Things about Glee, things about me...
Apparently the museling has some similarities to me. (This isn't really news.) I have a habit, as many of us do, of listening to a song I love over and over again. I don't do it with other people around me, and I do it less now than I used to, but I guess the idea has rubbed off on the museling through osmosis, anyway, because instead of greeting music in the car with general delight regardless of what it is (usually classical or world music with him, but sometimes just whatever I feel like listening to) now he wants one song and one song only over and over again. The song? The Glee version of "Bad Romance."
Now, I like the song. It is in my top three favorite songs of the first season (along with "Don't Rain on my Parade" and "Rose's Turn," though I have to say I am impressed by CC's greatly improved diction in his second season songs and sort of wish he could redo "Rose's Turn" now if only he could keep the brilliant emotional punch he gave it originally), partially for its catchiness but mostly for its raw fun factor for all involved. I just didn't need it to become the top played song on my iTunes thanks to my darling child.
On the plus side, this afternoon I made him listen to other things, and he demanded The Maccabeats' "Candlelight" to be repeated, so maybe we can have some variety. (If you love "Candlelight" and "The Purim Song" as I do, you can go buy them on iTunes! I was super excited when I realized that!)
*
I've been thinking recently (again) about why I love Kurt Hummel so much. I am ridiculously protective of this (hardly perfect) fictional character, to the point that I got mad at mr. muse because he made some comment about liking Rachel's voice better, which, you know, is a crazy reason to get mad. Have you heard her sing?
Then I realized. Kurt Hummel was my best friend in high school. Actually, three of my best friends.
I know I've talked about T before. T is sort of the bullied side of Kurt. He is a year older than I am and is from a conservative town in the midwest. His parents sent him to my school - a rigorous, liberal boarding/day prep school in New England - partly for the education it would give him but also to get him away from all of the people beating him up or otherwise harassing him in his local school. T was artistic, interested in the theater, and always had an edgy haircut and vintage clothing. He struggled greatly with his sexuality, and when we first became best friends (when I was a freshman and he was a sophomore) there was definitely a lot of harmless flirtation, too. We took many long walks and talked about anything and everything, as one does at that age. I remember in specific him saying to me that he just couldn't picture himself getting married and having kids, and he was really confused about why he didn't. He was bewildered and ashamed.
It took him until his junior year to come out as gay, and I think the world made sense for him, finally. He still got enough negative attention in the dorms that he switched to a different one with fewer jocks, and townies would call slurs to him from their cars as they drove past, but he dove even more enthusiastically into the theater, surrounded himself with open-minded, snarky, artistic friends, and just seemed so much happier. We lost touch when we went off to college, but last I heard he was mentoring at-risk LBGT youth.
My friend S is also Kurt, in a way. He is exceptionally musically talented, both in voice and in piano. If he played the piano in one of the common rooms I knew it was him just by walking by the open window. Some of my favorite memories of that time in my life are singing with him and my other friends; during our Gilbert and Sullivan performance my junior year we stood near each other but couldn't let our eyes meet because we'd get in trouble for grinning too broadly at each other. He's one of the nicest people I will ever know, and I love him to death. He also struggled with his sexuality in high school and dated a female friend of ours for a while before coming out. (It was such a weird relationship; we all were relieved when he said he was gay!)
S had big dreams. He knew he was talented enough to play professionally, and he was determined in his own laughing way to do it. He worked hard, went to a good university, and plays now in New York and has won numerous awards. I saw him a few years ago, and he is still as warm and wonderful as ever, despite having grown a thick skin for his business.
[ETA: I just did some serious googling and found a page with a picture of him and burst into tears.]
Then there was G. G is the flamboyant side of Kurt. He was the one who came to school with new hair colors and piercings because he got bored overnight and who found awesome punk clothes at vintage shops in the city. He loved standing out. He liked putting on his clothing as armor and shocking people. (Some freshmen were dared to dress like him for a day when we were seniors; it was hysterical.) He's also the part of Kurt who just wants to be loved for himself; beneath it all he was ridiculously sweet and shy. (He's also a bit of Spike, actually, but that's a thought for another day.)
I saw him a few years ago, too, and it was bizarre to see him with regular brown hair! But he's happily married and seemed very centered; we had a really good talk about all of the ways we expressed ourselves in high school to try to figure out who we really were.
It isn't a one-to-one comparison between Kurt and any one of these men. I love the fictional character of Kurt Hummel on his own fabulous and unique merits as shown on my screen. Still, when I am blown away by Kurt's musical talent it touches the memory of S. When I see him standing up to bullies, I am reminded of T. When I applaud him being fierce and fabulous, I think of G. I wouldn't be who I am without these three friends from such a formative point in my life, and I wish I'd been wiser than my years so I could have supported them better. I mean, I was a good friend, but sometimes I didn't know what to say to show my support and love, and I wish I could go back now that I do.
All I can say now is that nobody better talk smack about my Kurt! ;)
*
Anyway, I leave you with a fic rec. I've mentioned how much I love miggy's Glee fic before (and she's doing a Glee-characters-on-Survivor poll thingy right now that is ridiculously fun), but I don't think I've mentioned her "Mostverse" series in particular. It follows Kurt and Rachel (and some others in and out, but mostly about Kurt and Rachel in a non-shippy way) through their college years, and it is a wonderful fic about friendship, growing up, and the reality of having big dreams. It is a really mature look at these characters, and I love this series to pieces. It is my personal canon, and I wish Glee would spin off into this story when the characters graduate. I want to be able to see it, not just read it.
