October 24, 2025 • 21 mins
Willkommen to this week's Gleek of the Week!
Alicia from Germany first discovered "Glee" clips on YouTube as a teen in 2011, which sparked her curiosity. Soon she was stealing (borrowing) her dad's iPad to binge-watch the show at night while everyone was sleeping! Alica opens up to Jenna and Kevin about struggling with anxiety, bullying, and coming to terms with her sexuality, and how the show provided a lifeline and safe space during that tough time in her life. Now an English Literature major, she is considering writing her thesis on "Glee" and runs an Instagram account focused on the show's cultural impact!
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
And that's what you really missed with Jenna.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
And Kevin an iHeartRadio podcast.
Speaker 3 (00:09):
Welcome to and that's what we really miss podcasts. We
have Gleak of the Week this week. It's Alicia. Alicia
is from Germany and discovered Glee in twenty eleven. Alicia
has a really wonderful, vulnerable story on what Glee, how
Glee impacted them and what you know, just I guess
(00:30):
the way that they connected with it. So it's really beautiful.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Yeah, and she's now an English literature major, so listening
to her speak about this is just wonderful.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
So this is Alicia.
Speaker 4 (00:43):
Hello, how are you good?
Speaker 3 (00:46):
How are you good? Thanks for coming on the show.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Likewise, thanks for you here in Germany. Yes, thanks for
staying up later to do this. Yeah, okay, good.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
Great, Well that's I would be in bed.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
Yeah, that's late for Jenna. Look, I'm on the show.
Speaker 3 (01:05):
We're so excited to chat with you. We're so grateful
you listen to the podcast and that you've you know,
integrated gly into your life in all the ways that
we want to kind of talk to you about. Can
you tell us how you found Glee or how Glee
found you or when you.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
First watched it.
Speaker 4 (01:21):
So for some reason, I remember this very vividly, but
it was one night that like I'd already seen Empire,
State of Mind and Don't Step Believing on YouTube, and
I was in choir and a theat kids, so naturally
I was like, that looks exciting. And then like, for
some reason, I was like just home alone and I
(01:42):
turned on like the More of a sky Kitch Senna
at like thirteen or fourteen, and basically Glee was on.
I was like, I saw one episode and I was
just like immrely hooked. And I find this so impressive
because I could never pull this off now. But that night,
I like snack into my parents' bedroom after they fell asleep,
(02:06):
took my dad's iPad, watched Glee all night, oh, and
then put it back the next morning.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
It's like your version of sneaking out, Yeah, why are
you exhausted? Do you remember what episode it was that
first took to you, the one that you saw?
Speaker 4 (02:28):
It was one oh eight or nine, I'm not entirely sure,
but the first scene I saw was definitely a Puckelaberry scene.
Speaker 5 (02:36):
M M.
Speaker 4 (02:38):
I don't know, but that is just it opened on
that and I was like, huh, what is this? Oh
they're singing, Oh then choir, that's exciting. And yeah, So
it was one of those which I think at in
Germany like twenty eleven, so a little later. Yeah, but yeah.
Speaker 3 (02:56):
And why the hook to you about the show? Like
what was it about the show that like kind of
you sunk your yeah clause too?
Speaker 4 (03:04):
I mean I think like I was, in general, I
think quite the posted child for like the target audience,
because like I wasn't quire. I was also unaware at
the time, but still just a queer kid. And then
also had been like experiencing bullying pretty much like my
(03:24):
entire life until that point. And that was kind of
like also the point where it did get more challenging
because kids would like get kind of more aggressive with
it and would like, for example, like be telling me
to like kill myself or something, which of course was
(03:45):
a lot to deal with.
Speaker 3 (03:47):
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (03:48):
So seeing other like kind of bullied kids on TV
who like I would be able to connect to on
so many levels or was just so valuable, like and
then especially also kind of moving on from that, like
two years into watching Lee, figuring out that I was
queer and then having that to kind of hold onto
(04:10):
because that felt like, oh, suddenly I'm before it was
like different by kind of social status, and then suddenly
it felt like I was different by definition, and at
the time thought that I would be like an outcast
of the rest of my life. And so it just
kind of was like a tough time where Glee was
(04:35):
I think incredibly helpful for like make me feel seen
and giving me something to just like hold on to.
