Well, it looks like they went ahead and shitcanned Unique, the first trans character on ‘Glee’. Relax everyone, this wasn’t an anti-trans thing where they quietly shoved out Alex Newell and then leaked a story to the gossip rags about “creative differences” while publically touting that he went on to pursue new opportunities. They also shitcanned the rest of the hated new class as well: Marley, Other Puck, New Quinn, and that gangly kid. Clearly they were all memorable, but none so much as Unique.
For those of you familiar with my other posts, most of them written in my young and fiery days as a newly transitioning woman, full of vim and vigor, piss and vinegar, and vitameatavegamin, I’ve gone on and on about Glee quite a bit. I was elated when they introduced Unique, had some heartache about the way they explained the character, defended her against conservative bullies like O’Reilly, but overall kept up the gushing. That was then. Now, after the fabulous 100th episode and a lackluster gay bashing very special episode, I’m somewhat incensed and want you to join me in my misery.
A quick aside, like I never do. I’m glad Ryan Murphy tackled the still very relevant topic of gay bashing. I am. But holy shit, could the show have done a shittier job of it? While I’m 100% certain this still takes place in tolerant old NYC, and probably every day, but by a couple of good old boys in a battered old pickup? I don’t think I’ve ever actually seen a pickup truck in New York City. Assuming they aren’t there on vacation, I would think it would be remarkably easy to track down these losers. Just look for the only pickup registered to Jim Bob Jethro on Manhattan and go arrest the sonofabitch. I think it’s a safe bet that it was probably him. Aside from that, even the event itself lacked the emotional depth we had long grown used to.
Remember when the show had Karofsky, the closeted gay bully who forced Kurt to change schools, then later got bullied himself by the evil leader of the Warblers and tried to commit suicide? I just described three episodes in one sentence that made me cry. Or when Kurt’s dad had the heart attack and Kurt sang to him? Or Quinn giving up her baby? Even Grilled Cheezus had more heart and he was just a sandwich. This was my thought process while the credits rolled. Glee no longer has any heart, and without heart, the apathy grows.
OK, I’m going to stop waxing nostalgic for the evil Vocal Adrenaline, lovely guidance pamphlets like “You and Your Hag, the Zizes-Puckerman romance, and guest stars with awesome names like Brian Ryan. And the slushies. Oh, the slushies. These stories are done and told. That’s fine, turn the page and life goes on. But they still had a character they could have used to inject some life back in to the show, that in my opinion, really died with the Mighty Finn. Unique still had a story to tell and huge challenges to overcome. Given the history of the show, it really wouldn’t have been all that hard to grant her early admission to NYADA and stick her in the unrealistically spacious Manhattan loft with the drearily self-involved remaining cast.
To Ryan Murphy and the writers of Glee, I thank you for the awesome work you did, especially in the area of promoting LGBT issues to the great unwashed. I think your efforts went a long way toward bringing America to the tipping point on rights and equality and no one can ever take that away from you. At the same time, you just brought your beloved platform into ‘Saved by the Bell: The College Years’ territory, or worse yet, ‘Showgirls’, and it just breaks my heart to see it. No longer unique, no longer effervescent, like a ginger ale that sat open on the counter for a good week, please, close your eyes and have a slushie on me.
Michellelianna 
However, there may be something better on the Horizon, see http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/the-switch-transgender-comedy-a-first-for-tv-1.2705488
You had me at the “vitameatavegamin” reference. Brilliant. Also, the aside was a little slice of comic sarcasm heaven.
I’m glad they at least attempted the topic, and you’re right…it needs to be more normed in the mainstream of ‘Murica, so even if it’s too late for the older idiots to be swayed…that at least their kids have a fighting chance to NOT be dickheads.
Thank you so much! BTW – I just discovered your own blog and loving your wicked sense of humor. 🙂
I apologize for EVERYTHING you might read there…EVERYTHING.
Don’t watch Glee, but I’m feeling your angst. Thanks for the info and the laughs, as always. Great title 🙂
Not relevant to the story… BUT… “Transgendered” Is not a word!!! please stop using it.
Neither was “Mistered,” but it still became a very popular television show.
Kyla, you should avoid capitalizing words in the middle of a sentence that aren’t proper pronouns (like “Is” in your comment). Oh, and DO capitalize words at the beginning of a sentence (like “please” in your comment). If you’re going to throw stones, make sure your own house is clean first, whatever the Hell that means.
