD. The Roger Emerson arrangement is a great opportunity to feature two strong singers in your performance, and also comes SATB, SAB, SSA, CD, and instrumental parts. For soloists, the hot item is the “Glee” Songbook  which contains 16 songs from the show for piano/vocal/guitar. Check our previous blog on this item for more details.

The following list of music includes all the numbers that have appeared in the series so far that are available in either choral arrangements or solo vocal (several of the songs featured are not available in printed music of any format). Some of these choral arrangements existed prior to the birth of “Glee,” and some were written as a direct result of the show. We’ve tried to be exhaustive in this list, but if you’ve seen something on the show that you don’t see listed, email or call us at 1-800-42-MUSIC and we’ll investigate for you!

CHORAL ARRANGEMENTS:
And I Am Telling You (from Dreamgirls), Dreamgirls (Medley) arr. Mark Brymer: SATB, SAB, SSA, instrumental parts , CD
Cabaret (from Cabaret) arr. Kirby Shaw: SATB, 3-part mixed, 2-part
Can’t Fight This Feeling (by REO Speedwagon) arr. Greg Gilpin: SATB, SAB, CD
Defying Gravity (from Wicked) arr. Roger Emerson: SATB, SAB, SSA, CD
Don’t Rain on My Parade (by Barbara Streisand) arr. Lisa DeSpain: SATB, SAB, SSA, CD, instrumental parts
Endless Love (by Diana Ross and Lionel Richie) arr. Jay Althouse: SATB, SAB, CD
Girls’ Sing-Off (“Halo” by Beyonce and “Walking on Sunshine” by Katrina and the Waves) arr. Ed Lojeski: SSA, instrumental parts, CD
Guys’ Sing-Off (“It’s My Life” by Bon Jovi and “Confessions Part II” by Usher) arr. Mark Brymer: TTBB, instrumental parts, CD
Hair (from Hair) arr. Jay Althouse: SATB, SAB, 2-part, CD
I Could Have Danced All Night (from My Fair Lady) arr. Greg Gilpin: SATB, SAB, SSA, CD
I Say a Little Prayer arr. Jay Althouse: SSA , CD
I’ll Stand By You (by The Pretenders) arr. Greg Gilpin: SATB, SAB, SSA, CD
Imagine (by John Lennon) arr. Mac Huff: SATB, SAB, SSA, CD
Jump (by Van Halen) arr. Andy Beck: SATB, 3-part mixed, SSA, CD
Keep Holding On (by Avril Lavigne) arr. Mac Huff: SATB, SAB, SSA, instrumental parts , CD
Lean On Me (by Bill Withers) arr. Roger Emerson: SATB, SAB, SSA, instrumental parts, CD 
Mercy (by Duffy) arr. Deke Sharon: SATB a cappella
Mister Cellophane (from Chicago) arr. Steve Zegree: TTBB
On My Own (from Les Miserables) arr. Ed Lojeski: SATB, SAB, SSA, CD, instrumental parts 
Proud Mary (by Credence Clearwater Revival) arr. Kirby Shaw: SATB, SAB, SSA, instrumental parts, CD
Rehab (by Amy Winehouse) arr. Mark Brymer: SATB, SAB, SSA, CD, instrumental parts
Respect (by Aretha Franklin) arr. Roger Emerson: SATB, SAB, SSA, CD, instrumental parts
Sing, Sing, Sing arr. Philip Kern: SATB, SAB, 2-part, instrumental parts, CD
Sit Down You’re Rockin’ the Boat (from Guys & Dolls) arr. Mark Brymer: SATB, SAB, SSA, CD, instrumental parts
Somebody to Love (by Queen) arr. Roger Emerson: SATB, SAB, SSA, instrumental parts, CD
Taking Chances (by Celine Dion) arr. Alan Billingsley: SATB, SAB, SSA, CD
Tonight (from West Side Story) arr. William Stickles: SATB, SSA
True Colors (by Cyndi Lauper) arr. Deke Sharon: SATB a cappella, SSAA a cappella
Where Is Love? (from Oliver!) arr. Mac Huff: SATB, SSA
You Can’t Always Get What You Want (by the Rolling Stones) arr. Alan Billingsley: SATB, SAB, CD
You’re the One That I Want (from Grease) arr. Alan Billingsley: SATB, SAB, SSA, 2-part, CD, instrumental parts

