# Smash -- "Glee for grownups" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 6, 2012, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smash-glee-for-grownups/611974 "2012-02-06T13:48:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smash-glee-for-grownups/611974/61 "2012-02-17T04:45:42Z")
BTW, how did the video get leaked from the assistant’s cell phone onto YouTube (or whatever they called the site- wasn’t YouTube but something close)? He claims he only sent it to his mother, so either his mom uploaded it, he’s lying, or he was hacked: which seems most likely? ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smash-glee-for-grownups/611974/62 "2012-02-17T13:54:29Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > I think she’d just go to the nearest clinic though. She doesn’t seem the motherly type. > > Unless Debra offers to hold the lead for her in exchange for the baby. Oh, they _wouldn’t!_ What am I saying? That is just awful enough to be \*brilliant. \* ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smash-glee-for-grownups/611974/63 "2012-02-17T17:52:48Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > BTW, how did the video get leaked from the assistant’s cell phone onto YouTube (or whatever they called the site- wasn’t YouTube but something close)? He claims he only sent it to his mother, so either his mom uploaded it, he’s lying, or he was hacked: which seems most likely? Presumably the mother then (innocently or not) sent it on to someone else, who sent it to someone else, who posted it on facebook, etc. I don’t think there needs to be a conspiracy here. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smash-glee-for-grownups/611974/64 "2012-02-17T18:44:41Z")
> [@MaxTheVool](#): > > Presumably the mother then (innocently or not) sent it on to someone else, who sent it to someone else, who posted it on facebook, etc. I don’t think there needs to be a conspiracy here. Yeah, exactly. I didn’t give that a second thought. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smash-glee-for-grownups/611974/65 "2012-02-21T04:35:55Z")
Ooh, what an evil little beast the assistant is. And straight. Is the songwriting partner going to hook up with Ivy’s friend? (Will I start learning characters’ names?) No hugely unexpected plot developments tonight, but they’re definitely making it all much more complex. ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smash-glee-for-grownups/611974/66 "2012-02-21T13:58:15Z")
So as a father, I’m curious how much money Iowa farm daddy gave Karen- enough to get her through the next couple months while she’s in workshop, like $1,000, or serious cash, like $10,000? And Tom’s assistant is such a bitch. ---
**Author:** ![randwill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smash-glee-for-grownups/611974/67 "2012-02-21T14:11:20Z")
I was taken out of it a little by the show that the Joe DiMaggio actor was supposedly currently involved in, described as a “Bruno Mars thing”. Since Bruno Mars has only been a name act for a year or so with, what, two hit records, it seems like a stretch that even an off-Broadway show would be built around him. This felt like they were straying into “Glee” fantasy world territory in order to feature a relatively current hit song. I also loved the Iowa house with the front porch swing, the flowers in bloom in the flower boxes and the American flag. This must be what New York producers imagine every house in fly-over states looks like. I mean, many do, but still… ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smash-glee-for-grownups/611974/68 "2012-02-21T14:31:02Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > Ooh, what an evil little beast the assistant is. And straight. “Evil Harrington,” I think of him. Or The Little Pitcher with Big Ears–seriously, when will Grace learn to keep her big yap shut when she \*knows \*he is lurking around taking notes all day? Enjoying the show! it’s a silly soap, but it _works_, at least for me. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smash-glee-for-grownups/611974/69 "2012-02-21T14:33:10Z")
P.S. I am stunned again at how much Debra Messing looks like Suzy Parker: [![](https://64.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lb342cfY0E1qa2tolo1_500.jpg) ](https://64.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lb342cfY0E1qa2tolo1_500.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smash-glee-for-grownups/611974/70 "2012-02-21T14:43:48Z")
> [@Eve](#): > > “Evil Harrington,” I think of him. Perfect! What do you think he found in her notebook, BTW? Not the affair, since that looked like it came as a surprise to him, so … ? ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smash-glee-for-grownups/611974/71 "2012-02-21T14:54:49Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > What do you think he found in her notebook, BTW? Not the affair, since that looked like it came as a surprise to him, so … ? Probably, “Evil Harrington had good idea for musical, thank goodness we stole it from him and never paid it for him and he has no proof of that. Signed, Grace.” ---
**Author:** ![BeeDubU2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BeeDubU2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeeDubU2)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smash-glee-for-grownups/611974/72 "2012-02-21T15:00:46Z")
> [@Eve](#): > > Probably, “Evil Harrington had good idea for musical, thank goodness we stole it from him and never paid it for him and he has no proof of that. Signed, Grace.” You owe me a new keyboard. This one has mysteriously gotten flooded in Dr. Pepper. Seriously, though, I think its info for the adoption. He referred to her “temper” when he was redefining their relationship that made me think he was letting her know that was ammo for future use in some way. ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smash-glee-for-grownups/611974/73 "2012-02-21T15:03:41Z")
