Topics for discussion & a fic list

[astraplain]

Does anyone have clothing or color meta for Kurt and Adam? Discussions about the similarities between Elliot's wardrobe and Adam's?
What other kadam topics would people like to discuss? Fantasy season five?

Also for anyone interested, an updated list of my kadam fics on tumblr is under the cut.

Comments

[shadowc44]

I'd like to discuss other, more in-character ways Season 5 could have gone. I'd have preferred it if all the characters started growing up and realizing that sometimes, just because you want something, doesn't mean it's good for you.

It would have been more interesting to see how Kurt and Adam's relationship might have developed, hopefully slowly enough for us to be sure Kurt was really ready to move on. I'd have liked to see him in a more equal relationship with someone who respected him, where they could have a more equal relationship, with honesty instead of deception.

I'd have liked to see how differently things might have gone after Finn's death, if Kurt was in a relationship with Adam, and could get some comfort from him. It wouldn't have been the best time, perhaps, for Adam to meet Kurt's family and old friends, but he might have been able to comfort Kurt a bit more.

OTOH, Kurt might have wanted Adam to stay in NY, while he handled things on his own; then when he returned to NY, he might have been able to let down some of his shields and let Adam comfort him.

[astraplain]

Thank you. This is exactly the kind of discussion that I've been missing.

I don't understand why Glee's showrunners think that contrived, out of character conflict is more interesting to the audience than a group of talented and ambitious "losers" carving out a life and a career. There's plenty of potential for humor and drama (and musical interludes) without resorting to love triangles and petty jealousy.

As for a fantasy season 5 with Adam - I would have liked to have seen a parallel between Kurt at NYADA, training for his dream and Adam, newly graduated and trying to translate that training into a career. I also would have liked to see them navigating a relationship now that Kurt's trust and first-love fantasies have been broken, especially after losing Finn - a different kind of broken trust for Kurt. It also would have been interesting to parallel Vogue.com and NYADA, with Kurt questioning whether his Broadway dream is still the right dream for him.

[shadowc44]

Ooh, yes, I love that idea! Kurt (and Rachel) would have had an opportunity to see, up-close, what it's like for a NYADA graduate to continue their dreams from there. It may have led to a part in a musical, or it may not. It would have been good for the audience, too, I think, to see that.

How frustrating it would have been for Adam, if he were having trouble getting a part he wanted, to see Rachel just handed the role of her lifetime, after she hounded the producers, that is. We could have seen his very different, but more professional approach, and might have ended up having more respect for him if he finally landed a lesser role, but it was through hard work and talent, not from refusing to take no for an answer.

The discussions the two might have had, with Kurt contributing his opinions as well, about the ethics of her method versus his. I can see Rachel being all smug, "Well, you may think you have the moral high ground, but I AM Fanny Brice!" And then eventually see her lose the part due to thoroughly unprofessional behavior.

I would think one of the things NYADA trains their students in, is to how behave once you do have a role. Just getting it isn't all there is to it; you have to show that you're mature enough that they can trust you to be reliable. I think Rachel is going to be a raging diva for a while, and I hope she gets called on it by the producers.

What kind of message is that sending to young musical theater hopefuls in the audience? They should at least have shown someone with more experience go through the process in a different way, with different results, for contrast. Then, even if they insisted Rache is a star and will always succeed, the audience would have a more realistic view of what it's like for mere mortals trying to succeed in that business.

It would have provided some conflict for Kurt, torn between the two of them, not wanting to take sides, but realizing that at some point in his future, he's going to have to make a decision as to which type of approach he'll take. Does he want to be a star badly enough to resort to the sort of tactics Rachel used? How good would he feel about any role he got that way?

Plus we could have seen a contrast in Adam and Kurt auditioning for the same role, perhaps. Maybe Adam would invite Kurt to sign up for a different part in a play he was trying for, or even the same part. Wouldn't it be interesting to see what happened? If Kurt were asked to audition for the part Adam was trying for, and the producers really liked him, would he take it, knowing how devastating it was for him to be in that situation? And knowing that he's still got 3 years of school left, but Adam is trying to support himself.

And yes, we could have seen Kurt blossom at Vogue.com, working hard at being a receptionist/assistant, learning everything he could, being as professional as possible, and impressing all the right people.

What if, at some point, Isabelle offered him a full-time, paying job as some kind of junior designer? (I'm not really sure how the fashion industry works.) If he had to make the choice between becoming a designer, with no guarantee he would ever become as famous as his idols, or continuing at NYADA, where he would also have a lot of competition for roles, but with fewer who could match him vocally.

I think it would have been a fascinating struggle for him, and the audience. And I'd have loved to see how Adam would react, what sort of advice and support he'd offer, or if he'd just insist Kurt had to make the decision without his influence, but that he'd love and support his condition, because he believes in Kurt.

Anyway, yes, obviously there are lots of things to discuss! I hope others are going to join in as well! :)

[astraplain]

This is exactly the kind of show I would enjoy watching. I don't want to see a privileged few get rewards they don't deserve while everyone else gets scraps.

I especially like your idea of contrasting Rachel and Adam as they both prepare for their first professional acting job.
She seemed to view Adam as unworthy because of the Apples, so it would be nice to have her learn from someone "lesser" that everyone at NYADA is as talented, hardworking and deserving as she is.

Rather than have Rachel lose the part - because she would blame everyone else and not learn anything - I'd rather see her debut and get all tepid reviews. I don't want her to fail but I do want her to put in the effort like everyone else, and I want her to understand and appreciate that her success is due to lots of work and a little bit of luck, not because she's special, better or more deserving than everyone else.

The best part of the Rachel - Adam contrast is that it would allow her to learn without putting the burden on Kurt. And, it might finally give her an understanding that how she treats Kurt is not how a friend should be treated.

Just imagine if Chris Colfer would write an episode about this.

[shadowc44]

That would be great! I'm sure Chris shares a lot of our frustrations about the direction the show is going in. The way I see it, it used to give kids hope. Even if you're different and people don't accept you because of that, you can still find your passion and your talent and do what you love. It doesn't guarantee you'll be a superstar, but it shows that you have worth beyond your appearance or the things people use to judge others.

What the audience is being shown now is that it doesn't matter how hard you work, the only way to be a success is if you're one of those privileged few who is used to getting everything handed to them. It doesn't matter if you have true talent, because charisma, manipulation, and underhanded tactics will get you further than raw talent, ambition and hard work ever will. And that's a horrible lesson for the viewing audience. Some might well think, what's the point of even trying, if the parts I want are always going to go to someone who's conventionally good-looking, who knows how to use everyone around them to further their own ambition?

In one of the first episodes, Rachel said, "being part of something special makes you special." What they're showing us now is, "being part of something special means you get to be the back-up singer and dancer for someone who will walk all over you to get what they want, and you'd better be damn grateful that someone is allowing you even that much."

I wonder how many impressionable show-biz hopefuls in the audience have actually given up on their dreams, because they're not a Rachel or a Blaine who are constantlly praised by everyone and handed everything they want? How many Adams, for instance, may decide to go into another, safer field and forget their dreams entirely, because everyone around them tells them they're not good enough and they don't deserve a chance to prove their worth?

I really hope, whatever Chris writes, it goes back to the theme of following your dreams, working hard at your goals, and persisting, no matter what others tell you. It's worked out well for him, and it's been a theme in his writing so far. I would love it if he could bring some of the hope and joy back to Glee, even if it's just for one episode.