The Rocky Horror Glee Show, A Review

I remember reading an issue of Entertainment Weekly this summer which announced that Glee was going to pay tribute to The Rocky Horror Picture Show. I had mixed feelings about it. A part of me was excited because I had seen the Lady Gaga Glee episode and thought it did a pretty good job. The other part of me was afraid it was not going to do the cult film justice. Since I was at work last night, I didn't get to see it. But I did read some reviews from other Rocky fanatics and some entertainment blogs. Then, right before I started watching the episode, my Dad was telling me about it. Whoa.... my Dad watched Glee.



Anyway... let's get down to business, shall we???

The episode starts off with lips ("Science Fiction/Double Feature")... well, they are definitely off to a decent start. Wait a second... they altered lyrics and the song was shortened by less than half. I am already laughing... that's a bad sign for the rest of the episode. Then, it jumps to the students performing "Over at the Frankenstein Place" onstage. I'm liking how the set looks, but not so much the fact that the entire cast was onstage (hiding behind set pieces). I also instinctively raise my hand in the air when the line "there's a light" is performed... I guess going to the live shows have corrupted me, lol.

We now enter the actual Glee stuff. Mr. Schuester finds out that Emma went to a midnight showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show with her boyfriend. This makes him jealous and yet, inspires him to get the Glee Club to perform the musical. You do not decide to do Rocky Horror out of spite... shame on you Mr. Schuester!!! So when he presents it to his students, there are a lot of mixed feelings. Some of them love it, some of them have no idea what it's about, and some argue that it's not appropriate for a high school production. This reminded me of when I daydreamed about my high school doing Rocky Horror (and that I wished for it do the film justice... like only have seniors who were 18 perform it, obviously because of the sexuality). Okay moving on...

Enter Meatloaf and Barry Bostwick (Asshole! yes, I did shout that at the screen). They were some sort of tv producers for the local news station (I think... I was too wrapped up in the amazement that they were actually on Glee) and talking to Sue about the Glee Club's Rocky production. Ah... why couldn't they have been on the show more? I might have liked it better.

Then Finn and Rachel practice "Dammit Janet." Hmm... they actually got the choreography pretty damned accurate. I was pretty proud of that. I think Rachel's voice is too whiny for Janet, though. The next scene is when Emma's boyfriend Carl (John Stamos) auditions for the high school play by singing "Hot Patootie/ Bless My Soul." I've heard John Stamos sing before, and he's pretty good. I think he did a decent job on the show, however I am a HUGE Meatloaf fan. Nobody can upstage him... I refuse to allow it. So when Mr. Schuester asks Carl to perform a Frankenfurter song, Carl flips out. He says that it's inappropriate for a high school production and that wearing the right garments is not right outside the bedroom. Fucking hypocrite... he's the one that takes Emma to the show and is now trying to justify that it's wrong. *shakes head*

Time for "Sweet Transvestite." This was the WORST number on the episode. It was extremely short and the choreography wasn't even close to being accurate. Since Mercedes decided to be Dr. Frankenfurter, some of the lyrics were altered: "I'm not much of a man" turned into "I'm not much of a girl." Wow... that really pissed me off. Who cares if a girl is playing the role? You don't change those lyrics (most of the floor show productions have females playing Dr. Frankenfurter, but you don't see them saying "girl" just because they are female). Now, when they changed "transsexual" to "sensational," I was fine with that... for the simple fact that Glee is on public television and the FCC would have been throwing out some fines if that wasn't changed.

Three of the students are dressed as Columbia. None of the costumes are even close to the authenticity of the film. Shame, shame, shame.

Emma offers to help Mr. Schuester work on his role as Rocky (since the student felt uncomfortable in his teeny gold shorts... of course you would get the self-conscious teen in this production). They perform "Touch-A, Touch-A, Touch Me" in an empty classroom. Basically Mr. Schuester loses his shirt. That's it. Lame. Oh, and I noticed that "heavy petting" was changed to "heavy sweating"... another FCC friendly move, I assume.

When practicing the show again, Sue shouts out "This play is terrible!" I agreed. Then came the "Janet! Brad! Dr. Scott! Rocky!" montage. Again, I caught myself doing floor show shout outs... "Rocky! Bullwinkle!"

Mr. Schuester finally confesses to the Glee Club that he went into the Rocky Horror show for all the wrong reasons. He explains that the movie was popular for people who were outcasts who felt they needed a sense of belonging with others around them, much like the Glee club. Going back to my Rocky Horror blog, I mentioned that I never really noticed that the musical was cult or outcast friendly until I was in high school. All I saw was a fun, sexual musical. *Shrugs* So Mr. Schuester pulls the plug on the play, but says that they will still perform the music.

The show ends with the entire cast performing the "Time Warp."



Yea.... I think the phrase cluster fuck is the right word for this. For one, they perform this on the set of the Lab.. wrong. There are two Magentas and two Columbias.... where are the Unconventional Conventionalists or the Criminologist (with no fucking neck)??? A damn shame, if you ask me. And what is going on with the boxy look of Magenta's skirt... that bugged me like crazy. Although, for a collaboration effort of a high school tribute... that's basically what it was, toned down for age appropriate-ness and it represented many elements of the film.

I think I speak for all Rocky Horror enthusiasts out there.... if we had the control, we would have done it so much better. It's a good thing I'm going to a Fishnets and Floorshows Rocky Horror production this weekend... it will help me shake off my frustrations with this Glee episode.