SOLO VOCAL  some are available as printed singles, some are available as digital downloads and some are only found in collections
Alone (by Heart) collection “Best of Heart”
And I Am Telling You (from Dreamgirls) digital
Bootylicious (by Destiny’s Child) digital
Bust a Move (by Young MC) digital
Bust Your Windows (by Jazmine Sullivan) print single, digital
Crazy in Love (by Beyonce) print single, digital,
Crush (by Jennifer Paige) print single 
Dancing with Myself (by Generation X) digital
Don’t Stand So Close to Me (by The Police) digital 
Endless Love (by Diana Ross and Lionel Richie) digital
Gold Digger (by Kanye West) collection Billboard Magazine Hot 100 50th Anniversary Songbook
I Kissed a Girl (by Katy Perry) print single
I Wanna Sex You Up (by Color Me Badd) collection VH1’s 100 Greatest Songs of the 90s
La Camisa Negra (by Juanes) print single, digital
Last Name (by Carrie Underwood) print single 
Le Freak (by Chic) collection The Big Book of Disco and Funk
Leaving on a Jet Plane (by John Denver) print single
Lovin’ Touchin’ Squeezin’ (by Journey) collection Journey: Greatest Hits
Maybe This Time (from Cabaret) print single
Mercy (by Duffy) print single
No Air (by Jordin Sparks/Chris Brown) print single
On My Own (from Les Miserables) collection Les Miserables
Papa Don’t Preach (by Madonna) collection MTv’s 100 Greatest Pop Songs 
Push It (by Salt ‘n Pepa) collection VH1’s 100 Greatest Songs of the 80’s
Respect (by Aretha Franklin) digital
Single Ladies (by Beyonce) print single, digital
Smile (by Lily Allen) digital 
Sweet Caroline (by Neil Diamond) print single 
Take a Bow (by Rihanna) print single
Taking Chances (by Celine Dion) print single
This Is How We Do It (by Montell Jordan) collection VH1’s 100 Greatest Songs of the 90s
 You Keep Me Hanging On (by the Supremes) collection The Supremes Greatest Hits

Keep checking back as the season continues—Stanton’s will be sure to keep you up-to-date whenever new music from “Glee” becomes available!

15-year old Canadian teen sensation & Usher mentee, Justin Bieber dueted with Jordin Sparks on her hit “No Air” at a Boston concert last night.

Originally a collaboration with Chris Brown, Do you guys think Justin did the track justice?

Check out Chris Brown performing “No Air” live previously.

Nobody told me that you become more susceptible to glossy R&B with age; I’ve had to find out for myself. It was shocking at first, thinking “This Ne-Yo album knocks most modern pop into a cocked hat/Jordin Sparks sounds awesome on ‘No Air’/Everything Beyoncé does is – how do you say it? – The Bomb/Christ, I like more than one Leona Lewis song” etc, but now I wear my bling on my sleeve. Well, I’ve got a 10 quid Casio watch.

Although blessed with a silky, appealing voice, Keri Hilson doesn’t have the charisma to pull off the hits, so she gets in the smartest talent bankrolling can buy. Seem to remember Kanye being a smart talent, anyway. 808s & Heartbreak sounded superb on first listen, then turned out to be a moany nothing; neither was I sold on ‘Supernova’, but if we’re talking charisma, Mr Hudson hasn’t even come within a universe of an ounce of it. Kanye’s rap on ‘Knock You Down’ is a mess – the Michael Jackson gag not in the same league as the same on ‘Slow Jamz’ – so it’s left to Ne-Yo to give the song some class. His disbelief at wanting to spend more time with the missus than his mates – “I used to be commander-in-chief of my pimp ship flying high!” – is enough to carry the track alone, but credit to Hilson for some fine cracked vocals as this soppy song peaks.

