I have been an avid watcher of Glee since the very beginning, and I have frequently criticized the show for the lazy writing and sporadic moments of character development. But when FOX announced that Madonna would be the focus of a single episode, my hopes were met, even exceeded by what the cast and writers delivered. Then came the advertisements for "Glee goes GAGA." I imagined that the writers would spend boundless efforts on giving the best script for the most popular artist in the world. Madonna inspired Lady Gaga to an unbelievable extent, but there was absolutely no continuing arc from Madonna to Gaga despite the obvious artistic arc in the real world.
The writers did not put any thought into the meaning of Lady Gaga's lyrics at all. "Poker Face," for example, does not fit the scene of Rachel and her estranged birth mother in the slightest. Firstly, due to the well-known and publicized fact that "Poker Face" is a very sensual song, something not befitting a mother and daughter. There was nothing sexual at all between the two in earlier scenes--FOX would never allow it--so why introduce the Oedipal(*) concept in the last few minutes? And the Oedipal element is there: in the looks Rachel gives her mother as they sing, the young girl is seducing her mother.
I was, however, pleased with the "Bad Romance" number if only because Kurt (Chris Colfer) has an amazing voice. Colfer is absolutely stunning in this series, and especially in this episode. His intense commitment to the role makes for beautiful and moving television--he represents everything that I love about contemporary television. "Bad Romance" brings together all of Lady Gaga's most brilliant costumes--with the exception of Rachel's beanie baby dress instead of just Kermit the Frogs-- in an effort to get the characters comfortable with themselves through theatricality.
To continue, this arrangement and choreography worked because of the trainwreck seen only a few moments before as the female leads spy on a Vocal Adrenaline rehearsal. Frankly, the fact that Vocal Adrenaline was so lackluster is incredibly out of the show's character: this group has been seen as so over-the-top, so impressive, that this rehearsal is just another example of poor attention to canon development. On its own, the number might not be as successful, despite the wonderful close-ups of Quinn (Dianna Agron), Kurt, and Santana (Naya Rivera).
An aside: Rivera looked absolutely stunning in her Gaga-wear. Santana is by far one of my favorite characters on the program.
Final aside: This episode was a wonderful showcase of Colfer's talent, if nothing else.
* I would like to point out the Oedipal element occurring between Rachel and her mother, briefly. Rachel, having been raised with two gay fathers, presents a problem for the typical Elektra/Oedipus complex in that she can identify (in the Freudian sense) with neither parent because she sees no resemblance with her own body, there is no differentiation. As a result she places her adoration on people that she can identify with: female vocalists. Her aspirations for stardom are a parallel to what she would experience had she experienced a typical Oedipus complex. Once her mother turns out to be an extremely talented female vocalist, as she had been wishing for her entire life, her Oedipal identification turns to her biological mother. But more on that in the future.
I was, however, pleased with the "Bad Romance" number if only because Kurt (Chris Colfer) has an amazing voice. Colfer is absolutely stunning in this series, and especially in this episode. His intense commitment to the role makes for beautiful and moving television--he represents everything that I love about contemporary television. "Bad Romance" brings together all of Lady Gaga's most brilliant costumes--with the exception of Rachel's beanie baby dress instead of just Kermit the Frogs-- in an effort to get the characters comfortable with themselves through theatricality.
To continue, this arrangement and choreography worked because of the trainwreck seen only a few moments before as the female leads spy on a Vocal Adrenaline rehearsal. Frankly, the fact that Vocal Adrenaline was so lackluster is incredibly out of the show's character: this group has been seen as so over-the-top, so impressive, that this rehearsal is just another example of poor attention to canon development. On its own, the number might not be as successful, despite the wonderful close-ups of Quinn (Dianna Agron), Kurt, and Santana (Naya Rivera).
An aside: Rivera looked absolutely stunning in her Gaga-wear. Santana is by far one of my favorite characters on the program.
Final aside: This episode was a wonderful showcase of Colfer's talent, if nothing else.
* I would like to point out the Oedipal element occurring between Rachel and her mother, briefly. Rachel, having been raised with two gay fathers, presents a problem for the typical Elektra/Oedipus complex in that she can identify (in the Freudian sense) with neither parent because she sees no resemblance with her own body, there is no differentiation. As a result she places her adoration on people that she can identify with: female vocalists. Her aspirations for stardom are a parallel to what she would experience had she experienced a typical Oedipus complex. Once her mother turns out to be an extremely talented female vocalist, as she had been wishing for her entire life, her Oedipal identification turns to her biological mother. But more on that in the future.
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