Now, I like the song. It is in my top three favorite songs of the first season (along with "Don't Rain on my Parade" and "Rose's Turn," though I have to say I am impressed by CC's greatly improved diction in his second season songs and sort of wish he could redo "Rose's Turn" now if only he could keep the brilliant emotional punch he gave it originally), partially for its catchiness but mostly for its raw fun factor for all involved. I just didn't need it to become the top played song on my iTunes thanks to my darling child.
On the plus side, this afternoon I made him listen to other things, and he demanded The Maccabeats' "Candlelight" to be repeated, so maybe we can have some variety. (If you love "Candlelight" and "The Purim Song" as I do, you can go buy them on iTunes! I was super excited when I realized that!)
*
I've been thinking recently (again) about why I love Kurt Hummel so much. I am ridiculously protective of this (hardly perfect) fictional character, to the point that I got mad at mr. muse because he made some comment about liking Rachel's voice better, which, you know, is a crazy reason to get mad. Have you heard her sing?
Then I realized. Kurt Hummel was my best friend in high school. Actually, three of my best friends.
I know I've talked about T before. T is sort of the bullied side of Kurt. He is a year older than I am and is from a conservative town in the midwest. His parents sent him to my school - a rigorous, liberal boarding/day prep school in New England - partly for the education it would give him but also to get him away from all of the people beating him up or otherwise harassing him in his local school. T was artistic, interested in the theater, and always had an edgy haircut and vintage clothing. He struggled greatly with his sexuality, and when we first became best friends (when I was a freshman and he was a sophomore) there was definitely a lot of harmless flirtation, too. We took many long walks and talked about anything and everything, as one does at that age. I remember in specific him saying to me that he just couldn't picture himself getting married and having kids, and he was really confused about why he didn't. He was bewildered and ashamed.
It took him until his junior year to come out as gay, and I think the world made sense for him, finally. He still got enough negative attention in the dorms that he switched to a different one with fewer jocks, and townies would call slurs to him from their cars as they drove past, but he dove even more enthusiastically into the theater, surrounded himself with open-minded, snarky, artistic friends, and just seemed so much happier. We lost touch when we went off to college, but last I heard he was mentoring at-risk LBGT youth.
My friend S is also Kurt, in a way. He is exceptionally musically talented, both in voice and in piano. If he played the piano in one of the common rooms I knew it was him just by walking by the open window. Some of my favorite memories of that time in my life are singing with him and my other friends; during our Gilbert and Sullivan performance my junior year we stood near each other but couldn't let our eyes meet because we'd get in trouble for grinning too broadly at each other. He's one of the nicest people I will ever know, and I love him to death. He also struggled with his sexuality in high school and dated a female friend of ours for a while before coming out. (It was such a weird relationship; we all were relieved when he said he was gay!)
S had big dreams. He knew he was talented enough to play professionally, and he was determined in his own laughing way to do it. He worked hard, went to a good university, and plays now in New York and has won numerous awards. I saw him a few years ago, and he is still as warm and wonderful as ever, despite having grown a thick skin for his business.
[ETA: I just did some serious googling and found a page with a picture of him and burst into tears.]
Then there was G. G is the flamboyant side of Kurt. He was the one who came to school with new hair colors and piercings because he got bored overnight and who found awesome punk clothes at vintage shops in the city. He loved standing out. He liked putting on his clothing as armor and shocking people. (Some freshmen were dared to dress like him for a day when we were seniors; it was hysterical.) He's also the part of Kurt who just wants to be loved for himself; beneath it all he was ridiculously sweet and shy. (He's also a bit of Spike, actually, but that's a thought for another day.)
I saw him a few years ago, too, and it was bizarre to see him with regular brown hair! But he's happily married and seemed very centered; we had a really good talk about all of the ways we expressed ourselves in high school to try to figure out who we really were.
It isn't a one-to-one comparison between Kurt and any one of these men. I love the fictional character of Kurt Hummel on his own fabulous and unique merits as shown on my screen. Still, when I am blown away by Kurt's musical talent it touches the memory of S. When I see him standing up to bullies, I am reminded of T. When I applaud him being fierce and fabulous, I think of G. I wouldn't be who I am without these three friends from such a formative point in my life, and I wish I'd been wiser than my years so I could have supported them better. I mean, I was a good friend, but sometimes I didn't know what to say to show my support and love, and I wish I could go back now that I do.
All I can say now is that nobody better talk smack about my Kurt! ;)
*
Anyway, I leave you with a fic rec. I've mentioned how much I love miggy's Glee fic before (and she's doing a Glee-characters-on-Survivor poll thingy right now that is ridiculously fun), but I don't think I've mentioned her "Mostverse" series in particular. It follows Kurt and Rachel (and some others in and out, but mostly about Kurt and Rachel in a non-shippy way) through their college years, and it is a wonderful fic about friendship, growing up, and the reality of having big dreams. It is a really mature look at these characters, and I love this series to pieces. It is my personal canon, and I wish Glee would spin off into this story when the characters graduate. I want to be able to see it, not just read it.