“This is a lady singing,” Junior points out, puzzled because she thinks Keri is a boy’s name. Maybe if you’re a rotten Chelsea player. She then confirms that it looks like a lady on the cover, so it’s a relief for Keri even as the boys threaten to subsume her. Not that you can tell Junior anything – when I inform her Ne-Yo’s on the mic, she says “I knew that”, and it’s possible she did, what with the bounder being everywhere these past few years. His touch is magic enough, and Junior demands a repeat play.

What? This isn’t ‘Miss Independent’?

This collection of 16 songs from the show is written for solo vocalist with piano or guitar accompaniment. (If you are looking for choral versions of songs from Glee, check our previous blog.) The songbook includes: Alone, Bust Your Windows, Confessions Part II, Don’t Stop Believin’, Gold Digger, Halo, Hate on Me, It’s My Life, Keep Holding On, No Air, Push It, Rehab, Somebody to Love, Take a Bow, Walking on Sunshine, and You Keep Me Hangin’ On. The hyperlinked titles are also available as singles for immediate download from Stanton’s Digital Delivery.

Check back regularly as we continue to update whenever new songs from Glee become available!

*UPDATE* Check out our new blog featuring a full listing of ALL the solo and choral music available from Glee for the entire first half of the season, “The Road to Sectionals.”

But I just saw the latest musical release from Jordin Sparks, being featured in the single “Art of Love” by Aussie singer Guy Sebastian.  I’ve never heard of him, but homeboy has got a voice!  Jordin Sparks is always at her best in collabs w/ other R&B singers, I think.  And this song may not be as successful as “No Air” with Chris Brown, but I think it’s a much better track.

This song gave me the chills.  Love love love Jordin’s powerhouse voice.

E foi lançado oficialmente hoje, 3 de novembro de 2009, o 1º cd do seriado Glee com músicas cantadas por seu elenco.

Há o cd normal entitulado “Glee: The Music, Volume 1″ com 17 músicas e há 1 cd especial chamado “Glee: The Music, Volume 1 Limited Edition (Special Edition with 3 Bonus Songs)”

Além desses 2 cds há um 3º chamado “Glee: The Music, Volume 1 (plus 3 Karaoke Bonus Tracks)”. Na verdade os 3 cds são iguais onde o 1º tem as 17 músicas oficiais, o outro as 17 + 3 bonus tracks e o último as 17 canções + 3 em versão de karaokê.

Mas ainda há pelo visto um outro cd, já que no iTunes o cd está sendo vendido com 18 e não 17 músicas, e a 18ª música é I Say A Little Prayer For You”. Honestamente não sei dizer se a listagem de músicas de sites como o amazon.com está incompleta, ou se o cd vendido no iTunes é uma versão especial, já que a música adicionada é chamada de iTunes bonus track.

Abaixo a lista de músicas:

1. Don’t Stop Believin’

2. Can’t Fight This Feeling

3. Gold Digger

4. Take A Bow

5. Bust Your Windows

6. Taking Chances

7. Alone (Feat. Kristin Chenoweth)

8. Maybe This Time (Feat. Kristin Chenoweth)

9. Somebody To Love

10. Hate On Me

11. No Air

12. You Keep Me Hangin’ On

13. Keep Holding On

14. Bust A Move

15. Sweet Caroline

16. Dancing With Myself

17. Defying Gravity

Bonus tracks do cd Limited Edition:

18. I Wanna Sex You Up

19. I Could Have Danced All Night

20. Leaving On A Jet Plane

Bonus tracks do cd Karaoke bonus tracks:

18. Take A Bow (Karaoke Version)

19. Gold Digger (Karaoke Version)

20. Somebody To Love (Karaoke Version)

Cd ITunes:

17 faixas já listadas

18 I say a little prayer (iTunes bonus track)

This track makes me want to sing from my bedroom window. I have no idea who Jordan Sparks is but I do know that Glee remade her song into something really awesome. Love it. This along with some videos of a school concert from way back, posted on youtube by a choir senior, has just made my evening. Work was a little tough today. I handed in a sub-par assignment on Friday and basically got it spit back, to be re-done by Thursday. That isn’t a lot of time when you have 4 more hours of meeting minutes transcribing to do. Felt sick inside, unaccomplished, stupid, lesser.

