Destination: Mecca, and Glee gets Speared

So a couple of days I purchased a laptop. Slightly impulsive, perhaps, but it allows me to escape the house, travel to remote and exotic locations, and find inspiration to write and write some more. Such is the intent of today's little foray, which finds me down at Mocha Mecca; a little cafe which has opened up just opposite the Riverside Tavern. Perhaps neither as remote nor exotic as, say, the cast of Getaway enjoy experiencing on a weekly basis, but then again I don't have a travel budget the size of a small elephant.

Initially, my ambitions aimed further afield, to the prestigious Macca's Aitkenvale (quiet please; I can't concentrate over your  'Oohs' and 'Aahs'). The purpose of this was to take advantage of the Free WiFi with every purchase. Caffeine, sugar and the world at your fingertips – what's not to love? However, I left my 'corporate expenses' credit card at home, with the rest of my wallet, and even the philanthropic Mr McDonald won't give you a free coffee, even for a good write up on a personal blog which averages two or three hits a week. Sadly, corporate sponsorship seems to be exceeding my reach for the moment.

So, after a return trip home and an overwhelming sense of concern regarding my car's impact on the environment (or was it sheer laziness?) I decided to journey the significantly shorter distance to Mocha Mecca. And I must say that I am enjoying the outcome, despite the name.

The clientele is particularly classier, the view is more aesthetically pleasing (if you ignore the statue of a dog, urinating on one of the trees outside), the mere act of breathing doesn't increase your blood cholesterol, and the manager seems lovely. After waiting patiently for my coffee, typing feverishly away at this epic post, the manager kindly visited my table and apologised for the wait of my coffee and offered to refund it while he made it himself. I was most impressed, considering I had only been waiting about 15-20 minutes, and it's lunchtime. Perhaps he suspected I was a food critic, doing a write-up on his newly-opened enterprise.  Was this exceptionally good service merely a bribe to sway the direction of this piece? Probably not. I look like I got dressed in the dark.

Motivations aside, however, I think I may come back again. And perhaps again, depending on whether or not there's any addictive additives in my latte.

Moving on.

So what of Glee's latest offering last night? Having been a fan since the premiere, I've begrudgingly witnessed one or two disappointing episodes against the backdrop of a deteriorating moral code, but last night's episode was the worst. Was the fact that the episode featured Brittany Spears merely coincidental? Perhaps, but considering the bulk of her repertoire is questionable at best, the show's writers didn't have much to work with.

Unfortunately, the episode was plagued with far too many musical interludes (or 'fantasies', as the story depicted them) brought on by highs sought from an ethically-deficient dentist's nitrous oxide, some of which should really have had Channel Ten reconsidering the show's 7.30pm timeslot.

But censorship aside, I hope this isn't the beginning of a trend for Glee. While the show consistently delivers a number high-calibre musical performances, these have previously been integrated well into the rest of the show, adding to the story-telling experience. Sadly, last night seemed to be a series of performances loosely wrapped together by the barest threads of a storyline.

From a financial, profit-driven perspective, Glee certainly has the power to rake in the dosh far beyond many other TV shows. Further to simply selling a series to a commercial broadcaster, followed by DVDs, Glee's musical numbers (averaging perhaps three per episode) are made available on iTunes as they happen, and are sold in droves. These profits certainly have the incentive to drive the show to focus more on developing the show's musical features than a well conceived storyline, and the royalties obtained by the original artists for the show's recreations must certainly have high-profile pop sensations beating down doors for the opportunity to feature their music. And where profile beats substance, an inundation of questionable content may ensue.

Personally, I hope for better things for Glee. Don't let the musical 'sensation' pull the focus away from developing a good story.

And as for Miss Lea Michele, while I love your voice and your versatility, steer clear of Brittany Spears. You do a lot of things well, but Spears isn't one of them. Don't worry, though; that's a good thing. SG