I haven't written anything here for some time. But last night I went to Secret Cinema held at KOKO in Camden and I feel the need to.
We were asked to turn up, flowers in hair and trilby hats. There was jazz playing at the fabricated late night club. After a while it became obvious that they were planning to show Amy, the Amy Winehouse documentary and I was excited; I had heard great things about the film. And it is a great film, I cannot recommend it enough. It manages to straddle that hard line for a documentary, being both edifying/illuminating and leaving space to think. It paints the picture of a woman who, in the words of her friends, wanted to disappear, but was seemingly inescapably caught in the panopticon of modern celebrity.
The film ended, the audience still lost in their own thoughts about what a life is worth, the screen lifted and behind it the words Amy Winehouse were emblazoned in glitter and members of her original band were playing Valerie. We were meant to have a party. All I wanted to do was leave.
The phrase poor taste comes to mind as we sat there, playing at being little Amys and Blakes in our simulacrum of a life plagued by the notion of being more of an idea than a person. We were ignoring the very theme of the film in order to continue looking at her as if through the cracked mirror she is shown attempting to carve Blake's name in her skin with, all surface; a confused idea of what sincerity should look like. As the band sang, the music that had been elevated to more than just words because we now knew their catalyst, were once again reduced to the spectacle her life had become. We were doing just as we always had, enjoying Winehouse as a narrative and forgetting she was a person. Everything the film decried we championed in that moment, the story of a person destroyed by our desperate need to look at her.
So I left and found myself thrown out into the streets of Camden, into the theatre of her downfall after a 'fun' night. She had served her purpose once again.
There is, of course, a hypocrisy in discussing the evils of gossip obsessed media while talking about a film that uses home movie footage of a dead woman, but I believe the film wanted us to examine our voyeuristic tendencies. The use of close-ups and disembodied voices asks us to think about our gaze, what we are looking at and why. It separated sound from vision, asking us to do the same of Winehouse's music and her persona. The film works well to give the story that was Amy Winehouse a tangible and solid centre, allowing us to get a sense of the actual person. While this could have been exploitative, the film deftly avoids that. This viewing experience, however, did not.
I've written something again, this time about the Glee Kink Meme and how it works with canon. So if you want to read about nekos and G!P but in a way that makes it sound all intellectual you should totally read it. Or y'know if you just want to read data about which ship has the most porn.
I know I don't really post here much but thought you guys might find this interesting. Fic is a big part of Tumblr and no one outside of fandom seems to be talking about this. So I have. Let me know what you think.
Glee 3x19 Prom-a-saurus (or How Glee puts the Finn in Faberry)
I have mixed feelings about this week's Glee, because Glee and consistency are like oil and water. However, before I get to the bad parts I just want to say there was one beautiful moment that had me in tears. Quinn, riding the high of knowing she actually made someone else far happier than she could ever have been, decides she wants to stop being so scared of her vulnerability and stands, held up by one of her oldest friends. For once friendship in its purest form is given a moment to shine (and it wasn't even in the script). Quinn and Santana may argue, but ultimately they know how scared and unsure the other is and they help each other stand in the face of it all. I want more of that Glee.
Back to rage, and bar the obvious Finn/Quinn scene, there was something about how they handled the Faberry story that still smacked of the show's usual issues with women.
Firstly let me say yay, Glee's attempts to write a budding Faberry friendship is often the closest they get to any kind of narrative continuity or nuanced characterisation.
Nevertheless there were numerous problems.
1. Why does no one seem worried that Rachel Berry is so willing to give up her goals?
2. Why is prom queen still seen as the only real validation a girl needs?
3. Why was Quinn's moment of self-realisation so downplayed?
4. Why did Finn still get to take the credit for making Rachel feel accepted?
5. Why is every good Faberry conversation somehow about Finn?
6. How are they still trying to paint Finn as a decent guy?
Quinn's realisation that Prom Queen wasn't everything she thought it would be, especially considering where she is in her life, was too little and too late. The moment felt hollow because as is always the way with Glee, there had been no real build up. We got glimpses of a Quinn who needed to feel like she mattered again in DWS when she was talking about Joe but they haven't really established that Quinn was in desperate need of validation. Sure she got into Yale and her PT is showing progress but what Glee wanted me to infer was that she still needed to feel acceptance. Hence her desire to not show anyone her PT progress until she was ready. She already felt like a failure, she didn't want other to keep seeing her that way. She wanted to show them 'complete' Quinn, not the version she sees as 'less than'. At least wheelchair-Quinn gets sympathy and is seen as an inspiration, in Quinn's mind sometimes-able-to-walk-Quinn is a failure who hasn't tried hard enough. Quinn has always been all or nothing, winner or loser.
