I know I said I’d start blogging about it, but things have been hectic and I just can’t.
So I’m going to pin this post to the top, and we’re just going to chat about it here when we have stuff to say, right?
Also, because I’m not in the US, there’s a few days lag before I get to see the show, but I’m ok with being spoiled, so chat away. I might just have to wait a while to join in!
Deconstructing Glee 
Oh thanks so much! I really enjoy this show. Ok.. where to start. Let’s start with Tyler. Firstly I HATE how he keeps saying ‘I can’t cus I’m just getting used to my body’. Like I sort of understand, transition can be awkward but for eff sake it can’t be an excuse for how you can’t fecking dance. I really really think he’s a weak contender and is being kept around because he’s ‘different’ and trans and zomg that’s so inspiring. It just really irritates me him constantly using the trans thing as an excuse for EVERYTHING. I know it’s editing but he’s said it every single episode at least once.
Also, I didn’t like how whatshisname was berated for taking Mario’s stick and then THEY LEAVE IT IN THE VIDEO. You can’t admonish someone for going too far and then condone it by putting it in. Though, I aggree it went too far. It wouldn’t have been too far if he discussed it with Mario before and got permission but doing that to someone without them knowing … I can’t imagine how scary that must have been for Mario. I wonder if I might have been sort of shocked into a funk if someone did that to me.
I also really worry for Aylin going home to her folks after this. I really hope nothing awful happens for her and her parents can get their heads around her being sexy and confident.
My favourite person is Shanna at the moment but I’m not really ‘sold’ on anyone like I was last year (Alex and Hannah). But I do get the feeling that it doesn’t matter at all what people do on the gleeproject, Ryan knows who he wants already.
i dont like aylin she uses her religion to make herself special,i’m pretty sure nothing gonna happen to her ,first you live in America,second you are not a real Muslim when you don’t wear hijab,third she is a Turkish Muslim have you ever been in turkey they are free to dress however they want .
charlie has a lot of problems with boundaries and he is in love with aylin ,I’m pretty sure if he does something wrong again he is out.
abraham and nellie are my favorite.
blake is a really good actor he just shines among others but i know Ryan doesn’t want him.
abraham is a klaine and chris colfer fan so i’m crossing my finger for him to stay on this show to meet Darren criss and Chris colfer .
Ok, I have officially decided that Season 2 is not as good as Season 1, which is disappointing because I thought this season had more potential. Like, more people knew what they were looking for, so I think they had significantly better diversity in the auditions. But there are very few of them “popping” for me in a positive way.
Charlie. Either he really did something to piss off the editor, or he really has a lot of issues when it comes to entitlement and privilege, because he thinks he’s allowed to do ANYTHING. And sure, why not? I mean, Mario doesn’t need to feel safe or anything, and Nikki doesn’t mind being a few minutes behind because flirting is important. And maybe my reaction is related to my own similar diagnosis and my own Bad Choices, but yeah, I can’t cope with him on the screen for much longer.
I’ll miss Tyler, but I agree with others, he wasn’t there yet. I think Ryan Murphy wanted him in 5 years time, when he can own who he is in a way that he can’t possibly right now. And, I’m sorry, but his voice is changing. He’s missing large parts of his vocal range. He just can’t sing some stuff. But, what struck me the most was how much all the other contenders just loved Tyler — I never saw a reaction like that last season to anyone leaving, or this season. He might be a quiet, internal guy, but he obviously touched a lot of people, and that’s pretty wonderful.
I like Aylin, but she tries too hard, and she’s only about 3 years away from being last year’s Emily, which would be sad.
Lily is the one who owns her sexuality. Love or hate her, but I always find it surprising in a good way when “the big girl” is the one with the serious body confidence. Like Bob Ulrich said during the shoot, “She is owning every part of her body right now,” and it was sexy like whoa. And not easy to do, I know.
Mario, I love. And I know some of them are annoyed at how he speaks to them, but I think they also forget he cannot read their body language, and they may not be being verbal enough with him so that he knows what he’s saying is objectionable. Overall, I think he’s lovely.
Michael and Blake — I keep forgetting their names — are good looking and competent performers. But I keep forgetting they exist, which possibly is editing or just blandness.
I love Abraham. He’s beautiful, talented and he makes changes and tries hard. I really, really like Abraham. Almost the exact same can be said for Nellie.
I like Shanna, but she’s a tad too perky for me?
Ali is fun, and I wish we’d see more of her.
