More Untimely TV Comments: Why do I still watch Glee?

Does everyone remember how cool Glee looked when the pilot episode aired?  I do.  I was so excited to see someone actually pull off a musical TV show that I couldn't wait for the full season later that year.  Unfortunately it seems that after three seasons the writers have grown so used to coasting on the coolness of the first season  that they've completely checked out.  Now keep in mind that I know nothing about how writing a TV show works, but here is how I visualize the meeting where they hash things out:

***

Writer 1: So we've tossed around some ideas, and our Controversy Of The Week for this show will be [eating disorders/spousal abuse/teen pregnancy/teen marriage/secondary characters who wish they were Rachel Barry].  Or we could just scrap that and do something about being gay; I really don't think our audience understands our stance on that yet!

Writer 2: Wow that will be so incredibly original and hard-hitting!  How about this week the person who deals with the controversy is [insert name of secondary character].

Writer 3: Great!  I love it when we focus on one of them for one show and then shove them to the back for the rest of the season!  After all, their Controversy Of The Week was resolved in a single episode even though it was an enormous, life-altering issue, so we don't need to hear from that character for a while!

Writer 1: We are amazing!  Also, I think we've left Quinn alone too long; she's only been through three radical and arbitrary personality changes so far this season.  And let's end a very important relationship on the show with an empty cliche.  How about "you need to do this alone so you can grow" (even though we were about to get married).  Let's toss "if it's meant to be it will happen" in there too!

All the other writers: Brilliant!

Writer 2: Let's not forget to emphasize that it's every single Midwesterner's dream to move to New York or L.A. because we are so much better than them!  Also don't forget to put in a scene where we point out that people from Ohio are universally shocked and disturbed by homosexuality, even though we are blatantly ignoring the fact that Columbus has one of the largest LGBT populations in the nation!

Other writers: Our wit is astounding!

Writer 4 (speaks up from the Corner of Shame): Um, so, I was thinking about maybe... a plot for the next episode?

(Other writers stare him down in silent disdain until he huddles back into his corner)

Writer 1: Hurry, someone make a list of songs that relates to our Controversy Of The Week in only the most abstract way possible!  Writer 4, you write Sue Silvester's weekly one-liner which will be the only really funny part of the entire show.

Etc...

***

I've gone through phases of watching and not watching the show, but I always stopped watching before because I was put off by something they did that I found distasteful.  Now I'm put off by how bad the writing is, which is much more likely to turn me off to it permanently.  And has anyone else noticed that in three seasons they've had no new members join as freshman and, until last night, no seniors graduate and leave?  So when the show started they were all freshman and sophomores, even the captains of both the varsity cheerleading squad and the varsity football team.  Really?  That's just stupid.

Anyway, what I'm mildly curious about for next season (since they spent the entire season finale not having any kind of plot, which meant no cliff-hangers or suspense for us to care about over the summer) is how large a role the "graduated" characters will continue to play in the show.  Will they find some way to keep them in the picture, or will they finally give some of those massively talented second and third-tier characters a chance to sing more than back up?  Overall my level of caring is at "shrug," so we'll see if I tune in.

In the meantime, I'd rather watch Smash.

Actually Trying

Well, it's official, on Wednesday I'm meeting with a writing group for the first time ever to critique and be critiqued.  I'm nervous to show my stuff to other writers, but I'm also excited and proud of myself.  I tend to talk a lot about what I could do with writing, but only recently have I started backing that up with the actual doings of a serious writer.  If I want to be a published author someday, joining a writing group is pretty important.  This is probably just me, but in the past I tended to think of dreams as fantasies that would fulfill themselves somewhere in a nebulous future.  Maybe at 27 I'm becoming a grown up.  I've finally realized that my dreams are not going to happen to me on their own and that I have to put in vast amounts of thought, time, and effort to get where I want to be.

Dang it.  I hate effort.

Now I just need to come up with about 6-8 pages of stuff good enough for them to read in the next 24 hours.  I suppose I should be doing that instead of blogging...

Untimely Comments about TV Shows

Watching shows on Hulu means that none of my comments about television are timely, therefore I cannot post them on facebook.  But this is my blog, so are two untimely comments about shows I watched today:

First off, I can't believe The Finder got cancelled AND ended the season/series on that awful everyone-is-scattered-to-the-winds note.  Argh!  Talk about unsatisfying!  I am totally disappointed with the general populace for not liking Finder as much as me.

Secondly, I did end up watching most of this season of Glee, and I think the show's seriously going downhill.  It just isn't living up to the hype anymore.  Anyway, that's not what I wanted to say.  What I wanted to say was that my keen observational powers spotted a mistake in the season finale!  That's right!  At one point, one of the characters mentioned that some teachers "teach driving."  FALSE, Hollywood writers!  Driver's ed is not taught in schools in Ohio.  BAM!  Consider yourself enlightened.

That's all.

Continuing my Education

Many of you may have heard me say how sad I am that I went to BYU before I heard about Brandon Sanderson (he's a very famous, successful fantasy author for those who don't know or don't want to click the link).  I had the opportunity to attend a workshop on plot that he gave at the Writing for Charity conference I went to back in March, but I wanted so badly to attend his class.  Well, now I can.  Sort of.  And so can whoever wants to.  His lectures are online, and they're FREE!

Blogs are more exciting with pictures!  Here is the only one I took at  the Writing for Charity conference.  Brandon is the second one from the left.

Of course no one I know will be as over the moon about this as me, but I was thinking about some of you who've said that they miss school or would like to take some classes.  Here is an excellent opportunity.  And if anyone else knows of any other interesting and free online classes, post about it in the comments!

Brandon Sanderson's 2012 Creative Writing Class

As of now, only four of thirteen lectures are posted, but they are scheduled to appear on a weekly basis and remain accessible indefinitely.  There is also a writing group for those who would like to follow along and do the assignments.