And it sounds quite extreme, but I'm not sure if
I would have like stuck around for the real life
changes that later like facilitated the life that I have now,
which is wonderful and like very far away from like
(04:58):
that fourteen year old. But yeah, so those are kind
of to thinks, and so I'm very grateful to the
show and to your work.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
Wow, thank you so much for sharing that.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
Yeah, we're so sorry you went through all of that,
and yet also so happy that you are in a
great place and you know can look it back at
that time and reflect on that and the way that
you did.
Speaker 4 (05:21):
It's really beautiful.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
Do you find like when I've spoken to a lot
of people who grew up outside of America, their question
is always like are American high schools actually like that,
you know, with the clicks, the groups, the bullying, all
of those things, because a lot of people the bullying
may present itself in other ways, or the school structure
(05:44):
is different. When you were watching that and able to
you know, see yourself represented in a way or feel seen,
how is that compared, I guess to you know, our
classic sort of American stereotypical high school to like what
you were maybe your school structure was like at that time.
Speaker 4 (06:04):
So I actually went to an American high school for
half a year and did like half your ofuphonic exchange.
So it was different. Like my high school experience was
like very positive, like kind of people were very nice.
People are also a lot more invested in their schools
because we don't really have like school clubs or something
(06:27):
like that, and we also don't really have subjects that
are like anything beyond kind of the basics of you know, math, science, languages.
We have like one music class and one art class
and that sort of it. And so it was like
in the US, I had a really good time because
it was just so different. There was so much more
(06:49):
I felt like space for individuality. Also, I think because
in that case, I was expected to be somewhat different
just because of my cultural context, because I was like
in a really small town. It's like there's a German
whom most people have never encountered, and so it's definitely
(07:12):
very different. And I feel like also especially at the time,
with people being like I think Germans are very kind
of grounded, but also in a way that's like a
little like I want to say, sad, but they're not
so excited about things. Usually they don't go like, oh,
(07:33):
you should like reach for the stars and whatever, which
is very different to what I experienced in America. Yes,
so like I would say, more rational, but sometimes I
think it's really nice to also have like someone who's
more like no strife for what you want and stuff
like that. Yeah, very different mentality and very different experience.
Speaker 3 (07:58):
So I see that you started the glead education on
Instagram and that you are studying English literature and you're
considering writing your thesis on Glee.
Speaker 4 (08:09):
Yes, so like the Instagram account, like I've called it
glee Ucation, I just started, I think yesterday, but I
just also started rewatching it like my friends started and
was like I've been rewatching Glee and I was like, huh,
should I do that? And to my surprise, the show
is a lot better than anticipated. Like when I said,
(08:33):
I was like, huh, I should I write?
Speaker 1 (08:36):
You never know how things are going.
Speaker 3 (08:37):
To finish the idea of what was once.
Speaker 4 (08:41):
And I also feel like Lee has such like a
kind of I want to say, complicated legacy obviously, you know,
with everything had happened in real life, but also kind
of at the end, I feel like everyone kind of
hated the show, but who loved it. I had like
love had relationship with it, yes and so. And I
(09:03):
also like I never finished the show, like I saw
the episodes off season six at Santana was in and
that was it. Wow. I just expected it to not
be as good and as funny, especially because at fifteen,
so many jokes would just fly across my head or
you know, like because you're dramatic teenager, everything is so
(09:25):
like serious like storylines when I'm not like this hilarious,
Like I was like, no, this is so problematic. It's
such an interesting like experience to rewatch it and to
get like that kind of I don't know, more mature
(09:46):
maybe stands on it. And I also kind of found
interesting that, like, I obviously like listening to your podcast,
I was like, oh, there's so many like also positive
like memories I have actually from the time that I
spent kind of like an online fanoms and stuff like that,
(10:07):
which I also thought was like a really negative time actually,
because do you know like the the one post where
a girl like reflects on what being in a gleef
and and was like, no, okay, it was a very
long tumbler post. It's extremely well written, and I would
agree with it in large parts about like how everyone
(10:27):
was kind of fighting each other and it was like,
you know, this kind of wall for representation because everyone
was being represented and so everyone was like no, I
want more of this, No, I want more of this.