This all changed after she talks with Rachel, about Finn. Because Glee can't have Rachel help Quinn see that all she needs is her friends, not the acceptance of strangers, without it being about Finn somewhere. I wish these two could have regular conversations that are just about each other and not about the boy they've been batting about since the show began. Can't women form supportive and healthy relationships with each other outside of romantic rivalry? All it does is constantly frame their friendship as either antagonistic or apologetic. Their relationship with each other is as an adjunct to Finn's story. Furthermore, it makes for a disjointed story, one minute they're friends of a sort who care about each other and the next they're back to rivals. Is Glee trying to tell the story of two girls who begin by seeing each other as enemies but learn their similarities draw them together, does it want to tell the story of two girls who fight over a boy only to find their friendship is more important than him or is it about the loser finally gaining acceptance and the popular girl learning humility? It seems Glee can never decide and as a consequence a friendship that should be the heart of what this show is about feels lost sometimes.
Glee was set up as the tale of a group of losers who find that by being together, being unafraid to be themselves, and learning to care about each other it doesn't matter that they're losers any more. I think I was supposed to believe that Quinn learned this lesson this ep, but it was so lost in the Finchel of it all that it never got the prominence it deserved. Though I will give them a thumbs up for finally having more Quinntana interaction. They're good for each other sometimes. If this is it for Quinn then surely her moment of self-acceptance deserved more, isn't this where she's been heading all along? Isn't that why they unnecessarily brought back 'conniving' Quinn, so we could see the huge change in her? This should have been Quinn's journey as much as Rachel's but they were so busy telling the broken Rachel/Hero Finn story she fell by the wayside.
Rachel was once again poorly treated this week. Firstly she seemed to forget her guilt over Quinn's accident in some post-failure psychosis. Sure they claimed Rachel just forgets that Quinn has changed but really they needed to show her as unstable. First so that Finn can remain the rational, sensible one (seriously?) and second so that he can once again swoop in and fix his poor broken girlfriend. How does he do it this time? He's allowed to steal Quinn's moment and take Rachel's win as his own victory as he dances with her and tells her how beautiful she is. Forget that Quinn gave her one perfect High School moment (thanks for the Buffy feelings, Glee), while the rest of her life seems to be falling apart, Finn thinks she's pretty. I won't even get into the issues I have with these being the validation that Rachel needs, a boyfriend and a crown, rather than finding a way to fight for her future; Glee will always tell me that girls want to be pretty and boys want to be heroes.
This is the Finn who once again decides that his view of the world is the right one, and is praised for it. Finn who sees the world in black and white and doesn't understand that things are never that simple. Finn who decided that a friend stuck in a wheelchair trumps a girlfriend who's life is in a tailspin and then gets angry when the friend isn't as helpless as he thought. Because that was the problem, Quinn wasn't as much of a lost soul as Finn thought, so then what use was he and his hero complex. Better go save Rachel instead. I really don't understand how the show can constantly laud a violent bully week after week, setting him up as a romantic hero.
There was also something off in the wording of the Faberry scene, Rachel "found a way for [Quinn] to be her friend", as if Rachel had to work at it because she didn't deserve it. But that is the story of Glee, Rachel must work and apologise and change herself and Quinn must suffer and be punished.
Plus there huge problems with the whole Becky/Puck plot, ones that again brought up female subjectivity and the need for a male saviour. This was only exacerbated by issues around depictions of disability.
For a senior prom episode I wanted more of the gang together, but I guess that's what the last 3 eps are for. I'm actually going to end up missing this damn show.
If any of you ever thought, 'hey, I wonder what stuff's most popular on the GKM?' my current research is right up your alley. The top 25 kinks of the Glee fandom as of today.
Because of this I just wrote a footnote explaining the difference between G!P and W!P (If you don't know don't ask). This job is weird sometimes.
Glee 3x18 Choke (Or The assassination of Rachel Berry by the coward RIB)
Wow. Really, wow, what was that?
This episode was a mess, another Very Special Episode of Glee that not only did a disservice to the secondary character it was trying to explore but saw to the further detriment of a central character. That character being Rachel Berry.
I understand the desire for drama, but this story smacked of easy storytelling. Glee thinks it's creating a story about romance, friendship and community, instead it's telling the story of female dependence. This wouldn't be so galling if it wasn't the opposite of the story they claimed to be telling when this show started. The only good moment in this episode - and it's awful that this was the only good scene - was when Rachel was singing her pain. Lea Michele once again showed how deliver a song in a musical, not like a pop song, but like a part of the narrative. Her anguish was palpable. It was good because for once the song was about a character using music to cope rather than the recent motivation, using music to fix someone.
