For those of you who aren’t watching the new show, Glee, pick up your remote this Wednesday and give it a go. I’ve absolutely fallen in love with this show, and I’m not exactly sure why. It’s a little corny, a little stereotypical teenage drama, but there’s something so glorious about it that I can’t get over: the characters.
Though in many ways the characters fall into the same old categories of high school drama, there are also things about them that I love to pieces. Amber Riley, who plays the diva-fabulous Mercedes is one of my favorite characters to date! I was watching the season premiere a few weeks ago, and the first thing I said to myself was, “wouldn’t it be great if they gave the big girl a love interest?” I’m used to seeing stupid TV where the big girls are always the best friend-like characters and are never viewed romantically. But, lo and behold, the very next episode Mercedes gets a love interest (although, ill-fated-ly, she falls for her gay best friend). To me, this was a refreshing change to see on TV: she was treated positively and encouraged that she could get a great guy. Not to mention the fact that she had a badass solo in the middle of the episode.**
So, Amber Riley, is not only an extremely talented singer, dancer and actress, but she also totally deserves to be named my homegirl! I’ll be watching out for her in the future. She’s going to keep kicking ass for a long time, I know for sure.
**In this video, which talks about the character motivation behind the kickass solo mentioned above, Amber says that dancing is about being comfortable in your body, and that she must be a dancer after all. I just loved that.
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September 28, 2009 at 12:01 pm
Karen
Hey Chrissy! I’ve been following this fabulous blog without commenting so I’m a shameful lurker. I liked the first episode of Glee when it was on Hulu this summer (it had captions and it’s about singing so I was intrigued), despite the craziness of most of the characters and the slight tilt towards unreality.
Anyway, the main reason I commented now (finally) was I just found a poem that I wanted to share with you found at: http://www.loc.gov/poetry/180/056.html and I couldn’t figure out another way to get ahold of you.
September 28, 2009 at 4:55 pm
Miriam Heddy
Gah–the fat girl in love with the gay best friend is one of the most persistent stereotypes out there. No cookies for Glee.
September 28, 2009 at 5:58 pm
Chrissy
Yeah, I know it is, but it was more about how Mercedes was treated by the other characters in the show, than the actual love interest. And that’s more of a side fact. You should see Amber sing and dance! She’s really fantastic.
October 14, 2009 at 2:19 pm
Big Fat Deal » Fat Chick 101 Maneuver: Glee
[...] so, then you have noticed Amber Riley, who plays Mercedes, and is a plus-sized chick. Check out this post about her from All My Jiggly Bits. Though in many ways the characters fall into the same old [...]
January 7, 2010 at 11:10 am
mamatinkstinkerings
I am a late finder of Glee and I also love it. Amber Riley is very talented and is definitely finding her niche in the show!