Of Harry Potter and Glee

As I sat in the movie theater waiting to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows for the third time, I thought about what had led me to this point. Who's responsible for getting me so obsessed with this book series? Personally, I think it was 5% my curiosity in a book I'd never read, and 95% my dad's willingness to read it to me. There are so many reasons why I love Harry Potter I can't name them all, but sitting in that movie theater made me think of a few. For example, not only was I at a movie with friends, I was also in the company of my friend's 88 year old great uncle. It was he who'd wanted to go to the movie in the first place, and I was allowed to tag along. I love Harry Potter because it doesn't have restrictions. It transcends gender, race, age, everything except religions where witchcraft is not tolerated. But I try not to think about that.
When the movie starts, I discover more reasons why Harry Potter is my favorite. As any of my friends can tell you, I'm a huge Ron/Hermione fan. I can't tell you exactly why, just that I think they're the most adorable thing since my puppy. And my puppy looks like this:

But really, I don't just love Ron and Hermione. There isn't a single character in Harry Potter that I don't like. And as I watched Ron destroy the locket I realized why that was. We've all been pushed around like Neville, or stressed out about a test like Ron. Harry has the same relationship problems we have, and Hermione's the part of us that wants to study hard and get good grades. It doesn't matter that they go to a magic school, they're still teenagers. No matter how many spells they can cast, Harry Potter is still a story of a boy growing up, and we can relate to that.

Which is more than I can say for Glee. Glee is set in a school, just like Harry Potter, and it involves some kids growing up, just like Harry Potter. Sadly for Glee, that's where the similarities end. I have many problems with Glee, but I can narrow them down to three key things. Rachel, Will, and the school.
Rachel is essentially as far from relatable as you could get. She's insanely self centered, and wants the spotlight to be on her all the time. If anyone gets in her way, she will go as far as giving them false directions to a glee club meeting that actually lead to a brothel. She's rude, and mean, and only cares about herself. And somehow, she has a boyfriend. I don't know why the writers think this is likable. Furthermore, I don't understand why she's liked. Rachel is the lead girl singer, and no matter what she does people seem to like her. I'm convinced that she could run over a competitor with her car and still have fans.

But Rachel's not the worst. Not by a long shot. Rachel achieves second place in the "Glee people who get on my nerves" race because of one man. The Glee club director, Will Schuester. This guy started out married to his high school sweet heart, trying to have a kid, while he harbored a crush on the school guidance counselor. That was fine with me, I didn't like his wife and I liked the guidance counselor. But as the series progressed, things took a turn for the stupid. See  Will broke up with his wife and started going with Emma, the guidance counselor. But then he made out with this other women, and Emma found out, and I didn't really pay attention after that. Basically, Will can't be alone with a woman without making out with her. He had the kids preform Rocky Horror to impress Emma, and then she got married, and I think Terri (his wife) came in at some point and messed things up. The point is, Will is really a jerk. I'd tell you not to take my word for it and watch it yourself, but I really wouldn't want to subject anyone to that.

The last thing the bugs me is the school. The Glee kid's high school is so far from the truth it is astounding. Nobody throws slushies at glee club kids. Nobody throws slushies at anybody. The groups are also incredibly overplayed. The jocks are clearly jocks, the geeks are clearly geeks. The message they're sending is "Be different, even though you'll be called a geek and get slushies thrown at you, and you'd probably be better off being someone you're not." I don't believe that's the case. I am proud to call myself a geek, a nerd, whatever you want to call it. No one has ever thrown a slushie at me because of that. I maintain that where there is a nerd, there will always be more nerds to join forces with the first nerd, drawn together by obsession and love of being different. The only reason that the Glee kids stick together is because they're sadly the nicest kids in school, which makes me weep for their district. Many of them don't even like each other, but they hang out anyway. I just don't understand it.

So as I sat in the theater, watching the credits roll by (my entire family are proven credit nerds) I thought about Glee, and why it was a phenomenon. We need more Hermiones in this world, and less Rachel Barrys. There should be more Nevilles and Ginnys and Lunas, people who are different and strong and not afraid of getting a slushie to the face. Why is Glee, the show with less strong female characters than a Cartoon Network show, popular with people across the nation? Yes Glee has songs, and I admit I enjoy the music, but music alone cannot save a show. A Very Potter Musical has plot and songs, and Darren Criss, and used all of them better.

So this Christmas, don't be a Will Schuester or a Santana or a Brittney or an Archie. You can do much better than that. Be smart and strong and likable. Be a Hermione, be a Ron. Be a Harry.

Merry Christmas Rayna,
~Louisa