I really wanted Dani to be someone she wasn’t. I mean, Glee could really use a little boish dyke on the show, but Dani just wasn’t right for it. I think I was mostly rooting for the character she could have been.
I think we need to focus on what kind of characters the contestants could play on Glee, because it seems like that’s really important to the mentors. If a contestant doesn’t inspire them, they’re not going to cast them without having a clue of what their story will be.
In my opinion, the only ones that have unique backstories are Aylin, Charlie, Shanna, and Mario. Despite the fact that Aylin’s very Americanized, I think her story is even richer because she has her foot in both worlds. If Charlie can learn some boundaries, I’d love to see a story about a teen with mental handicaps, for lack of a better word, sorry if that’s offensive. I also think Shanna’s story is really powerful. There haven’t been any characters on Glee that have had to deal with a parent’s addiction and the stigma that comes with it. As for Mario, the show hasn’t had a blind character, but he rubs everyone the wrong way every time he opens his mouth.
Who do you guys think the characters could play next season?
Just to clarify about the Tyler thing. In terms of him singing? Yes, I totally think taking hormones and it messing with your range is an excuse that you’re having difficulty singing. Totally. But blaming the fact that the lad is just a shit dancer on his transition is insulting to trans people and to him. Come on dude, own it. You’ve two left feet. Don’t make it about your transition. It annoyed me that it was a crutch rather than what it could have been – inspiration. I reckon it was probably how he was framed more than how he actually was on the show but hey, theres no real way to know what he was actually like without being there. But like you said, he was universally loved on set by contenders and mentors. He looked like a sound bloke.
Still Shanna is my favourite. I have a soft sport for Ali. I think she’s a great actress and would be awesome on the show. She’s got moves too. Everyone else… I just don’t connect with.
Hello everyone, first-time commenter here.
Sooo glad that someone else besides me was bothered about Tyler using his transness as an excuse for his lack of dancing skills. I kept wanting to take him aside and say: “Dude, if you’re not ready to be treated exactly like the others in terms of being able to do physical stuff because your body is THAT much unknown territory for you (which could indeed be the case – I’ve heard of trans guys gaining a whole new sense of their bodies that was not at all limited to areas they’ve actually had surgery on), then maybe just wait a year or three before applying for a job on Glee…” I so wanted to like him but that got on my nerves REALLY quickly.
I was sad to see Dani go, because I would love, love, love to see a butch dyke on Glee (although I’d prefer someone less “cute,” personally), but she really wasn’t too much of an actor. I’m still wondering if that has anything to do with her butchness as such, masculinity and “performance” and how they often seem to rule out each other, the drag king chapter in Halberstam’s “Female Masculinity,” etc. … (unfinished thoughts). I also wonder if Nellie’s inability to “play sexy” has anything to do with her not identifying with the mainstream model of female sexiness (not as the only reason, but maybe as an aspect)… (more unfinished thoughts).
I’m incredibly glad that Charlie is gone because in the end he just seriously annoyed me (not entirely for justifiable reasons, though). I was surprised that no one of the judges ever mentioned him having ADD after that one initial statement by him – because that clearly was a major factor in his behavior. It might have helped to acknowledge that and find a way to work with/around it because he was indeed a great performer on stage. Instead he eventually started beating himself up for his issues, which probably didn’t help all that much.
My favorite at this point is Aylin, with Ali being a close second, and I’ve started to like Lily, too, after she intially rubbed me the wrong way. I liked Shanna at first, but she sort of faded into the background for me after a while. And both Blake and Michael don’t stand out for me at all; I find them terribly boring (although Blake seems to be a good actor – but why is Michael still there? I know, because Abraham blew his last last-chance performance, but still…).
So upset Lily went home and Blank — I mean Blake — is still there. Do we really need a new Finn?
Also, Zach should get a lot more screentime.
I miss Nellie. I do not miss Charlie. Still gutted Abraham isn’t going to win!
Bets on next week’s result? Will Ryan Murphy actually restrict himself to 1 winner? That’s the real question.
I don’t want to spoil it for anyone but I am SO gutted by the winner of this years Glee project. Not that they aren’t talented but.. I do feel if they were looking for someone different and special the wrong person was chosen and I was really really rooting for one of the other contenders who I felt had total Xfactor. Their attitude and talent were totally inspiring and I hope they really do well. I would have LOVED to see them on Glee and think they would have been amazing. *sadface*