I am not a huge theatre buff. I haven't watched all the classics, though I do have a soft spot for anything Gene Kelly. I love dancing. I love music. Big fan of over-the-top productions, if you're going to go for it- really giv'er. Glee naturaaly is a good fit for me but let's do the unheard of- talk about someone else. Gasp!
A few artists have shunned the show, the lastest of which was Dave Grohl. I'm kind of fond of Dave Grohl; Nirvana could have been the end of him but he's come out on the other side and maybe even bigger than before- fronting his own band in Foo Fighters, banging out some really powerful beats for Queens of a Stone Age and in supergroup, Them Crooked Vultures, along side living legend John Paul Jones, all these are but a few examples of his talent.
I watched American Idol for the first time in years and they were doing a Beatles tribute, I was surprised by the people who said that they didn't know their songs- look, I know you can't know everything but if you're trying to be a major pop singer, you hould be familiar with the greatest pop/rock acts of all time, I'm just sayin.' Kindly hang your head in shame.
This is becoming all too familiar, the younger generations, though presented with so much more choice, are eating up what's being fed to them. Twitter, Facebook, Youtube all contribute to one thing- less time to think. Because if they really did think, musically speaking, then half the pop out there wouldn't be useless auto-tuned crap. Popular artists would work more on their craft instead of banging out mediocre tracks all the time. But the times, they are a changing.
We face a different reality with the advent of the internet and that reality no doubt influences the artists and those that embrace it are swimming while those that hold on to past principles are sinking. But you can't mold the future without, at very least, reflecting on the past and learning from it. ENTER: Glee.
Glee is based on an older model but brings a new twist. It can definately be called a musical but it's a musical that incorporates pop songs over many decades and genres, which is important, as it seems that the mainstream tween/teen population have such a narrow scope of the genres and where they come from. That, with the loss of many art programs in schools, it has become all too apparant that the scope needs to be widened. Glee, is a pop culture phenomenon and it's using it's powers for good. All this while showcasing some very talented actor/singer/dancers. Creating covers for songs by: Journey, REO Speedwagon, Cher, Madonna, Britney, Gaga and Rihanna, to name a few. Not to mention the occasional show tune that pops up every now and then; It brings the new, the old and the talented together in a medium that is palatable for those generations... and that's a win, no matter how you look at it.
If Slash, Grohl or Kings of Leon have a problem with music education maybe they should do it just for the 'hundred dolla bills, y'all.' (Yeah, that was a Montell Jordan Shoutout. Deal with it.) Though the show has helped to shine a light on older classic rock songs, it's also had effects on newer pop like Rihanna's single 'take a bow,' which had a sales increase of 189% after it was covered by Lea Michele on Glee.
All of this to say, that even though you might not agree with the teen drama that goes on in the show, you can't argue with the fact that it does have positive effects on music and you shouldn't let Ryan Murphy stand in the way of 'the bigger picture'. But, I'm sure your reasoning for not allowing your songs on the show far exceed the good that could come out of it, Right?...Arrogance is a hell of a drug.
Gleek Out!