And when I hear music, lyrics I want to sing, I feel happy. Happyness like a shot of morphine. Sometimes I just start singing, using a track off Youtube and lyrics from Google. It feels good. Knowing the harmonies, trying to recreate the brilliance that is humans and the structuring of sound. These days, I seem fine but there’s something missing. I don’t know if it’s the soil or the broken English or the thought of living a monotonous 9-6 life. Will keep praying about this weirdness.

Next weekend is Halloween. Special d<3y. In mor3 w<3ys th<3n on3.

Sensacional, simplesmente é essa a palavra que posso usar para descrever esse episódio de Glee. Não é a toa que foi o episódio de maior audiência da série desde a estréia mês passado, fazendo 7,5 milhões. Como sempre Glee vem cheio de irreverência, fazendo sátira da sátira. o elenco está cada vez melhor e mais afinado, a edição das cenas é a mesma desde o piloto, o que dá a cada episódio uma agilidade incrível. Dessa vez ao contrário dos episódios  anteriores, gostei muito das músicas escolhidas, se encaixaram perfeitamente a trama. E o que falar da divertida e maquiavélica Sue (Jane Lynch) que sem dúvida deu um show de interpretação em Throwdown.

Só a cena inicial entre Sue e Will discutindo, em câmera lenta, me lembrando  o filme Curtindo a vida adoidado, e a música clássica de fundo – intensa e dramática, deu um amostra do que viria pela frente. Sue continua fazendo de tudo para afundar o Glee Club, até separou o grupo em duas turmas, falando sobre minorias. E essa idéia por pior que seja a intenção de Sue teve seu lado bom, porque separados, finalmente vimos uma grande e ótima apresentação de Mercedes cantando Hate on me, black music pra uma “black power voice”. Destaque para Kurt que me matou de rir dançando nessa música. Como eu disse, Sue fez tudo isso com a pior das intenções, para realmente atacar o Glee Club, mas a idéia de minoria vista por outro panorama, nao deixa de ser verdade, porque solos musicais são apenas para Finn e Rachel, os demais raramente cantam sozinhos. Podem até cantar como aconteceu com Mercedes em Bust your windows, mas na hora de uma apresentação oficial do Glee, é Rachel que sempre canta os solos. Mas tudo bem, achei esse episódio tão excelente, tanto na trama quanto nas músicas que não me incomodei ao ver Rachel e Finn mais uma vez cantando.

E a irreverência e humor negro continuam não é ? Lembram como Sue chamou os alunos para sua turma ? Asian, gay kid, etc.. Só Glee para ser tão politicamente incorreta. Mas na última briga entre Sue e Will, as crianças viram que estavam sendo prejudicadas com isso tudo e deram uma boa lição em Sue, voltando a ser uma turma só, todos unidos. Achei bonito os garotos do futebol carregando o Artie. E como Will disse no final, “vocês são minoria, são apenas 12 e precisam cuidar um dos outros, se unirem”. Ou seja, Sue tentou tanto prejudica-los que acabou os ajudando. Tem uma cena ainda quando o grupo estava dividido em dois, onde eles se encontram e cantam Ride wit me do Nelly, e me pareceu que pela primeira vez a série não usou playback e eles realmente cantaram de verdade, ok, isso me assustou um pouco, a animação deles estava ótima, a cena foi ótima, mas vocalmente falando, enfim, fiquei assustado.

Em outras tramas, talvez o único defeito do episódio sob meu ponto de vista, foi como a mulher de Will conseguiu ludibriar um médico para atuar como seu comparsa. Na verdade a irmã dela fez isso. Enfim, foi a única cena que me deu raiva, não pelo o que ela fez, pois não me admiro com isso, mas sim por ser algo típico de novela, grotesco e absurdo demais. Porque mesmo sabendo que a classe médica não é das melhores, não seria tão fácil ou talvez até possível um médico se sujeitar a isso. De interessante, foi ver a emoção de Will ao ver seu filho, bela emoção dele, mas triste porque sabemos de toda mentira por trás.

