Glee Recap (sorta) – Rocky Horror Glee Show

So Glee does Rocky Horror. What do you think: was it too risqué or too safe?

First of all, I didn’t get to see the episode until this morning. Unfortunately, in a stroke of irony, Glee now conflicts with my chorus rehearsals. But let’s do a brief rundown.

Will induces even more cringes in his desperate attempts to win Emma back by deciding to put the Rocky Horror Show on with a bunch of high schoolers. Bad and good casting decisions are made. They also make some script edits that are so bad they only call attention to the fact that something naughtier was taken out. Fortunately, these are made up for by Sue’s commentary on the cult classic itself. While I love RHPS, I recognize that it makes no sense and it’s actually really terrible.

In addition to her fantastic color commentary, Sue tries to use the potential scandal to her advantage by pretending to go along with it, all the while planning an exposé that will surely win her a local Emmy.

One subplot I appreciated was about body image. Few shows talk about the fact that boys can also feel pressure to look a certain way.  Most of the guys in this episode (except Mr. “Sure I’ll Take My Shirt Off” Shue and maybe Mike Chang) suffered from some form of anxiety about their bodies. The idea of being in fishnets and heels on stage gave Kurt the howling fantods, Finn spent all episode having a panic attack about stripping to his skivvies, and Sam beat himself up over a bag of Cool Ranch Doritos making a non-existent pudge above his impeccable lats. I mean, you know, I heard they were really toned, but it’s not like I was looking all that hard, because he’s much younger than me and that would be wrong.

The best part about that body image stuff? While the boys—who are inarguably exposed far less than women are to negative body image—fretted over their costumes, Mercedes threw open those elevator doors in her vinyl and fishnet get-up and just oozed self confidence. I love that in a sea of stick-thin girls and washboard abs, Mercedes is the most comfortable in her skin, curves and all.

Of course, in the end the show doesn’t go on, but at least they had the good sense not to leave us without the most time-honored Rocky Horror number: The Time Warp—even if they did give all Riff Raff’s singing parts to Brad which MAKES NO SENSE OMG.