GLEE: Gleek On

That's right, horror hounds. I said it. Mother loving GLEE.

What the hell, Jen? Are you drunk again? No. Not yet. But I DO I have a confession to make.

I watch GLEE.

Yep, I watch the hell out of GLEE. Never missed an episode. From the beginning I was skeptical, I must admit, though I am a sucker for musicals. When I heard there was going to be a show that was done musical style, I got excited. VERY excited. But I didn't muster up the courage to watch the premiere. What if I hated it? Or worse, what if I loved it? I ultimately took the plunge and here I am.

I firmly believe the very best of us are geeks and what a wonderful time to live in when geek is chic. Super hero movies are all the rage, Comic Con is now a star studded event, and GLEE has found it's way into even the hardest of hearts. I wasn't all that cool in school. You'd find me haunting the drama room, dreaming of playing Catwoman some day. I wouldn't have been caught dead in the choir room, though. The thought of singing in front of a crowd terrified me. But, secretly, I love to sing.

I had a chance to once. In front of the WHOLE school. It was when that film, DUETS, came out. I was a mere actor, but my friend, a talented singer, asked me to sing with him. I was so excited. Me? Singing? Wow. I enlisted the help of a singer to tutor me. I was terrified to sing for her. I sang anyways. And she told me I was awful. It shattered my self esteem, I backed out of the performance, and I have regretted that decision ever since. I was just too damn scared.

You wouldn't have found me amongst the Cheerleaders either. Being a Buffy fan, I wanted to be one of them so badly, but the school's social structure made it an impossibility. I have always regretted not just saying, "fuck it" and going for both opportunities.

Glee has brought those two secret dreams to light. No doubt about it that we love Halloween with a fiery passion and we have some of the coolest super hero and film heroine duds that you've ever laid eyes on. Now added to that collection? Oh, c'mon, like you can't guess where I'm going with this...

I love to be covered in blood, guts, and gore, but I must also be true to my inner Gleek. After all, a Gleek is just a geek that likes to get their rock on. And how could I not love it when my beloved Joss Whedon guest directs? If you haven't seen DREAM ON, his amazing episode guest starring the sensational Neil Patrick Harris, do treat yourselves (get your GLEE on here). I'm not saying GLEE is without flaw. I tear apart many an episode, but their heart is in the right place. If all us under dogs and outcasts band together we'd realize there's a hell of a lot more of us than the "normies" out there and we wouldn't feel alone or out of place. I love that about GLEE.

I want to send out a very special thank you to our dear friend Henry Ordway Jr. He was kind enough to send me this incredible book from the live performance of GLEE when it was in his town and even gave me the play by play. Friends like that are absolutely invaluable. Thank you so much, Henry. You're wonderful.

And a special thank you to Maggie Wallis for the gore~geous Cheerios uniform. I love it and love you even more.

Candice Fisher of Dehen, Inc helped make my GLEE dream a reality. Check out DEHEN, INC to get your very own CHEERIOS UNIFORM. Thank you for being so awesome, Candice!

So, all you Gleeks out there, say it loud and proud. You can see more of my Gleek Fest Photos here by Sylvia Soska. And to the rest of you? I promise next time you see me I'll be killing some nice stranger ;)

Bloody Best!
Jen

Happy Birthday, Joss Whedon! (PS I Love You)

Today is June 23rd, a special day. Joss Whedon, the creator of a collection of unforgettable, iconic characters, heroes, and villains, celebrates his birthday today. And if you've ever met me, you know I love me some Joss.

Mmm-mmm.... that's some good Joss.

For those of you who don't know why Joss is the man, allow me to tell you.

For starters, if you're an avid reader of our lil' Penny Dreadful Diary, you may recall this year's Women In Horror month article where I wrote about the ONLY fictitious woman to make the list, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. (If you missed it, catch up with my Buffy article HERE) I grew up one year behind Buffy, according to the time line of the show when it was in full swing, and that could mean only one thing. Yup, I wanted to be her. So, Joss is in part to blame for the woman I've become. He broke the stereotype that we were all getting used to. Buffy was his take on the typical horror movie victim; beautiful, slight, blond, unassuming, and seemingly helpless. Instead, Joss made Buffy Summers a girl who was strong, capable, confident, and the kind of girl we all wanted to be more like.

Now, anyone who's anyone should know that Joss is the genius behind Buffy. That's a given. It's like knowing vampires don't sparkle in the sunlight, they blow the fuck up.

Something you MAY not know about my hero? Joss started off writing for Roseanne. If you grew up in the 80's, this was probably a show you watched religiously. I always loved how it went from comedic to deadly seriously in a matter of seconds. Any time Dan (brilliantly portrayed by the genius actor, John Goodman) put his fist through the wall or grabbed his coat and keys and left the house angry? Whoa. You'd better believe you've gotta watch the fuck out.

He also breathed life into a show that is something of a guilty for me.

Glee.
Yes, I said it. I watch Glee. At season one, I looked on with hope. It's a great concept, but its execution left something to be desired. So many plot holes, so much character in-continuity, it just makes the writer in me cringe. Being a fan of Nip/Tuck until the crazy took over fully (if you've seen the show, you'll understand what I mean), I felt that Glee desperately needed a fresh pair of eyes. Guest directors would be a Godsend for the show. Better yet, celebrity guest directors (who wouldn't tune in for the Tarantino episode?). My prayers were answered when it was announced that Joss would be stepping in for an episode.
Better yet, he brought not only his stylistic perception, his carefully planned and crafted story telling ability, witty dialogue, and incredible ability to have us laughing one moment and then tearing up in the next, he brought a powerhouse. When Joss came in, he brought Neil Patrick Awesome... er... Harris as a special guest star, a close personal friend of his and the star of his hilarious Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. And NPH is on a hit show on another network, so you can imagine that that in itself was no easy undertaking.

Something Joss is known for? Planning storylines far in advance for all his television series, allowing for remarkable long-term continuity. And that is exactly what Glee is lacking. His episode, DREAM ON, is easily one of the top three episodes they've ever done, if not the best.

Joss Whedon has given us tv series after tv series that quickly reached cult status with their unusual, unique, and downright lovable characters.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Angel

Firefly

Dollhouse

Dr Horrible's Sing Along Blog
And where does a man who's already had such a profound affect on pop culture and television? To the movies, of course. Fellow comic nerds can rejoice knowing that the Avengers are in Joss' very capable hands. With his writing and directing, you know the heroes and villains many of us have grown up with will be paid the proper respects and will actually resemble the characters we love. You don't get enough "happily ever afters" like that.

In closing, as I must close or I fear I'll never shut up, I love you, Joss Whedon. Have a wonderful birthday.


XO,
Jen