Thoughts About Glee and its Fandom Now that the Show is Over
So, Glee came to an end a couple days ago, after 6 years, and being confronted with that fact, as well as seeing some emotional posts and comments has made me surprisingly sentimental and nostalgic on the subject. And although I’ve said some of these things on Tumblr and ontd_glee, getting my thoughts out on the matter inspired me to make my first entry here on my journal in some two and a half years.
Somehow, I stuck it through with the show through the bitter end, even though, to be quite honest, it was pretty bad for the last 3-3.5 years, with the cast as by far the best part, as I just couldn’t walk away from it. However, that’s not was important about the show to me.
Sure, it was just a TV show that had degenerated into a pathetic shell of its former self, leaving a trail of wasted potential behind, with occasional flashes of its former glory being bittersweet because of that. Because it had gotten so bad, most of the fandom, myself included, were hoping for the end to come so that we could be free, and yet, now that it’s over, it somehow feels like a chapter of my life is coming to a close, one that I’m having a much harder time saying goodbye to than I thought I would.
See, Glee was the first fandom I really got involved in. Sure, there were plenty of other shows that I watched, and some that I followed to some extent online, read fics for, and so on, but Glee was the first time that I started interacting with other fans online. Matter of fact, the reason I signed up for Livejournal & Tumblr in the first place was for fandom interactions.
And it was the fandom that made watching a show that was as… uneven… as Glee a worthwhile experience. It started out with commenting on stories that interested me, then moved on to interacting with authors more and more, talking about their stories and those aspects of the show and fandom that were troublesome. (Special shoutout to sulkygeek and memoryofamemory here; if you’re reading this, hope that life’s treating you well.) Then there’s ontd_glee, where I found my fandom ‘home’ as it were, and really made the experience of watching the show & being part of the fandom for me. I’ll fondly remember all the people I met (including most of my Tumblr mutual follows), all the fun with episode discussions, the assorted polls, Fic Rec Saturdays, the snarkiness about what sucked about the show, discussing the cast (and mocking their miscues) and especially the FFAFs where I chatted with all those people and spent many a Friday night while they were still a thing.
Of course, things eventually reach their peak before it all goes downhill from there, and Glee was no exception. Soon after the first 13 episodes, the quality of the writing started to decline (though there were hints of that beforehand), and as things progressed into Season 2 and into Season 3, it increasingly became a problem, with bad writing, implausibility, inconsistent characterization, character assassination, using some characters as little more than plot devices or as props to other characters, continuity errors, and things that were downright offensive becoming more and more noticeable, which in turn, took its toll on the show, with it going into a notable decline during Season 3, and starting its death spiral in Season 4. Even with the final season being notably better than the two before it, possibly recapturing some of what made Glee good in the past, it was far too little, far too late.
(As an aside, someone on ontd_glee, when putting the media reactions and reviews into the comments for the final episode post, found an article from the AV Club where they went into some detail about how the show, in addition to the problems with writing and inconsistency, managed to wreck itself attempting to cash in on its own success that was interesting, especially in light of how one of the consistent criticisims of the show on _glee over the years has been RIB making poor creative decisions in an effort to chase iTunes sales.)
And that decline in quality became notable not just in falling ratings, but in the decline of fandom activity. Fewer fics were written or updated as authors turned their attention away from Glee (frex, it’s been almost half a year since one was posted to the LJ Faberry community and nearly 9 months with the Brittana one, and those were after a long drought), a similar decline in fanart, manip, and gifset production, and fewer people actively participating in the discussions. Over at ontd_glee, that showed up in how the community became fairly inactive over the last couple years, with the amount of comments on episode discussion posts going from say 700-1000 during Season 3 to 7-10 for those of Season 6, or how FFAFs were discontinued a couple years ago because there just wasn’t enough activity to make them worth the effort.
Yet despite how the show increasingly sucked, and however much I wanted to leave it, there was this little part of me that never could say goodbye and didn’t stop believin’, and it was that which kept me watching. And it was the fandom which sparked and kept that bit alive, as it was the desire to keep interacting with the people I met through the discussions, even if it was just to snark and commiserate about how bad the show had gotten. Well, either that, or some latent sadomasochistic tendencies, lol.