I said I understand the need for drama, and I do. I get that Rachel breezing through her audition and getting into NYADA without struggle is a flat story, but rendering her incapable is not the way to create this drama. Have her car break down and miss the audition, have something happen that means she chooses to miss it because her family/friends are more important (just not Finn for once). This could show growth, allow for conflict and all without making Rachel appear incompetent and ill-equipped. I see why they did it this way, because Glee only wants to tell the story of imbalanced relationships built on dependency (I'm sure Finn will fix this for her somehow). Note how Kurt's success was depicted as a triumph of skill and bravery, of conquering. Note how in the same episode Bieste, a heretofore 'strong' woman is shown to be weak in the face of a man who is 'willing' to love her.
What got to me even more was how Rachel's failure was told. Not only was she unable to perform but in the wake of this there was no evidence of anyone caring for her but Finn and even he makes light of it. If this episode was meant to suggest that women can be there for each other as a community, can help re-build those who have failed to see the strength and endurance they possess, where was all of this for Rachel? Where were the girls picking her up, dusting her off and telling her this is not the end? Forget that Original Rachel would have had 15 back-up schools and a determination to let nothing stop her, if this really was the death of her dream why was no one else there to help her mourn? There was Kurt of course, who is allowed to love her again now that she's not a threat, but even that felt hollow. Plus I took issue with how the 'bro' scenes were about helping a friend achieve his potential and the female equivalents were about overcoming trauma and being taught how to behave.
RIB seem to have gone to the Peter Engel school of writing (if you don't know who he is look him up) where complex issues can be addressed and wrapped up in the space of an episode. I could almost forgive that if they weren't simultaneously undermining their own message at every turn. Glee is rife with violent talk and threats, even in this episode wit was suggested that hitting men is fine. I'm not sure what message they wanted to send other than Bieste is a proper woman because she's vulnerable. What a great message.
I know what's going to happen in these final few episodes because the predictability of this show has hit an all time high. I'll still watch, because I used to love these kids and this show. Saying goodbye is going to be that much sadder, not because RIB have built a story of camaraderie but because with every episode they waste the lost potential becomes even more glaring.
Do we know anything about how big the Faberry community actually is? Are there any numbers on the various sub-fangroups out there? I am just wondering, because clearly the producers must know that with the last three episodes they have willfully antagonized every Rachel and Quinn fan. At a time where ratings are dropping I really can't understand how they dared risk losing these viewers.
It's pretty much impossible to gauge the size of a fan base. From my own research I would say ardent faberry shippers that use Tumblr number about 1000/1500. However, shippers that don't use tumblr, people that ship but don't realise that's what they're doing, people who don't ship but like either of those characters; those are hard to quantify. Shippers are vocal, and they make themselves known, but they are the minority and always will be. Sure writers sometimes cater to them because those are the fans that spend the money rather than the ones that just tune in; but in the grand scheme of things they don't matter much. It's the big numbers that matter.
Glee 3x17 Dance With Somebody (or how Glee butchered characters and songs in 1 episode)
It's no surprise that I was angered by this week's Glee, I think a lot of people were. Why? Apart from the fact that I doubt many 17/18 year olds are that into Whitney, once again Glee has shown its acute misunderstanding of relationships and the gender dynamics within them, both romantic and platonic. It's quite a feat really.
The greatest issue, but by no means the only one, was Quinn Fabray, no surprises there. This week she was marginalised, demeaned and ignored. Two weeks ago they went to a lot of effort to suggest that Rachel really cared about Quinn and her wellbeing after the accident. This week it seems female friendship and camaraderie is once more thrown out the window in favour of another heroic male, Glee's favourite archetype.
Then came the bathroom scene. It starts by pointing out that Quinn is somehow 'less than', forced to perform her femininity in a warped reflective surface, as if the ritual no longer matters, she is no longer a proper woman. Then she tells the girls of ND that Joe doesn't like her and she doesn't expect him to, she's resigned to never being found sexually attractive again. At this not one of the girls tells her different, not one. They look at her with sad resigned eyes as if she's right, as if not only is she no longer attractive, but that not being attractive is a pitiable state. After all they all have someone who dotes on them, that Quinn might have to fend for herself seems like a disastrous fate. It's bad enough the scene takes place in some awful teen cliché of girls doing make up and talking about boys, but that there is no attempt to cultivate any idea of female kinship is rage inducing. Aren't these the friends that Quinn didn't want to spend the last year of High school without? But then Glee's agenda of male heroics and damsels in distress wouldn't work if the damsels were helping each other out. So instead it falls to Joe, some random character we hardly know to make poor broken Quinn feel like she's not that broken anymore. How? By proving she can still effect a sexual response in a man, because that's the worth of a woman. The worst line for me: "Do you want me to be your girlfriend?" It takes all of Quinn's power out of that decision, it makes it entirely about what he wants, about his faith, his desire and ignores hers. And how does he see her? Perfect. So not only is it about his needs, it's about his unrealistic view of her, because women can be perfect when men look at them but are entirely flawed without them. Kill me now.
