Before I begin, I should confess that I have never seen "Rocky Horror" in its entirety. However, I bet I am not the only member of the "Glee" audience who finds herself in this position. And so, I will post my thoughts on the episode, even though I am sorely (un)qualified to do so because that's my right as a couch-potato watcher of crappy, kitschy television.

"Rocky Horror" should be the perfect fit for the glee club, because as Mr. Schuester said, it's all about misfits making their own way. But Mr. Schu kind of steals the clubbers' thunder by making the show all about his own not-so-secret agenda and his not-so-latent feelings about Emma. That kind of ruins it for everyone, including Sue Sylvester and her evil plot to kill "the arts" everywhere. But the show must go on, and so the glee club puts on what must have been an incredibly expensive production for themselves. Yeah, us! We rock!

Like I said, I have no idea whether or not the musical numbers pass muster when compared with the originals. They looked pretty good to me, though. My favorite was Mercedes' version of "Sweet Transvestite" even though I found the whole no-one-wants-to-be-the-tranny-so-let's-just-use-a-woman storyline to be tiresome and weird. (All of the songs can be streamed here.)  

Speaking of weird, I thought Finn's body issues were odd, especially when one considers the irony of this story in the context of the recent furor over the "'Glee' Gone Wild" GQ photo spread. As the women over at Jezebel and other outlets have pointed out, Cory Monteith got to keep his clothes on, while Lea Michele and Dianna Agron were asked (and agreed) to bare all. The creepiness factor was upped by a photographer known for being, well, creepy, and the rest is history (or at least the story of the week).

The line being crossed was a little different in this week's episode, which was all about the man candy, including Sam of the golden shorts and "300"-esque abs; Mr. Schuester of the tie, long torso, and little else, and John Stamos (who cares about the name of his "Glee" character, Uncle Jesse's still got it) in tight black leather. Most of the male characters were up for being exploited at first, but eventually chickened out (to varying degrees). If only the girls in the photo shoot had had that option. As Quinn says early in the episode, girls get judged by men and women everyday for their looks, so why shouldn't the guys get a taste for once? Although the guys this week did kind of see what it's like to be used for your body, the writers couldn't convince me that the stakes are the same for guys having body issues as they are for girls (in the show or in real life). 

That said, I challenge anyone to say that they were actually "surprised" by the photos in GQ. Not a publication known for its tastefulness, it's not as though anyone should expect any better from the editors of that least gentlemanly of magazines. Sex sells, and women dressed up as girls sells even more. Personally, I wish that Michele and Agron had refused to do what the photographer asked of them, but they didn't. Agron later apologized, and I can sympathize with the impossible position she and Michele may have been put in by their handlers and by GQ. To Agron's credit, she doesn't look all that comfortable in the pictures. But who knows, maybe they were both initially happy with the shoot? Who's to say they were "forced" to do anything? Michele seems fairly happy to be a tthe center of almost every shot (where she and her character seem to prefer to be). 

If the show had actually taken on the idea of male body issues with any kind of real seriousness, I would say that this episode was a nicely timed (planned?) counterpoint to the GQ controversy. But, as I said before, the guys were allowed to bail on baring all during the show-within-the-show. And the character of Sam (played by the aptly named Chord Overstreet) will never convince me that his junk food has translated into love handles. Finn was a little more convincing in his desire not to be made fun of, and Monteith is so charming that he could tell me he is really a 40-year old and I would believe him, but again, the plotline rang kind of false for me.

But that's the point. It's not the show's job to take on these issues in any "real" way. Although "Glee" has gotten a reputation for taking on "hard" issues like religion, Britney Spears, and bullying, the only serious thing it's done somewhat well so far has been the storyline with Kurt and his father. And I know many people have issues even with that, arguing that the character of Kurt is too stereotypical or flamboyant.

So I am going to let "Glee" be "Glee," and not expect too much from the actors, writers, or director in terms of social commentary either inside or outside of the confines of the show itself. Instead, let's see the "Glee" phenomenon for what it is: a show that caters to an audience of people who enjoy watching the singing, dancing, and kitsching about of a bunch of 20-something actors who play teenagers way more sexy and talented than any high schooler has a right to be. 

P.S. I liked Emma's little turn as a sexpot, but as quickly as she came out of her shell, she retreated right back in. As Margaret Hartmann at Jezebel pointed out, the whole scene was a little creepy, especially considering Brittany and Santana's spying, but I liked that Emma was given a brief spotlight. Her singing seemed a little touch and go--sometimes she was belting out and other times she was squeaking--but I think she did a pretty fair job of shimmying and sexing it up.

P. P. S. When my husband saw Finn's version of "Losing My Religion" he almost lost his, and I posted on Facebook that I wish I had taken a picture of his face. A friend recently took me at my word and posted a picture of her husband's look of horror while she was watching the show. I think we should start a movement--partners' faces of horror. Maybe it will give those who don't understand the "Glee" phenomenon a voice(less) way a of responding to what they will never understand.