So Fuck You, You Can Go Cry Me An Ocean

[Save Rock And Roll – Fall Out Boy ft Elton John]

I’m mostly going to bitch about the episode of Glee where they commemorated Finn/Cory, and also catch up on my life. (I have to write these little intro excepts because Tumblr cuts it off pretty fast and I don’t know how to fix it.)

First, the Glee rant. For those of you somehow not in the know, the actor for the main role of Finn Hudson, Cory Monteith, passed away during July from a drug OD. He was struggling with drugs all his grown life, so it wasn’t exactly completely out of the blue, although he was supposed to have gotten better from the rehab stint he did a month prior. And also a quick disclaimer: I understand there are some strong and loyal Glee fans out there and since I’m going to be tagging this post, they might come across it. I want to make this clear: I mean no disrespect to him, to his work, or to his legacy. You’ll see that my rant is mostly about how the show treated the tribute to him, but some may overlap into sensitive areas.

The tribute episode for him, titled “The Quarterback“, mostly depicted a period of time after Finn’s death, where actors from the previous seasons as well as the current season paid him tribute through each of their storylines and song. It showcased the grief experienced by Finn’s mom, his stepdad Burt and his step-brother/co-Directioner Kurt; Puck his best friend from high school; Santana, the chick who he lost his virginity to and who was horrible to him most of the time; Mercedes who was just his friend but I think the actress was probably really close to Cory in real life, so she got her own song; Will, the teacher; Sue Sylvester, who actually had a really touching and out-of-character scene over him, which I again suspect came as a result of Jane Lynch being very close to Cory; and of course Rachel, aka Lea Michele, aka Cory’s real life girlfriend/fiance or however they were. Then, of course, everyone else were also featured crying and etc.

The entire episode, I felt, was a way for each cast member to properly say goodbye to Cory in a place where Cory meant a lot. And in that, it was very good. The emotions were extremely raw, and I even overlooked the bad lip syncing done when Rachel did her solo, because it was obvious that Lea was breaking down, and that was real. For the same reasons, I overlooked Sue’s huge character discrepancy because I know from interviews that Jane Lynch respected and loved Cory a lot, and of course she wanted a way to say goodbye properly on screen. For the most part, I think that all the monologues were either well structured, or at least forgiveably deviant. But, I had a problem with the story for the episode.

Because, see, Glee is a show about issues. It’s a musical dramedy, which tackles all and almost every hot button issue that comes around, which may be relevant to the target demography (teens and young adults). They had homosexual relationships, bullying, suicide attempts, trans-gender, divorce, adultery, teen pregnancy, hell they even had a school shooting. So when the episode started with Kurt’s voice over saying that Finn had already died, and that they did not want to go into the ‘how’ despite so many people asking, I was extremely annoyed.

Yes, this was a clear reflection of the real-life situation where all the tabloids wanted to talk about was that Cory died from OD, and how tragic it all is, when all they want is some privacy for the family. But in the show, in the story continuation, why couldn’t they address the OD? How is drug use and abuse not a common issue among the demography? There are so many ways which the OD could have been written into the episode without evening changing much of the script, and they really could have hit home the impact of an OD for some of the audience.

They could have easily had Puck feel extreme guilt that he didn’t look out for Finn at a party, where he OD’d. The survivor’s guilt storyline is almost identical to the real one that happened. It would have been a matter of a few extra words to put in Puck saying something like, “I was the screw up, not him. So why am I still walking around?”

Will could have gone through self-blame, thinking that he wasn’t father enough to Finn, and didn’t give him enough guidance, only to realize in the end that he did all he could, and ultimately Finn made a bad, fatal choice.

They could have easily had either Kurt or Rachel go through the stages of extreme anger at Finn for having done something so dumb, and died from it, and finally succumb to the real grief that is in their hearts, but they didn’t. They had a chance to show kids who may be experimenting dangerously with drugs that it could end horribly and hurt everyone around them, but they didn’t. They didn’t even so much as put a whiff of it. We don’t even know if Finn died from an accident or foul play.