And there were so many like odd things like for example,
I think most Britanna fans hate it Blaine.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
That's what we're discovering. We're discovering like the Clane and
Blaine versus like Britanna fans. Yes, it was a full
on war.
Speaker 3 (10:52):
The war.
Speaker 4 (10:53):
It was like it was intense, and I feel like
those are things that I know. Look, I'm like that
was so silly and now also rewatching, I'm like, oh,
I don't hate Blaine as much as characters like Umbrage
for instance, which was like he was at the poor
and so it's just like so interesting to get this
(11:13):
new experience, but at the same time also look back
and so many things that like also people who they
haven't been there don't know about or like also I
was watching a prom episode and they sing Friday by
Rebecca Black, which no new Gleek would understand the relevance
from because you haven't been there for like that entire thing, right,
(11:37):
And so I kind of wanted to, I guess, put
it in a context and add kind of material that you,
if you don't know what you're looking for, would not
be able to find, I guess, And I'm realizing that's
a very big undertaking. I have a pay like like
(11:57):
a dog with just bullet points, which is about thirty
pages song at this point.
Speaker 1 (12:02):
Oh my god, for the entire show. So like, yea
fair enough, fair enough.
Speaker 4 (12:06):
So I'm like, I wonder if I will stick through
to season six, right, definitely season three, but yeah to
kind of just like archive and also maybe at like
a different perspective because there were a lot of fun
times to be had too.
Speaker 1 (12:23):
Oh yes, yeah, lot exactly.
Speaker 2 (12:34):
That you mentioned you watched until Santana's storyline sort of
stopped happening. Yeah, what was was she your favorite character?
Was her storyline your favorite? Like what was that journey
like for you?
Speaker 4 (12:48):
So I think Santana was just like a character who
I had first thought that I just liked her character,
which I do, but I was a very over invested
straight ally at the time for like two years, and
then eventually learned, oh, I think I'm more like her
than I think, and also then really attached like Santana
(13:10):
Brittany and the entire Britanna arc because also at the time,
I think there were like there was grayce Anatomy, had
Kelly in Arizona, pri La Liar said Emily and whoever
she was stating at the time, and that was pretty
much I think it in terms of like representation, and
(13:31):
so I think having Santana in like that showed that
already felt so representative, like made me feel so seen.
At the same time, I think that like she's just
such a fun character to watch right, Like she has
like she's hilarious and then she's also like hast that
(13:53):
like deep vulnerability, and it is such a kind of
like in a lead up to this, I was thinking,
if there are other like kind of mean cheerleader characters
that I can think of who kind of managed to
have that many layers to such depth, And its just
(14:14):
like also like Naya was just so incredible and all
of those different facets of her, and so I think
on one hand, I just really enjoyed like her as
a character, and on the other hand, it was just
like the first time I had felt seen and and
represented kind of to that extent, which is like became
so important to me. Like at the time, it was
(14:36):
not like healthy, but I had I think when when
they broke up in like season four, I had stomachs
a week over it.
Speaker 5 (14:45):
Oh no, a deep and emotional attachment to their Yeah, wow, no,
you're so right. I mean, we're we obvious knew that
the power of Naya and getting to rewatch the show
has been such a gift to appreciate the talents that
(15:10):
both Corey and I are brought to the show, and
then just being able to really appreciate their characters and
the what they did in terms of the representation for
people like you, you know, for all the fans for
Santana and for Brittany. We were just we've been so
grateful for that experience, you know, because we were like, oh,
(15:32):
I don't know for how is this going to be
watching this now, you know, after everything that's happened.
Speaker 3 (15:38):
But it's actually been like very healing in a way
to celebrate them, you know, like over again and just
be reminded of how how much they shared with the world.
Speaker 2 (15:52):
So I also think the context. You know, we talk
about the passion of Britanna fans, but the context you
just gave about, there weren't a lot of other examples
on popular television shows at the time, so it's like
when you're only given you know, a few people or
(16:16):
characters in the whole wide world of popular television shows,
like you do fight for that because it's like not
very often you get to see yourself represented in that way.