For what it’s worth, the idea “I think you should do a musical about Marilyn” gets him absolutely nothing. People have ideas all day and get nothing for them. It’s the expression of that idea that is copyrightable, and he did f\*ck-all about that, so unless they plan on playing pretty fast and loose with the law, he better have something better up his sleeve. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smash-glee-for-grownups/611974/74 "2012-02-21T15:12:20Z")
> [@corkboard](#): > > … so unless they plan on playing pretty fast and loose with the law, he better have something better up his sleeve. He’s working on that. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smash-glee-for-grownups/611974/75 "2012-02-21T15:16:09Z")
> [@randwill](#): > > I was taken out of it a little by the show that the Joe DiMaggio actor was supposedly currently involved in, described as a “Bruno Mars thing”. Since Bruno Mars has only been a name act for a year or so with, what, two hit records, it seems like a stretch that even an off-Broadway show would be built around him. So I wasn’t the only one who thought that was weird. Also, the staging for the “Bruno Mars” thing was very, very odd. There were a lot of times that the actors/dancers were playing toward cameras (that wouldn’t have been there) instead of the audience (that was). And that was a truly awful hour of television. I want to like this show, but that was not good. There wasn’t a single good plot. Not the evil assistant (who is apparently straight? really?), or Iowa, or the ex-husband, or the adultery, or the current boyfriend jealousy, it was all awful. Their “star” is really annoying me - having her not know what the “other place” is makes her stupid, not relatable; having Ivy work so hard doesn’t make her look natural, it makes her look lazy. I don’t really want her to succeed. I definitely don’t want her to succeed in without really trying. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smash-glee-for-grownups/611974/76 "2012-02-21T15:18:58Z")
Was I the only one who noticed that the guy who got the DiMaggio part looked abso-freakin’-lutely nothing like DiMaggio? Apparently, since none of the people involved in casting commented on it. Couldn’t they have at least dyed his hair? ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smash-glee-for-grownups/611974/77 "2012-02-21T15:47:57Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > Was I the only one who noticed that the guy who got the DiMaggio part looked abso-freakin’-lutely nothing like DiMaggio? Apparently, since none of the people involved in casting commented on it. I _know!_ Oddly, enough, Grace’s writing partner does look like (a much handsomer) Joe DiMaggio. ---
**Author:** ![randwill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smash-glee-for-grownups/611974/78 "2012-02-21T16:20:31Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > Was I the only one who noticed that the guy who got the DiMaggio part looked abso-freakin’-lutely nothing like DiMaggio? Apparently, since none of the people involved in casting commented on it. Couldn’t they have at least dyed his hair? I think physical resemblance to the real person being portrayed is less important in theater than in film or television. Of course, this is theater depicted on television so there’s that. Since we’re being nitpicky (it IS what we do) I was also surprised that Iowa-girl didn’t notice her own father being in the karaoke bar. Especially since he was there for so long that he still smelled of smoke the next morning. Maybe it was so smokey in there that she couldn’t see a few feet away from her. ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2012, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smash-glee-for-grownups/611974/79 "2012-02-22T17:45:57Z")
I think this show is wildly inconsistent. In general, I really like the parts that directly relate to the making of the musical. But the scheming ridiculously evil assistant? The pointless adoption storyline? Blargh. When we first saw Michael Swift (the DiMaggio guy) I said “hey, that’s Roger from Rent”, thinking of the original Roger, Adam Pascal. But then I decided that I was wrong. And it turns out that it’s actually Will Chase, who was Roger from Rent in **Rent: Filmed Live on Broadway** , a recorded production of the closing night of Rent which I’ve also seen many times. So I was kind of right. But he’s certainly a legitimate Broadway guy. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2012, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smash-glee-for-grownups/611974/80 "2012-02-22T20:18:09Z")
I thought the “Mr. and Mrs.” number was a bit lame. Also phony; for all DiMaggio and Monroe may have talked about wanting a normal life they’d probably have had seizures the first time they had to wait in line for a table or didn’t get VIP treatment at a nightclub. I can see Manhattan restaurants and bartenders competing to see who could get (Angelica Huston’s character) to throw their drink on her ex in their establishment. Seat her when she comes in and bring her two drinks- one for sipping and one for “just in case” tossing. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smash-glee-for-grownups/611974.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smash-glee-for-grownups/611974.md?page=5)