I'm not sure what I thought of the overtly sexual Pezberry scene, more sexual than the Brittana number; perhaps because Glee see it as a safe female ship. After all Pezberry shippers don't have the clout of Faberry or the legitimate reasons to question the writers that Brittana shippers have. Even more frustrating, however, was their sudden friendship. Santana does not like Rachel and has consistently and vocally pointed this out. Maybe she has a begrudging affection for the girl, but if the writer's want me to believe she would willingly admit to that, give the plot a little more time. At least have Santana apologise. Also it was a slap in the face that the things she admitted she admired about Rachel were all the things the character has lost in the past few episodes. If Santana liked that Rachel so much she should be trying to keep her around. You can't make me believe a friendship because of one hug and vague compliments. Why do they even need to be friends? Is befriending the head cheerleader part of this 'awesome' Rachel character growth that sees her no longer needing Broadway because she's happy where she is? No thank you.
I don't even want to touch how Glee returns again and again to grey areas of infidelity without actually dealing with any of the issues it brings up.
The end however, the end got to me, like every damn group number does. And this one that suggested this odd group of people actually just want to spend a little more time with each other before they can't any more, it worked. They seem desperate to start wrapping this season up and sending characters off, despite having five episodes left. It means these goodbyes might drag, but the moment that it looked like we might have an original New Directions reunion I started to well up. It made me realise I want a moment with the original six reminiscent of the moment in Buffy's final episode were the Scoobies re-enacted a scene from the pilot. I want Rachel, Kurt, Artie, Tina, Mercedes and Finn (because I count it from when he joined)to do a number without anyone else, one that harks back to how this all started.
Then there was the music. How Will I Know, was fitting and well done. I Wanna Dance With Somebody actually worked as a fun dance remix but was removed from the plot in a way that seemed unnecessary. Was there no way they could fit a Brittana conversation into the episode so that the song had relevance? SAMLFY had no lyrical touchstone within the story at all. It seemed this was an exercise in writers getting to live out their Whitney memories rather than anything else. Also if I have to hear Chris sing I Have Nothing ever again I will rip off my ears, that song should have been Lea's, or at least Amber's, wasn't Mercedes meant to idolise Whitney?
All in all it made me angry and then the bastard nearly made me cry. I hate Glee.
I'll write my feelings on this ep tomorrow when I've had time to process. However, there's something I want to say now. I came to tumblr Glee fandom as an observer, an analyser, and what I found here has constantly impressed me. I've seen a lot of bad reaction to this week's episode. And I get it, I promise I do. Lots of fans, mostly Quinn and Rachel fans saying they were done with a show that keeps breaking their heart. I say don't let them win. I say keep writing fiction in which the promise of Yale and a future of her own making keeps Quinn fighting. Fic where the girls of new directions rally around to tell Quinn that one day she'll be in a relationship where she's loved for her devouring of literate and affinity for 60s pop, not her looks. Where Rachel realises her needs should always be something she holds on to. Take those single frame images of Quinn and Rachel and Santana and whoever else and turn them into the stories you want to see. Make funny gifs and stupid comics and heartbreaking romances. Don't let bad writing stop you enjoying the Glee you've created. They don't own the Glee you love anymore because they stopped making it. The Glee you love is in the collective work you make, in the way you respond to each other's creations. RIB can't destroy that. So don't watch Fox these final 4 Tuesday nights if you don't want to but don't let go of what you've made, it's a thing of beauty. (from a reluctant convert who couldn't help but lose some of her objectivity)
attheclose replied to your post: This week Glee shoehorned in trans issues, in an...
Maybe it will turn out Tina is the one who’s suffering domestic abuse. Then the only remotely healthy relationship on this show will be gone too.
It couldn't be Tina, then they'd have to give her lines. If it is her it won't be Mike, because they couldn't have a male character do something bad (the current misogyny doesn't count for them). It'll probably be someone's parents.
