After last week, it is high time for another Glee sparkled cameo. And, seriously, who better than has-been (wonderful) pop star and movie musical princess, Olivia Newton-John. Miss Sandy from Grease joins are clubbers as she steps in to re-do her 'Physical' video and rescue Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch) from the mobs of laughter (cruel slow motion laughter at that) at school. Because, as everyone knows, home videos aren't any good unless your Kurt in a leotard doing Beyoncé.
Who Cares About Their Reputation?
In an attempt to be bad asses and not asses, the kids not only post Sue's 'Physical' video, but attempt to recover from a glist that is posted around school. Once again, Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison) must bump up moral and lecture his kids on self esteem and upholding the glee clubs positive reputation. In order to send this message home Will enlists Vanilla Ice's 'Ice Ice Baby.' In his white button down and khakis, Will personifies the classic cookie cutter image that always yearns for the motorcycle and bad boy image. So this song's tainted image actually reinforces that bad reputations and poor self-image can damage success. Quite the opposite of what his kids believe they need.
The result is of course a Rachel (Lea Michele) centered journey to discover what being 'musically promiscuous' will do for her last place stand on the glist. Well paralleled and balanced this storyline is coupled with Sue's journey to redemption after her 'Physical' humiliation. So while Rachel is out to soil her image, Sue begins to empower the women (or really just Emma) to stand up for themselves. Yet somehow both characters end up looking manipulative and self-serving. So despite some improvements in prior episodes, Glee still taints all of its female characters with manipulative natures, but at least it's not without humor.
The Video Takes Over Glee
What is even funnier is the rest of the gleekers attempt to be a 'nuisance.' As they get their glee on in the library stacks to MC Hammer's 'Can't Touch This' the kids still end up feeling as "menacing as muppet babies." And with Will profiling each student, its only a matter of time until he figures out who put the glist up. The reveal is conventional and pathetic for a character who in previous episodes seem to be growing. An ending that, once again, reinforces the lack of character in the women of the show. Even more so, Will's teaching tactics seem more hay wire than ever.
By the end of the episode Sue has re-shot the 'Physical' video with Olivia and cemented Glee's new favorite thing, the video. In 'The Power of Madonna' Sue's 'Vogue' video allowed the show to do exactly what it wanted as it was labeled a music video and not song within diegetic space. Just like that, the 'Physical' video allows the show to visit situations and sounds not explainable within the natural story. Sue's video directly segways into Rachel's 'Bad Reputation' project to David Geddes' 'Run Joey Run.' Not only is Rachel's over the top performance hysterical, but the show's use of the three male leads not only illustrates the selfishness of her character, but also the complexity of stardom.
The Rachel Star Struggle Continues
Rachel's thirst for the spotlight ultimately overshadows her own true feelings for these guys and herself. And just like the rest of the Glee women, Rachel is to blame. She even recognizes this with her rendition of Bonnie Tyler's 'Total Eclipse of the Heart' at the closing of the episode. Despite the sad ballet sequence, it is pretty obvious Michele can't dance (let alone on pointe), the song emphasizes the sacrifices that Rachel will have to make to get where she wants to go. Like the classic female star narrative, she will continue to struggle between her professional success and domestic life of relationships.
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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