And I think that's something you know, I didn't necessarily
think about because we were on a show that was
representing sort of as many different types of people as possible,
so we were spoiled in that. But you know, if
(16:39):
you were just a viewer or like, this is an
hour of your week and this is all you get
and you have pretty little liars. You have Gray's anatomy,
then that's not a lot overall. Yeah, and so yeah,
I'm just thinking about that now. So that's illuminating because
it does speak to, you know, the passion of of
(17:00):
the fans of the community.
Speaker 4 (17:02):
I think it's so fastating in general to look back
because now I'm like, I can't I don't think I
can fathom like the period of aird in like I
remember at the time, for example, like Wikipedia would tell
you Dan Germany, seventy percent of people were against homosexuality,
where I'm like, no, it's stupid, right, But it was
such a different time.
Speaker 1 (17:23):
Yeah, yeah, it was.
Speaker 2 (17:26):
And it's also it's unfathomable that it was that recent. Yeah,
like it's not that long ago. And like culturally, I think,
as we've always said, like Glee is sort of like
the transition period of that time, and it's it is
very strange to think about like when Glee first started airing,
(17:48):
even in the US, you know, like where were politics
and like what happened during the course of like the
Obama presidency and then when it ended and where we
are now. It's so it is very strange to look
back and think about like when we first started traveling internationally, Jena.
Do you remember like we'd go to other countries and
(18:10):
like some countries would have an overwhelming response like of
warmth about the show, or when we first went to
France or even Germany, where like the response was much
let's say colder at first, because I think, you know,
like the climate politically, climate, socially, climate wise, it was. Yeah,
(18:31):
there were different things happening, and I also think how
people expressed those things is different. But yeah, fascinating. Well,
I think if you're able to write something, I would
love to read it, because, like you are so well spoken,
you clearly think so deeply about these things, and it's
so nice to be able to like talk about that
with you.
Speaker 4 (18:52):
I mean it might be in my massive speceis, which
is in two years, so you.
Speaker 1 (18:55):
Have some time to be continued. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (18:58):
Yeah, Before we let you go, we ask everybody the question,
what is the feeling that Glee leaves you with?
Speaker 4 (19:06):
I think it would be sowles enjoy.
Speaker 2 (19:10):
Wow, yeah, very good, And no one said solace yet.
Speaker 1 (19:15):
No, Well, good luck with your rewatch. We hope you enjoy.
Speaker 3 (19:22):
It and you get through and maybe you'll make it
all the way to the season six, and thank you
so much for taking the time to come on the
show today and for keeping the Glee engine alive and
you know, the fandom a lie. We really appreciate it
and it's just so nice to connect with you.
Speaker 1 (19:42):
Thanks for sharing so much of your story.
Speaker 2 (19:44):
I'm so glad that, yeah, we had this opportunity to
talk to you and get to learn all about you
and what Glee meant to you. So thank you, so
so much.
Speaker 4 (19:53):
Thank you.
Speaker 3 (19:55):
Have a good evening.
Speaker 1 (19:58):
Days now, Yes I have I.
Speaker 4 (20:02):
Have New York to watch next, so I think I'll.
Speaker 1 (20:05):
Have amazing bye, good bye, Thank you. She was wonderful,
so cool.
Speaker 3 (20:14):
It's just like so fun to see the array of
fans and they're just like they're attachment to the show
and how they're you know, continuing to watch it and
rewatch and just their takes on it so dynamic and
different and it's just really great. So thank you to
Alicia for coming on all the way from Germany, for
(20:38):
taking all those crazy thirty pages of notes and potentially
writing your thesis on this, but also just most importantly
supporting the show and supporting.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
Us, supporting herself for like sticking through the hard times
and getting out on the other side.
Speaker 1 (20:53):
Oh my gosh. Yeah, one incredible story.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
Yeah, I think it's really fascinating to see at the
end of the day, how everything this is gonna sound
so lame, but everything comes down to story. Where there
are cultural divides, their geographical divides that make us feel
separate and far apart, and as long as you have
(21:16):
good story and people that can see themselves, that transcends
all those things. And it was really nice to hear
how she was able to relate to Glee. Thank you
so much, Alsia for joining us and that's what you
really missed. Thanks for listening and follow us on Instagram
at and that's what you really miss pod. Make sure
(21:37):
to write us a review and leave us five stars.