Quinn que aparentemente havia se desligado de Sue, nesse episódio voltou a servir de espiã para a técnica diabólica. Rachel que sofreu com um nerd atrás dela o episódio todo, teve que fazer coisas nada ortodoxas para ele não publicar no blog a gravidez de Quinn. Como todos sabem ela só fez isso por estar apaixonada por Finn, mas talvez haja alguma bondade no coração de Rachel e por menor que seja fez por consideração a Quinn. Tudo bem exagerei agora, Rachel é um pouco egoísta, faz tudo pela música, sua grande paixão, mas não tem um coração ruim a ponto de realmente odiar Quinn, inclusive a cen final, foi linda justamente pelo apoio de Rachel a Quinn cantando olhando pra ela sempre. Emocionante! Por outro lado Quinn percebeu ainda mais a ligação de Rachel e Finn, confesso que morri de dó dela na música No air. Fala sério quem iria agüentar ver a pessoa que namora, cantando tão apaixonamente uma canção de amor com outra pessoa, que também retribui os sentimentos. Quinn foi muitoooooooooooooo profissional, não sei como ela não atirou os microfones em Rachel. Foi uma ótima cena, ótima música, só difícil de me convencer que apenas 3 vozes, uma delas masculina conseguiriam fazer o back vocal atrás para Finn e Rachel. Fora isso, pra mim foi comovente ver Quinn nessa cena. Quinn que teoricamente deveríamos não suportar, vem sendo uma das personagens que simpatizo e nesse episódio seu drama realmente me comoveu.

Ainda sobre Quinn, de certa forma o episódio foi dela também, além de Sue – Quinn vai comfrontar Rachel que admite ter feito tudo para ajuda-la mas por causa de Finn. E ae que temos uma boa lição de moral de Rachel pra cima de Quinn, dizendo que ela não deveria confiar em Sue, pois se ela soubesse da gravidez, Quinn estaria em apuros. E então que fazem aquelas cenas chatas onde o personagem sai cantando do nada no meio do episódio, MAS, adorei Quinn cantando, e por mais absurdo que pareça, achei a cena totalmente aplicável naquele momento, a letra tudo a ver com o drama de Quinn, uma bela montagem e resultou muito legal.

E dito e feito, ao final do episódio, com o Glee já reunido novamente, Sue solta seu veneno final, anunciando a gravidez de Quinn. Novamente me senti tocado por Quinn e seu drama. Keep holding on fez para mim uma das cenas mais belas do episódio, e talvez da série até aqui. Todos emocionalmente cantando, unidos, juntos, se apoiando, se ajudando. Acho que mais um pouco meus olhos meio que mais umedecidos iam precisar de lenços nessa cena, porque achei muito linda. A música com sua letra retratou todo o drama de Quinn, e também tudo que precisa, apoio e dos amigos. Embora tenha sido novamente Rachel e Finn solando, adorei a apresentação. As vezes poderia ser mais “RBD” com cada um cantando um pedaço, mas fora isso, esse foi um episódio que mexeu realmente comigo. Foi engraçado em diversas cenas, foi ótimo musicalmente, e foi emocionante quando precisou ser e funcionou!! E novamente, a cena Keep holding on foi memorável, linda, tocante, senti todos unidos, não só pela música, mas como amigos, tocados pelo drama de Quinn e sendo talvez pela primeira vez, simplesmente amigos! Pra mim, o melhor episódio disparado, talvez eu seja do contra mesmo, já que todos amaram o 5º episódio e eu detestei, mas esse foi lindo demais, pra encher os olhos de qualquer um na última cena, graças a uma linda e emocionante performance! Finn pegando na mão de Quinn e Rachel ao final, pouco antes da música totalmente perdido e assustado mas tentando dar apoio a Quinn e Rachel vendo tudo, e depois dando apoio a Quinn durante a apresentação, tudo isso nos mostra que nosso coração tem mais mistérios e atitudes que as vezes nem pensamos ser capazes de tê-las…

yadiraa:

“But how do you expect me,
To live alone with just me,
‘Cause my world revolves around you,
And it’s so hard for me to breathe.”