However, like the show already has, it feels like the fandom must too come to an end of sorts. Without new material to discuss, the communities, boards, and whatnot that haven’t already will soon start to go dark, many of the remaining fic writers, fan artists & manip makers will start running out of inspiration and things to write, and will go elsewhere if they keep at that sort of thing, and the rest of us will start to go our separate ways as we find new shows and fandoms to pique our interest. Already, I can see signs of that on my Tumblr dash, as what was once a fairly steady diet of Glee posts has changed with shows like Orphan Black, Empire, Jane the Virgin, and The 100 are now filling my screen (Orphan Black being one of the things I’m into now.) Still, there will be the occasional Tumblr post, fic, or other reference online that will bring a brief smile as it reminds us of something we liked about the show. And perhaps in a few years one of the cast will do a tell-all book or interview, or perhaps a True Hollywood Story episode focusing on Glee that’ll answer some of our lingering questions about what was going on behind the scenes, bring back memories, and possibly spark some discussion, though it’s not like it’ll bring things back to what they were.
I don’t know if I’ll ever get so involved with a show or other fandom again, but regardless of what happens later, it’ll be all the memories of the fandom, the show, and keeping in touch with some of those we met along the way that will be what I take away from all this. I’m going to miss it, especially the way it was through 2012, as that was the best part of the Glee experience. So, thank you to everyone in the fandom who made it what it was.
There’s a couple quotes from Rachel, one from the pilot, and the second from her Tony acceptance speech in the finale, that beyond their parallels and showing how characters changed, seem to encapsulate the fandom experience
So now, it’s time to say goodbye to all the characters who we tuned in to watch- Quinn, Rachel, Santana, Tina, Brittany, Mercedes, Kitty, Sugar, Emma, Sue, and Artie just to name my personal favorites. It was great watching your journeys over the years.
Seeing Rachel, with her drive and determination become the Broadway star we knew she was destined to be. Or Quinn- as Rachel put it, the prettiest girl that she had ever seen, but was a lot more than that , as we saw all the complexity while she overcame far more than her fair share of obstacles (to be completely honest, a good number of those being self-inflicted.) Then there’s Brittany & Santana, growing from what was presented as a couple cheerleader stereotypes into a couple remarkable young women who overcame their own hang-ups to not only rose to their full potential but find each other. With Mercedes and Tina, despite their often being relegated to the background managed to overcome that and build their confidence to where they eventually achieved success, Mercedes becoming one of the top singers and Tina making her way in the indie film world (even though it was just a tad absurd for Tina to have to wait until the episode that flashed back to the beginning just before the jumping to the future finale to be able to finish a song without getting interrupted.) Kitty, who also started as a cheerleader sterotype, as well as coming off as just a remix of Quinn and Santana, yet grew into someone who cared for her friends & team-mates, giving them the occasional kick in the pants, and developed a knack for saying what was off about things, mixed with an entertainingly snarky attitude. (Glee’s famous meta at work.) Emma’s eccentricities and the pamphlets had their charms as did Sugar’s derpiness, while Sue’s often absurdly over-the-top antics were a reminder that this was supposed to be a comedy.
Still you all deserved much better from the writers than that bumpy ride you got, and although we only got to see a few of you get your happy endings and a few others look like they're doing alright, hope that all of you are treated well by life in whatever happens after the final curtain. Even though you've now left the airwaves & TV screens for the realms of syndicated reruns, DVDs, fanfics, and memories, you'll still be remembered fondly.
As for the last batch of new kids, Jane, Madison, Mason, Spencer, & Roderick, though we didn't see much of you, you looked like an interesting bunch, and perhaps if you came around earlier, things might have been better (predicated on the rather large assumption the writers wouldn't screw up with you as badly as they did with everyone else.)
Also, a big thank you to the cast- Dianna, Lea, Naya, Amber, Jenna, Becca, Heather, Vanessa, Jayma, Jane, Kevin, Chris, and Harry- your chemistry, hard work, and efforts to make something out of the often questionable writing you had to work with was what made this show something special in the beginning, what kept it working as long as it did, and part of why I stuck with the show through the very end no matter how bad it got. (I'll be generous and say that Mark, Matt, & Chord had a few moments as well.) I wish you all the best in your future careers, and hope that you move on to bigger and better things.
And a moment of silence for Cory, who tragically left us far too early. As anyone whose followed my comments on the show is aware, I had my issues with the character Finn, but despite it all, both he and Cory always seemed like a big part of the heart of the show. Things were never the same without you. RIP.