See you next time.
And that's what you really missed with Jenna.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
And Kevin an iHeartRadio podcast.
Speaker 3 (00:09):
Welcome to and that's what we really miss podcasts. We
have Gleak of the Week this week. It's Alicia. Alicia
is from Germany and discovered Glee in twenty eleven. Alicia
has a really wonderful, vulnerable story on what Glee, how
Glee impacted them and what you know, just I guess
(00:30):
the way that they connected with it. So it's really beautiful.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Yeah, and she's now an English literature major, so listening
to her speak about this is just wonderful.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
So this is Alicia.
Speaker 4 (00:43):
Hello, how are you good?
Speaker 3 (00:46):
How are you good? Thanks for coming on the show.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Likewise, thanks for you here in Germany. Yes, thanks for
staying up later to do this. Yeah, okay, good.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
Great, Well that's I would be in bed.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
Yeah, that's late for Jenna. Look, I'm on the show.
Speaker 3 (01:05):
We're so excited to chat with you. We're so grateful
you listen to the podcast and that you've you know,
integrated gly into your life in all the ways that
we want to kind of talk to you about. Can
you tell us how you found Glee or how Glee
found you or when you.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
First watched it.
Speaker 4 (01:21):
So for some reason, I remember this very vividly, but
it was one night that like I'd already seen Empire,
State of Mind and Don't Step Believing on YouTube, and
I was in choir and a theat kids, so naturally
I was like, that looks exciting. And then like, for
some reason, I was like just home alone and I
(01:42):
turned on like the More of a sky Kitch Senna
at like thirteen or fourteen, and basically Glee was on.
I was like, I saw one episode and I was
just like immrely hooked. And I find this so impressive
because I could never pull this off now. But that night,
I like snack into my parents' bedroom after they fell asleep,
(02:06):
took my dad's iPad, watched Glee all night, oh, and
then put it back the next morning.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
It's like your version of sneaking out, Yeah, why are
you exhausted? Do you remember what episode it was that
first took to you, the one that you saw?
Speaker 4 (02:28):
It was one oh eight or nine, I'm not entirely sure,
but the first scene I saw was definitely a Puckelaberry scene.
Speaker 5 (02:36):
M M.
Speaker 4 (02:38):
I don't know, but that is just it opened on
that and I was like, huh, what is this? Oh
they're singing, Oh then choir, that's exciting. And yeah, So
it was one of those which I think at in
Germany like twenty eleven, so a little later. Yeah, but yeah.
Speaker 3 (02:56):
And why the hook to you about the show? Like
what was it about the show that like kind of
you sunk your yeah clause too?
Speaker 4 (03:04):
I mean I think like I was, in general, I
think quite the posted child for like the target audience,
because like I wasn't quire. I was also unaware at
the time, but still just a queer kid. And then
also had been like experiencing bullying pretty much like my
(03:24):
entire life until that point. And that was kind of
like also the point where it did get more challenging
because kids would like get kind of more aggressive with
it and would like, for example, like be telling me
to like kill myself or something, which of course was
(03:45):
a lot to deal with.
Speaker 3 (03:47):
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (03:48):
So seeing other like kind of bullied kids on TV
who like I would be able to connect to on
so many levels or was just so valuable, like and
then especially also kind of moving on from that, like
two years into watching Lee, figuring out that I was
queer and then having that to kind of hold onto
(04:10):
because that felt like, oh, suddenly I'm before it was
like different by kind of social status, and then suddenly
it felt like I was different by definition, and at
the time thought that I would be like an outcast
of the rest of my life. And so it just
kind of was like a tough time where Glee was
(04:35):
I think incredibly helpful for like make me feel seen
and giving me something to just like hold on to.
