I'm beginning to see the light
My life this Easter weekend has consisted of four things:
1) Major Doctor Who squee on a very large and pokeable stick
2) Work, but whatever, we don't wanna talk about that.
3) Mega run-through of Supernatural, starting from season 2 and half way through season 4 as we speak.
4) A rather ridiculous and unhealthy crush on both Jenson Ackles and Jared Padalecki resulting from said square-eye Supernatural viewings.
So much of the above happened all at once that I completely forgot to watch Glee last night.
I'm still on UK showings with Glee, so must people are ahead of me, but today I finally got to see the infamous Kurt and Blaine kiss.
Glee has a lot of flaws: it's silly and twee and daft and the plots often leave a LOT to be desired. And from a more academic sense, they take on huge issues (disability, race, feminism, gay rights) and aren't always brilliant at following it through. For example, getting a most beloved gay character to spout off about bisexuality isn't ever going to be a good move, whatever angst-ridden plot points he might be going through at the time.
But you know, Kurt and Blaine really, really work for me. I love them. I love their silly teenage romance and the way they struggle with the basics of their sexuality (meaning, the actual SEX part).
It's easy to get down on shows like Glee. Any piece of literature or pop culture that attempts to go to these places often gets blown apart by well-meaning, smart but essentially disillusioned people. I should know, I'm one of those people. Buffy aims to empower all women, as long as they're white and middle class that is. Harry Potter makes a big song and dance out of 'smart girls' but never actually manages to get far past any stereotypes. And Twilight tries to integrate outsiders but...no, actually, their are no redeeming equal rights factors in Twilight. I tried to find them, honestly I did.
But you know, at least they're attempting to walk the walk, not just talk the talk. Glee doesn't hitch a couple of gay men up on a mountain, in a time and place none of us can relate to and make a tragedy out of them (that's you, Brokeback Mountain). Neither does it ham it up in luxury New York apartments in a ridiculous delusion of life that's humourous but never anything but fantasy (O HAI, Will and Grace). Who can't relate to the teenage angst of loving someone who doesn't notice we exist? Who hasn't dreamed the fantasy of them suddenly noticing us in a different light, and wanted to be with us? Hell, I'm having that fantasy about Sam Winchester rite nao, and he's not even real. And who doesn't belt out power ballads about our unrequited loves once in a while? (okay, maybe that's just me).
My point is, I get Blaine and Kurt. I understand their emotions and their relationship because they are my emotions and my relationships, and it doesn't matter that I am heterosexual and they are homosexual, because the feelings are all the same. So can we, for once, stop pointing out everything these shows do wrong, and take a moment to appreciate what they've done right? I KNOW there is a long way to go, I get that, and I understand that I have it easy compared to so many people to be born in the place, body and time that I have. But sometimes you need to stop pushing ahead for a moment, take a deep breath and say "hey, look how far we've come". We have an openly gay, perfectly normal teenage relationship between two boys on mainstream tv. I bloody love that. Kurt and Blaine, may your adorable youth-filled drama snogging continue on my telly for a very very long time. I thank you.
1) Major Doctor Who squee on a very large and pokeable stick
2) Work, but whatever, we don't wanna talk about that.
3) Mega run-through of Supernatural, starting from season 2 and half way through season 4 as we speak.
4) A rather ridiculous and unhealthy crush on both Jenson Ackles and Jared Padalecki resulting from said square-eye Supernatural viewings.
So much of the above happened all at once that I completely forgot to watch Glee last night.
I'm still on UK showings with Glee, so must people are ahead of me, but today I finally got to see the infamous Kurt and Blaine kiss.
Glee has a lot of flaws: it's silly and twee and daft and the plots often leave a LOT to be desired. And from a more academic sense, they take on huge issues (disability, race, feminism, gay rights) and aren't always brilliant at following it through. For example, getting a most beloved gay character to spout off about bisexuality isn't ever going to be a good move, whatever angst-ridden plot points he might be going through at the time.
But you know, Kurt and Blaine really, really work for me. I love them. I love their silly teenage romance and the way they struggle with the basics of their sexuality (meaning, the actual SEX part).
It's easy to get down on shows like Glee. Any piece of literature or pop culture that attempts to go to these places often gets blown apart by well-meaning, smart but essentially disillusioned people. I should know, I'm one of those people. Buffy aims to empower all women, as long as they're white and middle class that is. Harry Potter makes a big song and dance out of 'smart girls' but never actually manages to get far past any stereotypes. And Twilight tries to integrate outsiders but...no, actually, their are no redeeming equal rights factors in Twilight. I tried to find them, honestly I did.
But you know, at least they're attempting to walk the walk, not just talk the talk. Glee doesn't hitch a couple of gay men up on a mountain, in a time and place none of us can relate to and make a tragedy out of them (that's you, Brokeback Mountain). Neither does it ham it up in luxury New York apartments in a ridiculous delusion of life that's humourous but never anything but fantasy (O HAI, Will and Grace). Who can't relate to the teenage angst of loving someone who doesn't notice we exist? Who hasn't dreamed the fantasy of them suddenly noticing us in a different light, and wanted to be with us? Hell, I'm having that fantasy about Sam Winchester rite nao, and he's not even real. And who doesn't belt out power ballads about our unrequited loves once in a while? (okay, maybe that's just me).
My point is, I get Blaine and Kurt. I understand their emotions and their relationship because they are my emotions and my relationships, and it doesn't matter that I am heterosexual and they are homosexual, because the feelings are all the same. So can we, for once, stop pointing out everything these shows do wrong, and take a moment to appreciate what they've done right? I KNOW there is a long way to go, I get that, and I understand that I have it easy compared to so many people to be born in the place, body and time that I have. But sometimes you need to stop pushing ahead for a moment, take a deep breath and say "hey, look how far we've come". We have an openly gay, perfectly normal teenage relationship between two boys on mainstream tv. I bloody love that. Kurt and Blaine, may your adorable youth-filled drama snogging continue on my telly for a very very long time. I thank you.