.
.
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Glee (May 19, 2009 - March 20, 2015)
So long and thanks for all the fish. It’s been one heck of a ride.
Somehow, I stuck it through with the show through the bitter end, even though, to be quite honest, it was pretty bad for the last 3-3.5 years, with the cast as by far the best part, as I just couldn’t walk away from it. However, that’s not was important about the show to me.
Sure, it was just a TV show that had degenerated into a pathetic shell of its former self, leaving a trail of wasted potential behind, with occasional flashes of its former glory being bittersweet because of that. Because it had gotten so bad, most of the fandom, myself included, were hoping for the end to come so that we could be free, and yet, now that it’s over, it somehow feels like a chapter of my life is coming to a close, one that I’m having a much harder time saying goodbye to than I thought I would.
See, Glee was the first fandom I really got involved in. Sure, there were plenty of other shows that I watched, and some that I followed to some extent online, read fics for, and so on, but Glee was the first time that I started interacting with other fans online. Matter of fact, the reason I signed up for Livejournal & Tumblr in the first place was for fandom interactions.
And it was the fandom that made watching a show that was as… uneven… as Glee a worthwhile experience. It started out with commenting on stories that interested me, then moved on to interacting with authors more and more, talking about their stories and those aspects of the show and fandom that were troublesome. (Special shoutout to sulkygeek and memoryofamemory here; if you’re reading this, hope that life’s treating you well.) Then there’s ontd_glee, where I found my fandom ‘home’ as it were, and really made the experience of watching the show & being part of the fandom for me. I’ll fondly remember all the people I met (including most of my Tumblr mutual follows), all the fun with episode discussions, the assorted polls, Fic Rec Saturdays, the snarkiness about what sucked about the show, discussing the cast (and mocking their miscues) and especially the FFAFs where I chatted with all those people and spent many a Friday night while they were still a thing.
Of course, things eventually reach their peak before it all goes downhill from there, and Glee was no exception. Soon after the first 13 episodes, the quality of the writing started to decline (though there were hints of that beforehand), and as things progressed into Season 2 and into Season 3, it increasingly became a problem, with bad writing, implausibility, inconsistent characterization, character assassination, using some characters as little more than plot devices or as props to other characters, continuity errors, and things that were downright offensive becoming more and more noticeable, which in turn, took its toll on the show, with it going into a notable decline during Season 3, and starting its death spiral in Season 4. Even with the final season being notably better than the two before it, possibly recapturing some of what made Glee good in the past, it was far too little, far too late.
(As an aside, someone on ontd_glee, when putting the media reactions and reviews into the comments for the final episode post, found an article from the AV Club where they went into some detail about how the show, in addition to the problems with writing and inconsistency, managed to wreck itself attempting to cash in on its own success that was interesting, especially in light of how one of the consistent criticisims of the show on _glee over the years has been RIB making poor creative decisions in an effort to chase iTunes sales.)
And that decline in quality became notable not just in falling ratings, but in the decline of fandom activity. Fewer fics were written or updated as authors turned their attention away from Glee (frex, it’s been almost half a year since one was posted to the LJ Faberry community and nearly 9 months with the Brittana one, and those were after a long drought), a similar decline in fanart, manip, and gifset production, and fewer people actively participating in the discussions. Over at ontd_glee, that showed up in how the community became fairly inactive over the last couple years, with the amount of comments on episode discussion posts going from say 700-1000 during Season 3 to 7-10 for those of Season 6, or how FFAFs were discontinued a couple years ago because there just wasn’t enough activity to make them worth the effort.
Yet despite how the show increasingly sucked, and however much I wanted to leave it, there was this little part of me that never could say goodbye and didn’t stop believin’, and it was that which kept me watching. And it was the fandom which sparked and kept that bit alive, as it was the desire to keep interacting with the people I met through the discussions, even if it was just to snark and commiserate about how bad the show had gotten. Well, either that, or some latent sadomasochistic tendencies, lol.
