Proud Glee Keep On Burning

Before I get into last night's Glee, I have just one question:

Artie and...Tina C.?

I was so flabbergasted by that development. I mean yes, I'm glad two of the more underused cast members got their time in the sun. And that they were given a storyline that did not revolve around glee club. (I'm still waiting for Mike Chang's plot. Can we give him something to do other than look hot while dancing?) But Artie and Tina C.--it was just so bizarre. Like the Glee producers threw it in just for the heck of it. When it comes to tentative, awkward teen romances, I like a slow roast. What viewers got, however, was a frozen turkey thrown into a bathtub full of hot water to thaw it right before Thanksgiving dinner.*

Weird romance angle aside, I adored last night's episode, particularly for these three emotional moments: 1) Kurt messing up the last note during Defying Gravity, and then bravely finishing the song. 2) Kurt confessing to his dad that he purposely messed up so his dad wouldn't have to get any more horrible phone calls about his "f*g" son. 3) Sue Sylvester and her mentally disabled sister. Little Red Riding Hood. OMG. I want to cry right now as I type this.

This episode totally gave the middle finger to critics (including yours truly) who said "TV doesn't feature enough disabled people." Not only did Glee feature TWO actors with mental disabilities last night, it basically dedicated the rest of the episode to paraplegics. Well done, Glee. P.S. Can we make that wannabe cheerleader with Down syndrome (played by the adorable Lauren Potter) a permanent cast member? She was kind of awesome.

I also loved loved LOVED the music. So much so that this morning I YouTubed Proud Mary, Defying Gravity and Dancing With Myself. On repeat. Proud Mary was a fantastic way to end the episode, especially with everyone in wheelchairs. How can you not love a performance that shows everyone coming together like that?

Last but not least, Puck was in this episode. A lot. 'Nuff said.

*I didn't make this up. It is a true story about my fiancé's friend. Here is the full account, penned by the fiancé himself:

The guy had the turkey frozen and didn't think to thaw it until he was getting ready to cook it. He realized he needed to thaw it quickly and put it in a garbage bag in a tub full of hot water. The neck, heart, and other stuff in the middle stayed frozen though and had to be pulled out still frozen to speed up the thawing. In the end the turkey was a little undercooked and he used the fat and grease that came off the turkey as gravy and put it in an unlabeled jar. The fat and liquid separated into two layers, both unappetizing shades of brown.

Where Are All the People With Disabilities On TV?

I woke up this morning thought it was Wednesday, and that Glee would be on. I was wrong on both counts.

So instead of wishing it were tomorrow, I'll just write my six thousandth blogpost about my favorite new show.

Some people with disabilities are protesting the fact that Artie Abrams, the guy in Glee who uses a wheelchair, is played by an actor perfectly able to walk, run, and shoot hoops. Okay, maybe not that last one. I have no idea if Kevin McHale can play basketball.

The disabled community wants to know: Why didn't Glee cast an actual guy in a wheelchair to play a guy in a wheelchair?

Great question. According to the U.S. Census, about 20% of the general population age 5-64 has some form of mental or physical disability. Yet we see less than 2% of characters with disabilities on TV. And since not all of those characters are actually played by people with disabilities, real disabled people are left even more in the lurch.

Glee's response to the disabled people: We tried and we tried, but it was hard enough getting talented people who could sing and act, let alone people like that who happened to be in a wheelchair. Okay. Fair point. I say this grudgingly, because there's got to be one guy out there in a wheelchair who can sing and has charisma, and I can't believe Glee didn't find him in this age of Google.

I'm trying to think of another character who's in a wheelchair or has some kind of disability. The only one I can think of (and I thought of him because I just read the article that prompted this post) is the new guy on Private Practice, Michael Patrick Thornton, who plays Naomi's potential love interest. A) It's about time they gave Naomi a love interest who is not Addison's brother or Naomi's own ex, and B) I really like the new guy. He has spunk and his research is exciting and controversial. I'm sure he'll add a lot to the show.

I've decried the dirth of minorities and gay characters on TV before. I can't believe I forgot about people with disabilities. I made the same mistake network TV made. Well, never again. From now on, disabled community, Linda's TV is looking out for you.

P.S. Artie Abrams, I still adore you. I can't imagine anyone else playing you.