Day 15: The Power of Madonna

Confession: I love this episode, simply by virtue of the music. I grew up on Madonna's early hits, so the whole thing felt a bit like old home week. Considering the huge number of featured songs, I think the writers did a pretty sweet job of shoehorning a storyline in as well. Everything served some purpose and didn't feel as gratuitous as it might have. I certainly wouldn't want a big production like this every week, but I think it's okay once in awhile.

Best moments:

• The entire "Open Your Heart/Borderline" sequence. Not only are those two of my favorite Madge songs, but it also featured what amounted to the history of Madonna as Finn and Rachel made their way down the hall. What a hoot trying to pick out all the different looks and reminiscing about the videos! I thought it was a really special touch, and a nod to fans both young and old(er).
• Will's attack on Sue's hair. The "Flowbee" shout-out pretty much made the scene for me. I actually knew someone who owned one of those things! It worked about as well as you'd imagine.
• Sue Sylvester's "Vogue", just for the sheer absurdity of it. This was the first time we heard Sue sing, and I think she did great!
•  Kurt and Mercedes as Cheerios. These two were so sassy and cute...I'm actually very sad that storyline didn't last longer. 4 Minutes is one of the two songs I wasn't previously familiar with (the other being "What it Feels Like for a Girl), and I love the marching band treatment! 
• "Please stop talking. You're grossing out my baby." Ha!
• The look of perplexed concentration on Mercedes' face as she was calculating Sue's age. If this wasn't Glee, I'd be incredulous that a kid her age would know what year "True Blue" came out. Since it is Glee, I'm willing to suspend my disbelief in favor of a good chuckle.

Now for a few(?) words on a more serious note. As a show that deals extensively with teen sexuality, I sometimes get a little nervous about how casual it all seems, and the implication that there's some sort of race or deadline. This is not because I'm prudish or naive about hormones+teenagers. I'm an adult, I WAS a teenager, and I speak from a place of humble perspective. That said, I do appreciate that for the characters who are "active", the outcomes have been portrayed more or less realistically. Quinn and Puck are dealing with a pregnancy. Finn rashly threw away his first time. He thinks he feels bad now, but he'll feel even worse later when Rachel finds out. Santana plays fast and loose, but I get the impression that she isn't that way because she particularly enjoys it. Maybe we'll find out what's really going on with her at some point. 

The media tends to give kids a very romanticized, glamorized version of sex, often with no repercussions, which then leads to unrealistic expectations. It's important for young people to see that waiting is perfectly okay, and that there are consequences for rushing things. The writers did an admirable job with that here, so good on them! I know this isn't a popular point of view these days, but there it is. *steps down from soap box*

Tomorrow, I shall attempt to keep it light.  :)

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