However, like the show already has, it feels like the fandom must too come to an end of sorts. Without new material to discuss, the communities, boards, and whatnot that haven’t already will soon start to go dark, many of the remaining fic writers, fan artists & manip makers will start running out of inspiration and things to write, and will go elsewhere if they keep at that sort of thing, and the rest of us will start to go our separate ways as we find new shows and fandoms to pique our interest. Already, I can see signs of that on my Tumblr dash, as what was once a fairly steady diet of Glee posts has changed with shows like Orphan Black, Empire, Jane the Virgin, and The 100 are now filling my screen (Orphan Black being one of the things I’m into now.) Still, there will be the occasional Tumblr post, fic, or other reference online that will bring a brief smile as it reminds us of something we liked about the show. And perhaps in a few years one of the cast will do a tell-all book or interview, or perhaps a True Hollywood Story episode focusing on Glee that’ll answer some of our lingering questions about what was going on behind the scenes, bring back memories, and possibly spark some discussion, though it’s not like it’ll bring things back to what they were.
I don’t know if I’ll ever get so involved with a show or other fandom again, but regardless of what happens later, it’ll be all the memories of the fandom, the show, and keeping in touch with some of those we met along the way that will be what I take away from all this. I’m going to miss it, especially the way it was through 2012, as that was the best part of the Glee experience. So, thank you to everyone in the fandom who made it what it was.
There’s a couple quotes from Rachel, one from the pilot, and the second from her Tony acceptance speech in the finale, that beyond their parallels and showing how characters changed, seem to encapsulate the fandom experience
So now, it’s time to say goodbye to all the characters who we tuned in to watch- Quinn, Rachel, Santana, Tina, Brittany, Mercedes, Kitty, Sugar, Emma, Sue, and Artie just to name my personal favorites. It was great watching your journeys over the years.
Seeing Rachel, with her drive and determination become the Broadway star we knew she was destined to be. Or Quinn- as Rachel put it, the prettiest girl that she had ever seen, but was a lot more than that , as we saw all the complexity while she overcame far more than her fair share of obstacles (to be completely honest, a good number of those being self-inflicted.) Then there’s Brittany & Santana, growing from what was presented as a couple cheerleader stereotypes into a couple remarkable young women who overcame their own hang-ups to not only rose to their full potential but find each other. With Mercedes and Tina, despite their often being relegated to the background managed to overcome that and build their confidence to where they eventually achieved success, Mercedes becoming one of the top singers and Tina making her way in the indie film world (even though it was just a tad absurd for Tina to have to wait until the episode that flashed back to the beginning just before the jumping to the future finale to be able to finish a song without getting interrupted.) Kitty, who also started as a cheerleader sterotype, as well as coming off as just a remix of Quinn and Santana, yet grew into someone who cared for her friends & team-mates, giving them the occasional kick in the pants, and developed a knack for saying what was off about things, mixed with an entertainingly snarky attitude. (Glee’s famous meta at work.) Emma’s eccentricities and the pamphlets had their charms as did Sugar’s derpiness, while Sue’s often absurdly over-the-top antics were a reminder that this was supposed to be a comedy.
Still you all deserved much better from the writers than that bumpy ride you got, and although we only got to see a few of you get your happy endings and a few others look like they're doing alright, hope that all of you are treated well by life in whatever happens after the final curtain. Even though you've now left the airwaves & TV screens for the realms of syndicated reruns, DVDs, fanfics, and memories, you'll still be remembered fondly.
As for the last batch of new kids, Jane, Madison, Mason, Spencer, & Roderick, though we didn't see much of you, you looked like an interesting bunch, and perhaps if you came around earlier, things might have been better (predicated on the rather large assumption the writers wouldn't screw up with you as badly as they did with everyone else.)
Also, a big thank you to the cast- Dianna, Lea, Naya, Amber, Jenna, Becca, Heather, Vanessa, Jayma, Jane, Kevin, Chris, and Harry- your chemistry, hard work, and efforts to make something out of the often questionable writing you had to work with was what made this show something special in the beginning, what kept it working as long as it did, and part of why I stuck with the show through the very end no matter how bad it got. (I'll be generous and say that Mark, Matt, & Chord had a few moments as well.) I wish you all the best in your future careers, and hope that you move on to bigger and better things.
And a moment of silence for Cory, who tragically left us far too early. As anyone whose followed my comments on the show is aware, I had my issues with the character Finn, but despite it all, both he and Cory always seemed like a big part of the heart of the show. Things were never the same without you. RIP.
.
.
.
Glee (May 19, 2009 - March 20, 2015)
So long and thanks for all the fish. It’s been one heck of a ride.