I think the show is certainly about the act of singing as much as the songs themselves, especially the way that singing forces you to (alternatively) step out from the crowd or blend yourself with what others are doing. It’s a great metaphor for the show’s overriding theme: the consequences and obstacles to doing something passionately.

I am also idealistic about music. The main point being, even when it’s forced, which a lot of time it is, the show as a whole and in concept treats music as important. Conceptually, separate from the show, it’s instilling new meaning and importance to pop music that a lot of people did not give a damn about before, and that, in isolation, is important about the value of pop music in culture. The heart of each of the musical numbers still comes from the song itself, and as a person who regularly defends the well written and well crafted melodies and structure or production of songs by artists like Ashlee Simpson or Avril Lavigne, even if I HATE the artists, it’s nice to see that given proper context and backup, the song can stand for itself in people’s minds, and show that there’s often more beneath the placement of a song in the pop culture zeitgeist or merely being “catchy”, which is nothing to scoff at to begin with. Whether that’s important to other shows/writers, other musicians (to make plainly good music), or fans in approaching pop music, I think it remains important in a way separate from how it adds to the development of the television show (which obviously, is probably the most important, I admit). But I think that’s the fascinating thing about it. This is all coming from someone who is both a musician and someone who used to exclusively write about music before I started writing about the easier to tackle movies/tv sphere.

I have no idea if any of that just made sense. But I really have sat and thought what other shows have elevated music in a manner separate from the show (and sure, it’s all for sales, itunes purchases of the songs, people going backwards and finding out who sang the original songs who may not be teenage girls…shit, I didn’t know about that “Bust Your Windows” song before Glee, and now it’s on my ipod), but in the “means to an ends” argument, the fact that it’s connecting people with a love for music, on both an individual “this song” level, as well as a “music is grand!” as a whole level is significant.

Scrubs. Scrubs comes the closest in modern tv, but even there, the songs were background or used to add to the reality that the show was showing, not within the show. I think Glee is significant. I just wish it’d get its act together to flesh itself out as a whole show.

The first is that I think there are many critics (like me!) who still like the show even in criticizing it relentlessly. I want the show to be better than it is, but it has a lot of elements (like its use of pop music) that make me really engaged with it.

The second is that I think you raise a really good point, but one that is also open to the same types of criticism. I think it was Todd VanDerWerff who made the note that the show Glee is in his head would be one of the best shows on television, and I think your analysis of its use of pop music is somewhat idealistic. It’s true that the show wants to elevate pop music, and on occasion has moments where said music feels like it draws out character development to the surface. However, other times, it does precisely the opposite, replacing legitimate character development or feeling forced (”Bust Your Windows” being a fine example, with its conveniently located rock) into a storyline and not helping it one bit.

The “Pilot,” and moments in particular episodes, have emphasized the value of music in these kids’ lives, Glee Club defining them and helping give them both a way of expressing themselves and a way for them to find their place in high school life. However, too often the music has felt like a footnote, or missed that connection with character that I agree is integral to the show’s charm.