Drunken hot girl-on-girl hookups just in time for sweeps week. Sweeeeet. For my SEO, I mean. For us, the viewers? Well, let’s talk about it. So, yes, Quinn and Santana totally did it. Like drunken squeals, naked limbs, tousled hair did it. Like this is what happens when collegiate sexual curiosity meets and an ex dancing within feet of you with some dude who does a terrible Sean Connery impersonation and is mixed liberally with fake IDs and an open bar. And, to be honest, I didn’t really mind it.
And, as long as we’re being honest, we really like it when girls hook up. Don’t lie. We like it. We dream about it. We root for it. We petition for it. We create elaborate fandoms built around it. We really, really like it. Just like you always want the cute girl you just met to be gay, or the celebrity you love to be gay, we want the characters we like to be gay – and gay for each other. We crave having our experiences reflected back to us, for other people to be like us, even if just on screen. So, Quinn and Santana hooking up with was, in concept, A-OK by me. Also, Santana’s exuberant cheer at the prospect of getting to know the last member of the Unholy Trinity in a biblical sense was pretty damn priceless.
The question then is whether Quinn and Santana hooking up in action was A-OK. And, it was and it wasn’t. Was the way their mutual bonding, drunken flirting and ultimate exploration played out realistically? Yes, yes it very much was. Since we’re on that honesty train, there’s a reason they call alcohol a social lubricant. If you haven’t had a drunken hook-up, it’s probably only because you’ve never been drunk. Which is of course fine. But liquid courage is real thing and mutually enjoyed by both the straight girls who need a reason to drop their inhibitions (along with their drawers) and the gay gals who need a reason to not care that the girls are straight. And Quinn and Satnana have a real history and a real connection that dates back to the first season of the show. They are indeed two ends of the same bitch-goddess spectrum. So, yes, in execution the Great Quintanna Explosion felt authentic.
But then there’s that bit about how it wasn’t. Because as amazing as seeing their post coital bliss and epic sex hair, I wish we weren’t seeing them for sweeps week. Timing, along with size, matters. Look, I’m glad in the great music chairs game of couplehood that is “Glee,” the Valentine’s Day episode gave us four couples bound for the bedroom and half of them were gay. But I’m less happy that the it has to happen on one of the few period a year that TV networks try to pump up ratings to be able to maximize ad rates. The Lesbian Sweeps Kiss has a long and frustrating history stretching form “LA Law” to “Friends” to “Party of Five” to the “The O.C.” to “Heroes” and I could go on.
While the execution on screen doesn’t necessarily scream Sweeps Lesbianism, it none the less falls into the category. And that’s disappointing. Because it is precisely these kinds of unexpected moments that can be the most exciting for us. When we see our own life amplified. Like when a show about a bunch of singing and dancing teenagers in twenthysomething bodies opens up with two cheerleaders talking about sweet lady kisses on top of each other in bed at the beginning of October for no reason other than it just felt right.
p.s. Though, nice touch with Quinn’s badly needed swig of water. ‘Cause a girl can get mighty parched while getting mighty wet. Ahem.
21 comments:
Exactly! Ms S you have such a way of 'putting your finger on it'... so to speak. This whole scenario was authentic in its messy chemistry and awesome in its hotness. And as much as our representation grows on tv it's still all too rare to see situations which reflect our lives and fantasies.
Only now in thinking about the thrill I get from a scene like this in a primetime show, I'm thinking how straight girls get these all day, every day, piped into their telly-boxes. How unfair! And how boring.
Great writing as always D. Longtime reader and occasional commenter, A.
There is some commentary amongst the fans that whilst it was indeed sweeps week, it barely counted as a Sweeps Week Lesbian stunt due to the fact that it wasn't actually mentioned in any of the promos, and as such came as a surprise to the general viewership.
Whether R-Murphz & Co. intended for that effect is unknown, but it's certainly interesting that Fox didn't bother to advertise it.
I'd also argue that while it WAS a sweeps week lesbian kiss, the goal in this case was not to attract the straight male viewing audience, as in so many other shows like Heroes or the OC, but rather to specifically attract the lesbian viewing audience. And while I may hate how Glee and RM toy with our emotions and our fragile shipping hearts, I gotta admit, having a TV show specifically cater to US and and give US what we want during sweeps, that's pretty awesome.
It feels kind of difficult to classify that episode (or at least the Quinn/Santana pieces of it) as a sweeps/ratings stunt when only the people who invest heavily in internet spoilers knew there was even so much as the possibility of a hookup between those two. Like yeah it's February and all but you aren't going to get people to watch just to see that happen if you don't tell or even hint to non-internet/spoilered tv viewers that it's going to happen.
