Snippets of life
Snippets of deep truth, from the cast of Glee: “I live the glamorous life of a substitute teacher.”
Don’t laugh until you’ve tried it. Few other professions require the tough skin and fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants skill set. TANSTAAFL is the rule, here, even when the cafeteria throws in a free burger and fries (never happened to me). Even before you open the door to your new classroom, the fun starts. I remember going in to a rural high school as the phys-ed teacher replacement (not my field of expertise) and the balls were flying before the knob on the door left my hand.
Glee continues to be about so much more, though. Important things like OCD (a staff member with an electric toothbrush, labouring to get a stain off a counter surface), or heckling (they have an activity club for that). A full string orchestra that drops in to lay down the bed for a variety number. Bullies that flee the threat of “razor blades in my hair”. Kids with cars (how old are these students?).
I regret that the interval between episodes is unpredictable. How can I plan my life around the show? Contrast that with American Idol, which is clocklike in regularity and devoid of surprises. Maybe Paula never imploded, but there was potential. Now we’re left with deciding whether J-Lo is having a bad hair day (rare).
I shouldn’t pay attention to TV, but the music draws me in. My personal version of the Hamelin Piper. After all, without the musical content, all that remains is “news vs news”, all day long.