And it sounds quite extreme, but I'm not sure if
I would have like stuck around for the real life
changes that later like facilitated the life that I have now,
which is wonderful and like very far away from like
(04:58):
that fourteen year old. But yeah, so those are kind
of to thinks, and so I'm very grateful to the
show and to your work.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
Wow, thank you so much for sharing that.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
Yeah, we're so sorry you went through all of that,
and yet also so happy that you are in a
great place and you know can look it back at
that time and reflect on that and the way that
you did.
Speaker 4 (05:21):
It's really beautiful.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
Do you find like when I've spoken to a lot
of people who grew up outside of America, their question
is always like are American high schools actually like that,
you know, with the clicks, the groups, the bullying, all
of those things, because a lot of people the bullying
may present itself in other ways, or the school structure
(05:44):
is different. When you were watching that and able to
you know, see yourself represented in a way or feel seen,
how is that compared, I guess to you know, our
classic sort of American stereotypical high school to like what
you were maybe your school structure was like at that time.
Speaker 4 (06:04):
So I actually went to an American high school for
half a year and did like half your ofuphonic exchange.
So it was different. Like my high school experience was
like very positive, like kind of people were very nice.
People are also a lot more invested in their schools
because we don't really have like school clubs or something
(06:27):
like that, and we also don't really have subjects that
are like anything beyond kind of the basics of you know, math, science, languages.
We have like one music class and one art class
and that sort of it. And so it was like
in the US, I had a really good time because
it was just so different. There was so much more
(06:49):
I felt like space for individuality. Also, I think because
in that case, I was expected to be somewhat different
just because of my cultural context, because I was like
in a really small town. It's like there's a German
whom most people have never encountered, and so it's definitely
(07:12):
very different. And I feel like also especially at the time,
with people being like I think Germans are very kind
of grounded, but also in a way that's like a
little like I want to say, sad, but they're not
so excited about things. Usually they don't go like, oh,
(07:33):
you should like reach for the stars and whatever, which
is very different to what I experienced in America. Yes,
so like I would say, more rational, but sometimes I
think it's really nice to also have like someone who's
more like no strife for what you want and stuff
like that. Yeah, very different mentality and very different experience.
Speaker 3 (07:58):
So I see that you started the glead education on
Instagram and that you are studying English literature and you're
considering writing your thesis on Glee.
Speaker 4 (08:09):
Yes, so like the Instagram account, like I've called it
glee Ucation, I just started, I think yesterday, but I
just also started rewatching it like my friends started and
was like I've been rewatching Glee and I was like, huh,
should I do that? And to my surprise, the show
is a lot better than anticipated. Like when I said,
(08:33):
I was like, huh, I should I write?
Speaker 1 (08:36):
You never know how things are going.
Speaker 3 (08:37):
To finish the idea of what was once.
Speaker 4 (08:41):
And I also feel like Lee has such like a
kind of I want to say, complicated legacy obviously, you know,
with everything had happened in real life, but also kind
of at the end, I feel like everyone kind of
hated the show, but who loved it. I had like
love had relationship with it, yes and so. And I
(09:03):
also like I never finished the show, like I saw
the episodes off season six at Santana was in and
that was it. Wow. I just expected it to not
be as good and as funny, especially because at fifteen,
so many jokes would just fly across my head or
you know, like because you're dramatic teenager, everything is so
(09:25):
like serious like storylines when I'm not like this hilarious,
Like I was like, no, this is so problematic. It's
such an interesting like experience to rewatch it and to
get like that kind of I don't know, more mature
(09:46):
maybe stands on it. And I also kind of found
interesting that, like, I obviously like listening to your podcast,
I was like, oh, there's so many like also positive
like memories I have actually from the time that I
spent kind of like an online fanoms and stuff like that,
(10:07):
which I also thought was like a really negative time actually,
because do you know like the the one post where
a girl like reflects on what being in a gleef
and and was like, no, okay, it was a very
long tumbler post. It's extremely well written, and I would
agree with it in large parts about like how everyone
(10:27):
was kind of fighting each other and it was like,
you know, this kind of wall for representation because everyone
was being represented and so everyone was like no, I
want more of this, No, I want more of this.
And there were so many like odd things like for example,
I think most Britanna fans hate it Blaine.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
That's what we're discovering. We're discovering like the Clane and
Blaine versus like Britanna fans. Yes, it was a full
on war.