The water was the best part for me. Wildly mussed hair & needing water? That's the correct after-sex look.
Perfect comment. And as for the advertistint, FOX didn't advertise any of their ratings stunt. They might have a problem with their strategy, I believe.
I find it interesting that a sweeps stunt can have more intimacy than their regular lesbian couple, though.
Wow never saw people so easily appeased. They only had Santana get with Quinn to prolong the will they won't they cat and mouse play. And to ensure that any hallucinations about a Faberry hook-up was dismissed. They do not care about whether they give anything to lesbians they do care enough to tease and throw scraps that way in hope they shut up and stop asking for equality. The whole hook and story line was stupid as they sure many times to let Quinn indicate that it was experimental purposes only. Old flame or not close by I do not think Santana would so quickly have sex with a friend who will never do it with her again and will probably never be in any upcoming episodes. All I can say is shame again GLEE!
First, I agree with Jude about the intimacy. In part, I chalk it up to the ability of the two actors involved and their capability of conveying such intimacy.
Second, as was mentioned in the blog, multiple couples hooked up. Sex is used during sweeps. In this case, I would argue, it was not the same as "The Lesbian Kiss" sweeps stunt. Straight and gay couples had sex, all with different outcomes and implications. If it was solely Quinntana getting it on in that hotel, then yes, absolutely, "Lesbian Sweeps Stunt." But, it wasn't.
Going back to the intimacy issue and the various outcomes and implications: of all of the couples, Quinn and Santana not only enjoyed themselves to stay in that room for round two, but they also maturely discussed the situation - no strings attached, it was fun, no one freak out, or no need for the huge discussion about "what this means" (Blaine took care of that conversation with Kurt). Kurt left, Rachel snuck out, and Artie and Betty (Ali's character) shrugged and laughed.
I thought the Quinn and Santana hook up was handled quite well, and they did not seem drunk in the after sex conversation, which I think is also significant. Like Dorothy said, this (drunk hook ups) happens...a lot. What may not often a lot, though, is the type of conversation that followed. The whole narrative that eventually led to that hotel room was playful and rather intimate.
I applauded Glee for the Quinntana story. I hardly pay attention to the show because they haven't made me care about the new characters. And, I think Naya and Dianna stick out as much better actors than their fellow cast members, with some exceptions, of course. So, I enjoy these small moments.
(Also, Quinn and Santana are hot together.)
Two hot, half naked girls = easily appeased fans, as Ryan Murphy once alluded to. Glee has treated fans of his lesbian(s) characters terribly, and a sweeps stunt doesn't negate everything Glee did in the past - including begging for several seasons for simple kiss. It is indeed weird that it needed begging for that, while they can have two girls in bed together in various states of undress (but they're not a couple, mind you) to attract and shock viewers during sweeps but sideline physically and storyline-wise the actual lesbian couple during the seasons.
I think it's really sad and quite desperate of Glee, which is falling in ratings quite fast this season. No matter how attractive the girls involved are.
I love that this happened. I hate that it was a sweeps week play to get attention.
Or do I?
I kind of love that girls kissing is now something that GETS viewers, instead of loses them. As stupidly exploitative as it is, we've come a long way when lesbian action is seen as a positive thing, in any sense. We're no longer in danger of being jailed and/or executed for our sweet lady kisses. We're actually considered hot, not disgusting, by a network that caters to the mainstream. So I'm actually going to count this in the "win" column, all told.
Honestly, what was the point of it? That Quinn could take advantage of one of two of her closest friends by sleeping with her because she's upset? It may have been the right thing to do, it may have been what Santana needed, but more likely it was the wrong thing to do, and not what she needed her so-far straight friend to do. As someone else said elsewhere... Go find someone else to experiment with. Just not your hurting lesbian friend. Personally, I didn't see any point to except the possibility of making Brittany jealous (stupidly) in the future, or trying to show that Santana has actually moved on (stupidly and wrongly). Glee is grasping at straws. Give me something that's part of telling a story here, dammit!
Dear Dorothy, if it weren't for Sweeps Week, this wouldn't even happened.
I love ALL of this. Quinntana was fresh and really mature, for first time we saw Santana being herself, not searching an unicorn with brittany or talking about that fat cat and his addictions. Quinntana felt real, Naya and Dianna did an amazing job. I shipped Brittana but i left because i couldn't take serious the couple while brittany was played like a child. I wish the writers give Quinntana a chance because i've never seen at Quinn so happy and Santana so real. But well at the end of the story Santana will end with the toddler and that fat cat. Sad.
I wasn't really interested in that hookup - felt cheap and in clear Sweeps Stunt fashion. I mean, it wouldn't have even existed otherwise.
