Since the advent of TV show streaming, I have kept a short list of series that I hope to watch. A recent illness and surgery has provided the time, and a generous friend the access, to the entire series run of Glee .
I am watching Glee, and I am finding it delightful and amusing. Wow - I wish it had existed when I was in high school. On the other hand, in all seriousness, I am not sure I would have survived today's social media. Those of us who have experienced a fragility of spirit at various times in our lives, know that navigating teenagerhood might have been impossible with that added burden.
You must accept the whole package of what Glee is, and is not, to enjoy it. Once you do that, wahoo! It's so much fun. The music is a fizzy mix of Broadway and pop from all periods. The character of Sue Sylvester provides the welcome sour, judgmental note when it has all gotten too frothy. Kudos to the creators, directors, producers, and all the creative people who worked on the show. Today, however, I want to pay tribute to two actors who did just a fabulous job.
Heather Morris' character, Brittany S. Pierce, is a non-stop laugh riot. Heather's dancing is inspired, but that is just icing on the cake of her delightful characterization of Brittany. Sweet, nutty, she blurts out the most extraordinary stuff. But it is Heather's skill that makes it all amusing, instead of being just so much blather. Her character is in a relationship with Santana Lopez, played by Naya Rivera.
Naya is extraordinary. Fierce, intelligent, passionate, and yes, gorgeous, her portrayal of Santana has been an exciting link in the ever expanding chain of all the people and events, that have helped to make me proud of who I am. I cannot wait to see what she will do with roles in the coming years.
I have seen many TV and movie portrayals of lesbian relationships. In the earliest examples widely seen, lesbianism is only acceptable if it ends in tragedy. More recently, it has become the norm to show a relationship between two women that includes actual happiness, and a normal day-to-day. But it seems to me that actors have often found it difficult to portray these roles without exhibiting squeamishness, and just a whiff of distaste. Even the women who are a little more comfortable, appear to be 'giving it the old college try', gamely attempting to look natural, and failing miserably.
Brittany and Santana love each other, and you never question that. Their touching and hugging and kissing looks like we all wish ours looked - lovely, sweet, natural, and comfortable. It never looks like anyone is having an internal dialogue - 'ok, now I'm going to do this, it's weird, but I'm going to do it, damn it!'
I must give all credit to the two actors. Heather and Naya are probably friends, but their skill at playing two women who love each other cannot be minimized. Any actor will tell you that it is the holy grail of acting to come across as natural, unforced, real, and convincing. Heather and Naya pull this off week after week, and have made Brittany and Santana two of my favorite fictional characters of all time. I look forward to seeing the rest of their story as I make my way into the last few seasons. And I especially thank these talented women.