Recently, Britney Spears' manager (is that the guy that is also her boyfriend, or is this another one of her people/handlers/babysitters?) asked fans via Twitter if they would like to see an entire episode of Glee devoted to the musical styling of our beloved pop princess. Immediately, the topic #BritneySpearsGlee gained the kind of momentum that is usually reserved for... well, an episode of Glee itself.
After watching the "Power of Madonna" episode, I have to admit that the thought of all the Gleeks performing a rousing cover of Baby One More Time instantly entered my mind (it would be totally perfect- you know how they love singing and dancing down the hallway, plus Rachel Barry has enough plaid mini skirts to outfit the entire cast). I think Britney seems like a good choice because like Madonna, Brit's catalogue of music is pretty extensive and she has some memorable performances that are just begging to be recreated (four words= Kurt. Sequined. Nude. Bodysuit.)
But the more I thought about, the more that it seemed like this could possibly be a Jump the Shark situation. Glee opened the second half of the season with an episode devoted just the word "hello," then aired the Power of Madonna, and details about an upcoming Lady Gaga show are slowly being released (Idina Menzel and Lea Michele singing an acoustic version of Poker Face? Chris Colfer performing in 10 inch silver heels to Bad Romance?). It just makes me a little apprehensive about the future of our beloved Glee. How many more themed episodes can they do before she show turns into an American Idol rip off?
Other than the fact that AI has somehow exhausted through the talent pool in this country, which is extremely apparent this year, as it seems vocal talent was left off the "required skills" list; one of the things I find most irritating about this show (other than the fact this it's responsible for the tumor that is Ryan Seacrest) is the obscene amount of theme nights. Once they got to "Songs of the 1940's," I was two steps out the door.
Glee creator Ryan Murphy has also recently said that he would like to do other "tribute" episodes, such as Led Zeppelin and Courtney Love. Really?! Courtney Love? I can't name one Courtney Love song, let alone enough for an entire episode.
I also have a problem with Britney's manager trying to gain momentum for this proposal via Twitter. I know that Twitter is now a thread woven into the fabric of our everyday lives, but since when are we able to control the future of our television shows because we tweeted that we want to see Emma perform "Toxic" in an inspiring musical number where she confronts her O.C.D.? No one should be surprised that people responded favorably to his post. Can we take a moment to asks ourselves who are the people that are following Britney's manager on Twitter? The same people that make videos of themselves crying off their eyeliner under a sheet, defending her life choices while professing their unconditional love.
Listen, I love Glee, and when she's showered, medicated and auto-tuned I love me some Britney too. I just am weary for the future of both of these pop culture gems. They're both in fragile states- Glee, as popular as it is, it's the television equivalent of a fetus, and it's only begun its second trimester. And Britney- poor girl managed to put on a world tour but still can't remember to put on a bra when she hits up Starbucks. She could crack at any moment, and I would hate for Glee theme week overkill to knock her off the wagon.
