Glee: Social Concept for the Couchridden

Glee has officially become the most over-the-top socially conscious television show to hit airwaves.  We have dealt with teen pregnancy, high school popularity, minority equality, and teen drug involvement.  As if we were attending a new school awareness assembly, we head into new episodes asking “what adolescent issue will we be delving into now?”

This week does not deviate.  Glee focuses on disabilities this week, both mental and physical.  While these are very serious issues, it feels awkward at moments because of the sensitivity involved in such matters.  However, more to come on that a little later…

My first concern surrounding this episode of Glee was that it seemed to focus more on the soap opera-esque pregnancy of Quinn, and Finn’s inability to get a job to pay for doctors (join the group, buddy – just do like the rest of us and blame it on the economy) than the actual singing – which has obviously been the bread and butter of the show.

**Brief digression**

Can we talk about how unbelievably (insert adjective for attractive here) Quinn (Dianna Agron) is?  I really think she has made me a believer in true love.  I can’t decide whether it’s the perfect arrangement of every single facial feature, the soft tones of her voice and innocent laugh, or her irrefutably captivating smile; her brief food fight with Puck while cooking cupcakes could have been an Orbit Gum commercial with those knee-weakening pearls.

**Brief digression ended**

Aside from Finn’s economic and intellectual hardships, the episode centers around Artie’s (Kevin McHale) inability to ride the team bus to the upcoming competition because of his physical disability.  (By the way, are we ever going to actually see one of these competitions?  It would be pretty entertaining while adding a little substance to the whole existence of this motley crew.) This also leads to one of the two funniest lines of the episode courtesy of Ms. Santana Lopez (Naya Rivera), “I mean bake sales are kind of bougie.” (The second comes from Artie to Tina; “I want to be clear, I have full use of my penis”)  There is truly nothing like a suggestive remark about class and social status in a show preaching social mores, but it is still hilarious nonetheless.  Secondly, the show focuses on the showdown between Kurt (Chris Colfer) and Rachel (Lea Michele) for the lead role singing “Defying Gravity” from the musical Wicked.

Traditionally the song is performed in a higher scale, thus Mr. Schuester hands the lead to Rachel.  However, after standing up for his musical ability and with a little help from Mr. Hummel (the constantly hat adorning Global Guts host, Mike O’Malley – come on buddy, we know you’re bald) Kurt gets a chance to win the part.  Aside from Artie’s repetitive rendition of Dancing with Myself, and the decent final number of Tina Turner’s Rolling on a River (which I took, mainly, that I might seriously considering wearing skinny suspenders with just about anything else I wear from now on), the ‘diva-off’ is somewhat of a letdown in terms of satiating the audiences desire for some real music.

A few other things I’ve taken from this episode:

*Sue is actually not as frustrating a character as she has been for the first 7 episodes, taking care of her mentally disabled sister and taking on another disabled girl for the Cheerios.  And Schuester might be getting a little bit too dictator-y.

*Artie really blew it with Tina.  Come on man, because she faked a stutter?  I mean, the girl clearly has issues, but for all the creepy weird-kid staring both engaged in, Artie let me down.

*Every episode without Terri is a winner in my book.  The sooner Schu cuts her out of the picture the better.

*Nostalgic moment thanks to Puck – while handing over the funds raised (with the help of weed infused cupcakes), a shout-out is given to the beloved Natty Light, making anyone who didn’t live underneath a rock in high school warm and tingly on the inside.

Overall, I have to admit that this was a pretty good episode, despite its attempts at social commentary.   At this point, however, after getting a little bit about most of the characters I’m going to have to give my award for most bearable character to…

And the winner is…

Wait for it…

Wait for it…

Mike Chang.  Yes Mike Chang, the kid whose only line has been that he can pop and lock.  The kid’s got moves and darnit I respect him for it.

Stay tuned for more kids.

For another take on this episode, check out Big Wheels Keep on Yearning by Alyssa Martino.

Season 1, Episode 9: Wheels  (originally aired November 11, 2009)

For more on Glee, click here.

Wednesdays at 9pm on Fox

Photographs courtesy of Fox and IMDbPro