Speaker 3 (10:52):
The war.
Speaker 4 (10:53):
It was like it was intense, and I feel like
those are things that I know. Look, I'm like that
was so silly and now also rewatching, I'm like, oh,
I don't hate Blaine as much as characters like Umbrage
for instance, which was like he was at the poor
and so it's just like so interesting to get this
(11:13):
new experience, but at the same time also look back
and so many things that like also people who they
haven't been there don't know about or like also I
was watching a prom episode and they sing Friday by
Rebecca Black, which no new Gleek would understand the relevance
from because you haven't been there for like that entire thing, right,
(11:37):
And so I kind of wanted to, I guess, put
it in a context and add kind of material that you,
if you don't know what you're looking for, would not
be able to find, I guess, And I'm realizing that's
a very big undertaking. I have a pay like like
(11:57):
a dog with just bullet points, which is about thirty
pages song at this point.
Speaker 1 (12:02):
Oh my god, for the entire show. So like, yea
fair enough, fair enough.
Speaker 4 (12:06):
So I'm like, I wonder if I will stick through
to season six, right, definitely season three, but yeah to
kind of just like archive and also maybe at like
a different perspective because there were a lot of fun
times to be had too.
Speaker 1 (12:23):
Oh yes, yeah, lot exactly.
Speaker 2 (12:34):
That you mentioned you watched until Santana's storyline sort of
stopped happening. Yeah, what was was she your favorite character?
Was her storyline your favorite? Like what was that journey
like for you?
Speaker 4 (12:48):
So I think Santana was just like a character who
I had first thought that I just liked her character,
which I do, but I was a very over invested
straight ally at the time for like two years, and
then eventually learned, oh, I think I'm more like her
than I think, and also then really attached like Santana
(13:10):
Brittany and the entire Britanna arc because also at the time,
I think there were like there was grayce Anatomy, had
Kelly in Arizona, pri La Liar said Emily and whoever
she was stating at the time, and that was pretty
much I think it in terms of like representation, and
(13:31):
so I think having Santana in like that showed that
already felt so representative, like made me feel so seen.
At the same time, I think that like she's just
such a fun character to watch right, Like she has
like she's hilarious and then she's also like hast that
(13:53):
like deep vulnerability, and it is such a kind of
like in a lead up to this, I was thinking,
if there are other like kind of mean cheerleader characters
that I can think of who kind of managed to
have that many layers to such depth, And its just
(14:14):
like also like Naya was just so incredible and all
of those different facets of her, and so I think
on one hand, I just really enjoyed like her as
a character, and on the other hand, it was just
like the first time I had felt seen and and
represented kind of to that extent, which is like became
so important to me. Like at the time, it was
(14:36):
not like healthy, but I had I think when when
they broke up in like season four, I had stomachs
a week over it.
Speaker 5 (14:45):
Oh no, a deep and emotional attachment to their Yeah, wow, no,
you're so right. I mean, we're we obvious knew that
the power of Naya and getting to rewatch the show
has been such a gift to appreciate the talents that
(15:10):
both Corey and I are brought to the show, and
then just being able to really appreciate their characters and
the what they did in terms of the representation for
people like you, you know, for all the fans for
Santana and for Brittany. We were just we've been so
grateful for that experience, you know, because we were like, oh,
(15:32):
I don't know for how is this going to be
watching this now, you know, after everything that's happened.
Speaker 3 (15:38):
But it's actually been like very healing in a way
to celebrate them, you know, like over again and just
be reminded of how how much they shared with the world.
Speaker 2 (15:52):
So I also think the context. You know, we talk
about the passion of Britanna fans, but the context you
just gave about, there weren't a lot of other examples
on popular television shows at the time, so it's like
when you're only given you know, a few people or
(16:16):
characters in the whole wide world of popular television shows,
like you do fight for that because it's like not
very often you get to see yourself represented in that way.
And I think that's something you know, I didn't necessarily
think about because we were on a show that was
representing sort of as many different types of people as possible,
so we were spoiled in that. But you know, if
(16:39):
you were just a viewer or like, this is an
hour of your week and this is all you get
and you have pretty little liars. You have Gray's anatomy,
then that's not a lot overall. Yeah, and so yeah,
I'm just thinking about that now. So that's illuminating because
it does speak to, you know, the passion of of
(17:00):
the fans of the community.