This week Glee shoehorned in trans issues, in an upcoming week they want to tackle domestic violence. We've already had teen alcoholism, suicide, mental health, driver safety, religion, what's this 'comedy' going to tackle next? Political asylum seekers? Universal health care?
I can't wait for the Very Special Glee that deals with the problem of caffeine pills.
I'm so excited! I'm so excited! I'm so scared...
Glee 3x16 Saturday Night Glee-ver (or how Glee needs to learn the word autonomy)
I didn't write anything about last week's episode because I wasn't near a computer most of last week. Suffice it to say that hitting a character with a truck to 'send a message' and increase ratings, and then ignoring the interesting storylines you could get out of the aftermath is just one more example of RIB's inability to grasp simple storytelling. I wanted to see Quinn in the hospital, I wanted to see the effect the crash had on her and others, it's not an effective 'message' (not that Glee should be about messages anyway) if we never see what happens. It's undermined even further if you then make jokes about 'texting while walking'. Either you want me to take you seriously, Glee, or you don't. Make up your mind.
Then there was this week's atrocity. To be honest I have very little to say because the whole thing was a farce of an episode. The 'message' this time? Women are incapable of functioning on their own and admitting this is part of growing up.
I simply don't understand how a show that sold itself as empowering and inspirational can peddle this storyline and tell us it's a positive one. Rachel, a character who always knew her own mind and her goals apparently becomes a better person by putting her boyfriend's needs first, his non-existent needs. Finn wants to do 'something', surely that comes second to Rachel's lifelong desire to be on Broadway? But no, because Finn is apparently a decent man because he's willing to reluctantly go to New York with Rachel even though that's not what he thinks he might want. But his begrudging acquiescence is rewarded by Rachel willingly putting off achieving her own goals to make him happy. See girls, if you act submissively enough you'll be worthy of a good man like Finn, one whose only real goal is to have you keep telling him how great he is. Brilliant.
Finn is lauded in this storyline, held high as a poor confused boy just trying to understand what his life means, because just like last week with Blaine, the struggles of men are so much harder and more important than those of women. Finn gets (his version of) an existential crisis this episode, San and Mercedes? They get to worry about how they're going to become famous. That's all girls want, right? For people to look at them.
And now apparently Finn's going to act, the character who has never been shown to have the slightest interest in acting; wish I could be a fly on the wall for that audition. S1 Rachel would have quite bluntly told Finn that perhaps he should attempt a less competitive career. But then S1 Rachel thought for herself rather than for Finn.
Rachel wasn't the only one to fall foul of this issue, Brittana had their fair share. This couple fascinates me because RIB can't decide which one is in charge. Because unlike the real world where a healthy relationship is about discussion and compromise, in Glee one of you makes the decisions and the other just has to agree. For the heterosexual couples it's easy, men are in charge, but for Brittana (and to some extent Klaine) they never know who to side with. This week Brittany got to be the one to teach Santana a valuable lesson. Because that's the other thing about romantic relationships, apparently they are built on a foundation of duplicity and 'teaching moments'. Santana suddenly wants fame at all costs, I don't find that idea too much of a stretch, what I do have a problem with is that rather than talk about it Britt has to trick Santana into realising her mistakes and make life decisions for her. Once again a woman can't be trusted to chose her own future.
The women of Glee are constantly apologising for wanting things, for choosing their own paths; luckily they all have someone in their lives ready to make their decisions for them. Through this process of deferring their autonomy to a 'wiser' other they 'grow' and become better people. Or as I see it, it's an infantilising process that strips Glee's female characters of any agency. Except Rachel, who always gets to choose what nauseating song she will sing at Finn in the auditorium to make him forgive her again for daring to live her own life.
Oh, and if Quinn's storyline was so important, where the hell was she?
I'll write my thoughts on last night's terrible episode later.
First, I have loved the music of Whitney Houston since I was about 4 and heard 'How Will I Know' on the radio. This means that no matter how badly they write the characters next week I am predestined to like the episode, even if it's just about musical nostalgia.
The only problem is most Whitney songs are about sacrificing for a man and I fear they have Finchel written all over them.
If I had my way the songs would be (IWDWS is a given):
So Emotional: Samcedes - because I frickin' love this song and it's lyrics are too fitting for them. If Glee don't do this it would be such a wasted opportunity.
I Have Nothing: Santana (to Brittany) - This song could cover their issues over graduation, even if some of that was covered in San's number this week.
My Love is Your Love: Group number - I like the idea of them all singing this together.
How Will I Know: Rachel (to Finn) - Because it's about time she doubted their relationship in song, even if this one would make Rachel sound needy.
Queen of the Night: Santana - Because that song just has her written all over it.
