This Glee episode starts with a hot topic right away. And it is two fold. Not only is "goth" labeled gleeker Tina (Jenna Ushkowitz) told her clothes are inappropriate for school - she is also told they make her seem like a Twilight obsessed teen. Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison) - who is somehow dragged into every issue pertaining to each of his glee students - argues that Tina's clothes serve as her self expression. The vampire reference is complex as it not only refers to popular culture obsessions by teenagers, but also this group's yearning to put their energy into a lifestyle that does not exist. Or so we think.
Learning How to be Theatrical
As the episode begins to tackle the theatricality assignment Will gives his students, this vampire theatricality comes up again. Just as New Directions competitors Vocal Adrenaline jump on the theatrical bandwagon, so have many teens in the Twilight craze. Comparably, these are two different monsters. This vampire craze is merely a tunnel through which energy, dreams and creativity is channeled. Teenage obsessions act as merely vessels for the subject of the obsession. But, in the case of the glee assignment and Lady Gaga, there is something quite different at work.
As Will, and also Shelby of Vocal Adrenaline (Indina Menzel), remind their students, "theatricality isn't about crazy outfits. It's not enough to douse yourselves in gasoline, you have to light yourselves on fire to make it work." In other words, true theatricality has to come from within. This is something Lady Gaga knows well. It works on many levels. Shelby says "but being theatrical, doesn't mean you have to be a nuclear explosion. It can be like a quiet storm, you just have to radiate emotion, express what's deep inside you." So just as the boys and girls of Glee discover, there is a whole spectrum of theatricality, and you have to learn where and how you can access it. Thankfully, the club's rendition of 'Bad Romance' makes use of different voices and, like Lady Gaga, leaves outfits up to interpretation.
Tackling Camp and Lady Gaga
Camp is also discussed in this episode and it means more than simple excess. In this specific episode, camp is given a certain type of relationship to ordinariness. Film theorist, Richard Dyer has discussed the role between these two ideas in relationship to stars like Judy Garland. Similarities between Garland and Rachel (Lea Michelle) and Kurt (Chris Colfer) are clear here. Both characters struggle with their relationship to performance. Rachel maintains and supports her 'ordinariness' in a way that is self-conscious as her talent works with her campness. Whereas Kurt literally and metaphorically abandons any sense of ordinary about his image, and commits consciously to being 'different' and 'theatrical.' The difference between these approaches is forefront in this episode, obviously interwoven within questions of identity and sexuality.
However, underneath all this camp and theatricality, ultimately this episode is about human relationships. Both Rachel and Shelby struggle with figuring out what they want from the other and how they can establish a mother/daughter bond so late in the game.
At the same time, Finn (Cory Monteith) and Kurt struggle with bullies and their new situation living together. So, through this exploration of theatricality, both pairs examine the boundaries of their relationships and what they need to learn about themselves. Finn's red dress overtly symbolizes this knowledge, and reinforces the group as a whole. A group that soon will be facing regionals and moving into the next phase of the show.
Nicola Jones - Growing up in New Orleans Nicola never had any inkling at being part of this thing people call the entertainment business. Now, after ...
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