Speaker 4 (17:02):
I think it's so fastating in general to look back
because now I'm like, I can't I don't think I
can fathom like the period of aird in like I
remember at the time, for example, like Wikipedia would tell
you Dan Germany, seventy percent of people were against homosexuality,
where I'm like, no, it's stupid, right, But it was
such a different time.
Speaker 1 (17:23):
Yeah, yeah, it was.
Speaker 2 (17:26):
And it's also it's unfathomable that it was that recent. Yeah,
like it's not that long ago. And like culturally, I think,
as we've always said, like Glee is sort of like
the transition period of that time, and it's it is
very strange to think about like when Glee first started airing,
(17:48):
even in the US, you know, like where were politics
and like what happened during the course of like the
Obama presidency and then when it ended and where we
are now. It's so it is very strange to look
back and think about like when we first started traveling internationally, Jena.
Do you remember like we'd go to other countries and
(18:10):
like some countries would have an overwhelming response like of
warmth about the show, or when we first went to
France or even Germany, where like the response was much
let's say colder at first, because I think, you know,
like the climate politically, climate, socially, climate wise, it was. Yeah,
(18:31):
there were different things happening, and I also think how
people expressed those things is different. But yeah, fascinating. Well,
I think if you're able to write something, I would
love to read it, because, like you are so well spoken,
you clearly think so deeply about these things, and it's
so nice to be able to like talk about that
with you.
Speaker 4 (18:52):
I mean it might be in my massive speceis, which
is in two years, so you.
Speaker 1 (18:55):
Have some time to be continued. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (18:58):
Yeah, Before we let you go, we ask everybody the question,
what is the feeling that Glee leaves you with?
Speaker 4 (19:06):
I think it would be sowles enjoy.
Speaker 2 (19:10):
Wow, yeah, very good, And no one said solace yet.
Speaker 1 (19:15):
No, Well, good luck with your rewatch. We hope you enjoy.
Speaker 3 (19:22):
It and you get through and maybe you'll make it
all the way to the season six, and thank you
so much for taking the time to come on the
show today and for keeping the Glee engine alive and
you know, the fandom a lie. We really appreciate it
and it's just so nice to connect with you.
Speaker 1 (19:42):
Thanks for sharing so much of your story.
Speaker 2 (19:44):
I'm so glad that, yeah, we had this opportunity to
talk to you and get to learn all about you
and what Glee meant to you. So thank you, so
so much.
Speaker 4 (19:53):
Thank you.
Speaker 3 (19:55):
Have a good evening.
Speaker 1 (19:58):
Days now, Yes I have I.
Speaker 4 (20:02):
Have New York to watch next, so I think I'll.
Speaker 1 (20:05):
Have amazing bye, good bye, Thank you. She was wonderful,
so cool.
Speaker 3 (20:14):
It's just like so fun to see the array of
fans and they're just like they're attachment to the show
and how they're you know, continuing to watch it and
rewatch and just their takes on it so dynamic and
different and it's just really great. So thank you to
Alicia for coming on all the way from Germany, for
(20:38):
taking all those crazy thirty pages of notes and potentially
writing your thesis on this, but also just most importantly
supporting the show and supporting.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
Us, supporting herself for like sticking through the hard times
and getting out on the other side.
Speaker 1 (20:53):
Oh my gosh. Yeah, one incredible story.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
Yeah, I think it's really fascinating to see at the
end of the day, how everything this is gonna sound
so lame, but everything comes down to story. Where there
are cultural divides, their geographical divides that make us feel
separate and far apart, and as long as you have
(21:16):
good story and people that can see themselves, that transcends
all those things. And it was really nice to hear
how she was able to relate to Glee. Thank you
so much, Alsia for joining us and that's what you
really missed. Thanks for listening and follow us on Instagram
at and that's what you really miss pod. Make sure
(21:37):
to write us a review and leave us five stars.
See you next time.
Host
Jenna Ushkowitz
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