Say, aren’t you now deep in your THIRD year of transition, Michelle?
Not throwing stones at grammar, I fail at grammar many times over. But using the word Transgendered is like saying (I was once Trans now I’m not) It’s not a word and needs to stop.
Well there is “post-trans”, but that refers to “post-transition”. That is, the point where there are no further major physical or social changes to be made.
Here is a better point then what i can make.
http://zackfordblogs.com/2010/05/transgendered-is-not-a-word-stop-using-it/
…a better point THAN what I can make. You can capitalize “I” too. Oh, skip it.
Again.. I’m not good with grammar. Thanks for pointing it out. But my point and the point made in the link is still valid.
Hi Kyla! Um, the word “transgendered” appears no where in this entry. Be that as it may, a few thoughts…(1) In spite of my albatross of an English degree, I firmly hold that if someone prints a string of letters, and others understand what they mean, it is by definition, a word. The word my be disliked by some, if it’s encoded and decoded with relative ease, a word it remains. (2) The language used to describe the trans experience is constantly and rapidly changing. “Transgendered” was in use up until recently, much like “SRS” and even “GRS” and recently fell out of favor. I think it therefore remains a word, but an anachronistic one like “groovy”. (3) This thought deserves a post on it’s own, but to summarize, we as a people are spending way, way too much time on terminology that goes largely ignored by the general human population, and therefore has zero impact on our struggle for equality and basic human rights. Seriously, if this is where our focus is, we need to shift it fast. When we speak to state and federal level legislatures regarding the passage of GENDA, or ENDA, they could really give two shits whether we call ourselves “transgender”, “transgendered”, or “bigsissipants”. My personal feeling is, if it doesn’t move the car forward, don’t waste your time putting it in the tank. Finally (4) Given the rate of change in trans language, this will be a word, and not a word at least 6 times over again, so wait a few months and this will do doubt be back in vogue. 🙂 All that said, thank you for commenting, and I do readily concede that your point was equally, if not more, relevant than my rant about a failing TV show.
This is one thing we can agree on, “we as a people are spending way too much time on terminology”
The word “Transgendered” gets to me and many times my feeling over power my rational thinking. Something I am trying to work on, but I’m still trying to find a equilibrium to my feelings without holding them in.
Honestly I find the word Transgender in bad taste, but i understand others may want to use it. As for me I only wish to be seen as a women and nothing else.
I hear you loud and clear Kyla. “Woman” is good, but I think it’s going to be a while before the world catches up. I also totally understand your hot button on this. Words have power to rankle anyone and it’s never my intention to do that to a sister. At the same time, remember, if you give the world a big red button that sets you off, there will always be those who push it with great malice and glee. I’ve been much happier since I disconnected my own. 🙂
Oops! That’s where Kyla saw “transgendered”! Yes, you are correct Lady Dee, at least for the most part. I now consider myself post-transition now that I’ve cleared all the wickets. Hm… wouldn’t that then make me “transgendered”? Or not. Once trans, always trans, at least for me. 🙂
Come on, nobody is going to acknowledge my “Mistered” blurb? Just tell me you got it. Then again, you ARE way younger than me, so maybe not. And wouldn’t it be “bigsissypants?” ‘I before p except after siss’ was how I was taught…
Sadly, I totally missed that the first time! Way younger? Sha! I wish, but thanks sister!
I hope that NY show works but I wont hold my breath, The magic is no longer there. If Unique joined the cast as a MAIN character it might save the dying show!
Ever see “Napoleon Dynamite”? There’s a scene where he gets a one-shot gig at a chicken ranch transferring hens from the old coop building to the new one. He asks a very simple question of the old rancher about the size of the chickens’ talons, to which the rancher flatly replies, “I don’t understand a single word you just said.”
That’s the way I feel after reading this post. This is not so hard to conceive when you consider I pulled the cable to my TV in 2010 after realizing there wasn’t anything on it worth wasting my life over. Not The Sopranos, not Mad Men, not Breaking Bad. I don’t subscribe to Netflix, and I rarely even rent a DVD. I do go to the show a couple times a year, and I attend live theater, in case you think I’m a complete schlub. But this sort of television com-dram is way out of what I’d spend my time on. Sorry Michelle, I didn’t understand a single word you just said. BUT… I’ll defend your right to say it to the end of the world. Howzat? Just don’t bring it up when we’re having coffee, ok?