For the glory of the characters: Glee

In a rather embarrassing situation that I cannot entirely explain, I am a huge fan of the TV show Glee.  It’s a ridiculous show about the members of the school Glee Club and their lives in the social sub-basement of High School. They work their way through the traditional misfit hallways that almost all of us walked, but break into song far more often than I ever did. These songs are covers of everything from classic rock to current pop, and they are just endlessly inventive. The cast has a wicked set of pipes on them, and in a few cases have cranked out a cover I like better than the original.  Heresy.

“That was the most offensive thing I’ve seen in twenty years of teaching. And that includes an elementary school production of Hair.”
— Sue Sylvester

The stories are silly and often horribly contrived, but other than music the thing doing the heavy lifting on this show are the insane characters.  Nearly every one of them starts as a cliche, then dials it up just one notch into the absurd to make a thing of beauty. Sue Sylvester is the high-school cheerleader coach (the Cheerios), with an obsession for personal glory and destruction of the Glee Club, and a conviction that disabled access ramps at the school encourages laziness.  Emma Pillsbury is the school guidance counselor, with a fear of germs and an agreement to marry a man if she never has to touch or live with him. Kurt Hummel is a gay fashionista who took a Slushee facial for a friend, and a great football kicker when he can warm up to Beyonce. They’re all brilliant, and I’m endlessly fascinated by the way they are written and the energy the actors bring to the roles. It looks to me like they’re having a hell of a lot of fun.

My body is like a rum chocolate souffle. If I don’t warm it up right, it doesn’t rise.
— Kurt Hummel

Writing extreme or challenging characters is one of my biggest struggles. I can make up some crazy stuff, but then often have difficulty working it into the story. Or I fear I’ve gone too far (or added in something pointless) that will annoy the reader so I back off and they become more vanilla. I know full well that having a strong character with a specific Point of View, quirks, perspectives, and oddities is the fuel of great stories, and great dialogue, but it is far easier to say than do. So I’ll keep working on it, and in the meantime keep watching Glee for inspiration.

…provide what exactly? The understanding that money is the most important thing – or the idea that the only life worth living is one that you’re really passionate about?
— Emma Pillsbury

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