Like I said, obsessed with these songs!  I love a good cover.

This weeks episode, Throwdown [Hulu link], was oookkkaayy. They sang No Air and Keep Holding On. Oh and they sang this other song for like 3 seconds, and it was just like there. I don’t even remember what it was.

And why was Emma not even in this episode? She’s my favorite character! She’s just like “oh!” and she’s just so cool!

And the WIFE! Terri! I cannot wait until Will finds out that she isn’t really pregnant. If her plan works (taking Quinn’s baby), then I’ll be very upset. Not that it would ever work; she’s crazy.

Emma better be in next week’s episode!

“Takedown”

October 14th, 2009

“An environment of constant irrational terror”

Andy Dehnart (who can be found on Twitter at RealityBlurred) posted a piece of commentary at MSNBC yesterday that, earlier today, exploded into a lively twitter discussion amongst critics. His argument is that the show relies on stereotypes when it could be developing character, and that it needs to eliminate some of its more one-dimensional characters (like Sandy) and provide more depth to its central Glee club members. What’s interesting is that I don’t think there’s anyone who is going to argue with this point, especially if we apply it to Terri and her fake pregnancy. The strangest thing about Glee, from critics’ perspectives, is that most people tend to agree that it has its share of problems, especially when it comes to the adult characters on the show. The difference comes in how people rationalize those criticisms and weigh them with the show’s undeniable charm, and its quick-witted one-liners that most people tend to enjoy.

“Throwdown” is yet another dividing point, an episode that highlights the show’s best character (Jane Lynch’s Sue Sylvester) and as a result features a lot of great one-liners and some solid musical numbers. However, as someone who tends to lean more critically on the show than others, it’s an episode that shows you that Dehnart’s complaints aren’t the show’s only problem. Yes, its adult characters are one-dimensional, but the show’s plotting is just as problematic: storylines seem to happen to characters as opposed to because of characters, and the result is that the Glee club itself is trapped in the middle of wars and plots (the environment of constant irrational terror, in other words) that may be entertaining in the short term but are doing nothing to foster long term development.

Linda Holmes from NPR made the note that it’s impossible for Glee to hit the mark every week, as the mark is tiny and specific. I’d argue that the show is hitting that mark enough to keep me watching, but I’d also argue that it is more consistently missing it where it counts (narrative, character development) than where it’s most popular (the musical numbers, the one-liners). And while that’s a pattern for cult success, it’s not a pattern for dramatic or comic fulfillment.

Does everyone remember the pilot? I raise this point because “Don’t Stop Believing” was an example of a song that had considerable meaning for the characters involved. As lame as it sounds, the song sent a message of belief to kids who didn’t think they would have a chance, and told Will that he was truly in the right place. However, since that point, the musical numbers have not had quite the same impact. Sure, sometimes the songs have had meaning to the characters involved (Rachel singing “Take a Bow”), or made sense in the context of the plot, but the show’s real strength is the idea that Glee Club is in some way making a difference in these kids’ lives, or at the very least that the musical numbers are adding something to the series from a narratological perspective.

My argument is not that songs which are just fun are worthless (the show is about a glee club, so they’re going to sing on occasion). However, the problem right now is that when people sing it never feels particularly fun. There’s a point tonight where Mercedes points out that Glee club is supposed to be fun as Will and Sue fight over what’s best for the club, and I’m sitting here saying “Amen, sister!” The episode was at its best when there was a (rare) musical number without extreme production, as the group got together (after having been split up by Sue) and jammed on Nelly’s “Ride Wit Me.” It was 12 kids having a lot of fun, something that the show hasn’t been providing us: it has them so caught up in drama that there has never been a single moment where they’ve just been allowed to enjoy themselves. And in the process, I have to say: I have a lot more fun downloading the singles and enjoying them musically than viewing them as islands in a sea of pregnancies, hatred and drama.