And, I understand it was out of respect to Cory that they didn’t talk about the dark side of his life. I understand, most likely, that FOX probably didn’t let it happen, or the producers were worried that an episode might glorify drug use and ODing, and make matters worse. But I just feel like, with so many other teen after-school specials having dealt with the topic, that they definitely could have done something about it. It was a missed opportunity to take a tragic death and bring some good into it.

Alright, that’s it for the Glee rant.

Recently, I’ve been working a lot. The new manager has been very tough on everyone, but he has also trained me up in a lot of areas. I am now moderately confident in my coffee skills, and with more practise I’m sure I’ll be rather competent. I also got a new phone, the Sony Xperia Z1, and of course I ran it under the tap because the motherfucker is waterproof. I’m finalizing the steps to studying next year, and now I’m just waiting for summer to properly roll around so I can wear the new sunglasses I got from ASOS.

I’ve also been playing a lot of Phoenix Wright instead of Pokemon, and it’s quite gripping so far.

That’s all for now. I think I should find a theme for this blog but I feel like that’s not really my thing. Maybe the theme for my blog could be themes.

Alex.

Ode to Catherine

I suppose I really should write something sentimental about you, Catherine, seeing as I owe you a big one.

Mm but what usually goes into mushy crap like this?

I’ve told you already, but my first clear memory of you was that time for Julia L’s 15th (it had to have been) and it was a really hot day. I had a Legal project due soon, about graffiti, so I was walking around the Glen area taking rather pathetic photos of the graffiti. Then I was walking past the train station and I saw Julia and I yelled out. You were standing there as well, with Eunice in tow (for other readers, it’s a different Eunice to the one I mention frequently). I remember seeing you and thinking, “God she’s thin.”

Ok I’ve done the “when we first met” bit. What else?

But we weren’t friends then. We weren’t really friends throughout 2007, either, apart from the occasional word we’d exchange whenever Eunice is around. I remember constantly mistaking you for Tooronga Girl instead of your actual title, Kooyong Girl, and of course never remembering your name. I think I always asked if it’s Lisa or Jenny.

No, we became friends when you came to me for my Legal textbook at the end of 2008. As the requirement of such actions, numbers were exchanged. On a whim one day, I called you “just to chat”. To my surprise and definite pleasure, you were very easy to talk to on the phone. And despite your insisting not to buy my book as it would be an outdated edition, we’d established communication.

Okay so now I’ve done the “how we became friends” bit. I think it’s time to get to the nitty-gritty-Kleenexy moments.

After that, we really didn’t speak much again, until one day in early March or late February, I texted you after having taken the train with you (at least, I think that’s what’d happened). We struck up conversation again, and apart from a negligible hiccup of about 2 weeks, we’d kept in reasonably constant contact over the phone.

But I never realized the amount of importance you’d be to me until only about 2 months ago.

I opened up and started trusting you, sometimes to the utmost extent. And it was a huge gamble on my behalf, and it was a gamble that, for the lack of a better cliche, paid off big time. You’re such a small person (yes, but taller than me I concede) but you are able to help and support so much without actually receiving that much back. I mean, you received maybe a free meal once and a cheap laugh every now and then but apart from that what do you ask for return? Probably to leave you alone on the eve of SACs.

And of course this morning, so selflessly you skipped Methods for me.

I do love you very much, Catherine. And I hope all works out well for you. I’ve made it sound like I’m going away forever, I’m not. I just made it sound like that.

Alex.

P.S. In other news, Eve came up to Carmaine and I today in Methods (well, really just Carmaine but I was right next to her) and said, “Look I have a burning question I HAVE to get the answer to.” And Carmaine and I got a bit interested. “What…WHO is the “U” in BRuCE?”

Wow.