SHEER GLEE

Posted by: Craig Detweiler (originally posted on www.purplestateofmind.com)

Perhaps American Idol’s fading star is attributable to the musical polish of GLEE.   On this week’s episode, the poignant melodies of Burt Bacharach fueled some of the most memorable television I’ve seen in years.   The late Luther Vandross turned “A House is Not a Home” into a powerhouse, show stopping production.   But Glee added another layer of heartbreak when Kurt sang it as a tribute to Finn.   Now, the ‘chair’ is much more than a chair.  It is a symbol of the loss of a parent, the loss of innocence, the unrequited love of a male cheerleader for the class jock.   That’s a lotta drama packed into one scene and song.

On the other side of the Cheerios cheerleading squad, body image became a highly charged issue.   With Sue Sylvester pressuring the team to lose ten pounds, Mercedes Jones faced an internal (and external) crisis.   Teaching at Pepperdine University, I’ve been reintroduced to the pressures faced by teen girls to conform to unrealistic beauty standards and body sizes.  It is a significant issue on our campus.   So I was thrilled to see Mercedes belt out Christina Aguilera’s “Beautiful” as a protest anthem for plus sized women everywhere.   Her background chorus of those who never quite fit in made for a rousing renunciation of Sue Sylvester.

Perhaps the reappearance of Amber (played by the remarkable Kristen Chenoweth) elevated everybody’s game this week.  Will (Matthew Morrison) seemed genuinely moved to see her spunky energy emanating from a roller rink.   Amber is so frank and unapologetic about her alcoholism and weaknesses.    Their reunion at the rink brought real “Fire” to Bruce Springsteen’s pop song.  It is so encouraging to see classic tunes ‘released’ by their publishers (and songwriters) to be rediscovered in primetime.   The record companies are finally desperate enough to make the songs available to a new generation of performers, shows, and fans.   Their losses have resulted in our gain.

Amber and Will also provided my favorite TV moment of the year, their stirring duet on “One Less Bell to Answer.”   Kudos to Glee’s director, Paris Barclay, for creating such a cinematic moment for the small screen.   And how captivating to bring “A House is Not a Home” in for a reprise.  The creators of Glee seem to have gotten inside the songs, recognizing the genuine pathos behind our finest, seemingly disposable pop songs.     I can’t remember when I was so moved by such simple staging and unadorned singing.    It generated sheer Glee.    Anybody agree?