I thought this episode used songs well, overall. While some could argue that having Quinn break into a random production number (“Keep Me Hanging On”) was breaking the reality of the show’s universe, I think the show is already something of a fantasy, and most importantly the song actually seemed to serve a purpose for her character. Her frustration with Finn was legitimate, and the song sold that: it wasn’t the most intelligent bit of plotting in the world, but I thought it was an example of a song being used in a logical fashion (if not a realistic one). Music is a highly versatile plot device, something that is capable of telling a story in a way that is unique and flashy. The problem with Glee is that it feels too often that the show is using it as a distraction, or more problematically building episodes around music in a way which makes neither element (the music or the plot) really stand out.

My issue with “Takedown” is that it does a lot of what I suggest above, largely building its dramatic storyline around the glee club kids and ending in an emotional musical number that emphasizes they will all work together, all as one large minority as part of Glee club, as they “Keep Holding On,” but it still felt off for me. I think my issue is that the show might have gone too far down the absurdist and cynical road for it to ever feel triumphant, for it to ever feel as care-free and fun as it did early on: the song was about them resolving a hackneyed melodramatic subplot, not actually developing these characters any further. When the episode goes so far as to have Finn hold both Quinn and Rachel’s hands as they stand on that stage, and ends on Quinn tearing up, I feel as if the show hasn’t earned it. I want to say that this is a step in the right direction for the show, but at the same time we spent too much of the episode on a largely juvenile (if funny) conflict between Sue and Will, spent too much time with Terri tricking Will into believing she’s actually pregnant for me to just sit back and accept the show’s faults.

On the plus side, the episode appears to have simplified the show’s premise somewhat: everyone knows about Quinn’s pregnancy, Will is back in control of the Glee club, and based on the preview for next week we’re going to delve more into the high school dynamics of the glee members as opposed to an almost bureaucratic struggle for control of the organization. But there is something about this show that makes me as suspicious as Will when Sue says that she’s stepping down: for every moment where I think the show knows where its mark is, the next moment it has Terri and her awful shrill sister bribing an OBGYN in an effort to continue a farcical pregnancy. While that might be something that some critics can shrug off, and that fans largely ignore as they hit “Replay” on a youtube video for the fifth time, it’s something that’s always there for me, and that won’t just go away when people start singing and dancing.

“Throwdown” is far from the worst episode of the series, with minimal time spent with Terri and plenty of hilarious Sue one-liners to go with some solid musical numbers and at least some semblance of an emotional core. If I wasn’t a fan of the show, I could tear apart the Terri parts of the episode and pretend the rest didn’t exist, and if I was a superfan I could ignore the Terri parts and love the musical numbers. But, as a critic who loves the premise and merely likes the show, I want it to be more self-aware of where its strengths lie. Time Magazine’s James Poniewozik noted today that Glee is a fine argument for the idea that consistency is overrated in television, its highs being worth its occasional lows, but I can’t help but feel it could be just as risky and just as inconsistent without also fundamentally misunderstanding what makes it interesting.

Cultural Observations

• Odd observation about Glee: while a lot of shows tend to tailor their “Previously on” segments as an effort to jog your memory on elements of the story that will be particularly important in the episode about to air (Jason Mittell has a great paper on the subject at JustTV), Glee is actually just summarizing the important events from the previous episode: it told us that Ken and Emma got engaged, and yet neither appeared in the episode.
• The “voiceover fight” in the opening scene was kind of interesting, in that it brings attention to the use of different voiceovers in a way that I didn’t expect. The show has been a bit manic with how it has chosen who gets voiceovers or not, but the scene made good use of the different perspectives (getting a laugh from Will’s horror at how he was acting and Sue’s glee at being Ajax, the mighty greek warrior, with her elegant and regal slow-motion yelling), so it’s the kind of clever comedy I like to see from the show.
• I think that the episode could have gone without the minorities note in this one: while it was a fun joke for Sue once or twice, I thought that she simply could have picked people out for being neglected in general (based on their taste in music, or their differences of opinion). The minority note felt like a forced bit of comedy, and one which never quite connected for me.