I like Santana and Brittany because of their story, and frankly Naya Rivera could look sexy in a bed with anyone. That was certainly neither "representation" or a "storyline".
To the person who said they had never seen Quinn so happy: you need to watch some more episodes of Glee then because she's beamed more after many a group number. Also, sexual satisfaction does not equate (alone) to happiness in life. It was an OK moment between two lonely, horny, and drunk people - and a fairly realistic one at that - but I'd rather an actual relationship with feelings which is to say I'd rather Brittana, albeit a better written Brittana. As for liking the idea that girls having sex now gets viewers, as someone said, unfortunately the actual ratings for this episode don't bear that out. The show lost a good bit of its audience from the first half to the second and fared poorly on the night...so sweeps stunt or not, it was a failed ratings grabber.
This just a cheap rating sttunt and din't work. It actually reinfores what Ryan Murphy was trying to prove we ony wanted hot girls hooking up. Quinntana was poinntless, rush
This just a cheap rating sttunt and din't work. It actually reinfores what Ryan Murphy was trying to prove we ony wanted hot girls hooking up and that is it. Quinntana was poinntless, rush
As a loyal Brittana shipper I was bitter that we never got to see sexy times between them, except in words or hinting (breakfast is confusing scene), but I thought this episode was great and very well constructed. I'm so glad you wrote this.
I did believe it. From Quinn's perspective and obviously from Santana's, who had to watch Brittany be all goofy, dancing with fish face. The way it played out made it realistic and undeniably hot, in my opinion. I also love that if we had to point a predator in that duo, it would definitely be Quinn. And it makes me sort of stupidly proud of Santana. She got the queen bitch, the last member of the unholy trinity, and someone that she both loved and hated throughout the years (like good frenemies, it's good sexual tension). The chemistry was there so it's hard for me not to enjoy it. It isn't just because they looked very hot together, but because it was perfectly delivered. Sweeps or not, I'm glad Glee made an effort.
I'm shocked to even write it, but I'm really grateful that Glee went there.
Quinn and Santana should have been the lesbian couple. Brittany is a toddler, and with Heather Morris it's hit or miss.
I like the dynamics between Quinn and Santana as much as I love the way Dianna and Naya play it. They're perfect together (the characters AND the actresses protraying them). It feels seamless, organic and I for one can't be happier that Quinntana happened.
I know Brittana shippers are hurt and pissed, and that they probably have to big shipper googles to see how awesome that hookup was. But it was. It really, really was. Quinn and Santana read one another like a book whereas when we have Brittany and Santana, it feels forced and kind of flat most of the time. And I say that as someone who shipped Brittana hardcore till the end of season 2. But even I can't ignore the flaws and nonsense in their relationship since then.
Brittana was a cute and endearing high school pairing, but now Santana is an adult and needs way more than what Brittany can offer. Also, she couldn't offer a lot to Brittany either, just babysit her at best. Unicorns and cotton candy are fun but there's a point when even that is not enough to make me care. Worse, it makes me want to avoid to watch altogether.
Quinntana managed the impossible for me: they made me care about Glee again. I was HAPPY to watch Glee. I was entertained and curious as to what they plan for these two. Even if I'm fairly certain that they don't want to go further, which is a shame, really. If they were a couple they would make sense and I would LOVE to watch that.
Anyway, I hope that it's not the last we see of them because whether as friends or more, I love Quinntana. They work very well together. They bring out the best and worse in each other and that deserves to be explored.
I loved the Quinntana hook up. I think they're great together and the sexual tension between them has been there for a while. (I also believe Quinn was portrayed as closeted at the very beginning of the series but they abandoned that when the decision was made to make Santana the lesbian character. Look back at the first 4 or 5 episodes of season 1 and you'll see what I mean.)
I also thought theirs was the most mature and intimate of the encounters portrayed. We may not have seen them kiss, but we saw them obviously naked in bed together post-sex. And they talked about it! I really think that scene was possibly the most sex-positive thing Glee has ever done; they both enjoyed themselves, no one freaked out about it, it just was what it was with no strings attached. And that was okay! I was over the moon about that, to be honest.
Also, they avoided the "predatory lesbian" trope by having Quinn be the aggressor. And she started flirting with Santana before either of them had even had a drink. So while the alcohol may have helped them loosen up enough to actually go through with it, the desire was there all along. I think they've been playing up the flirtatiousness between the two of them whenever they've had a scene together this whole season, so for me this hook up didn't just come out of nowhere either.
All in all I think it was really well done. I'm not getting my hopes up that this will ever be explored or mentioned again, but I'd embrace a Quinn/Santana relationship wholeheartedly if it were to happen.
I was reading "Quinn" as "Brittany" until I got to "Quintanna". Perhaps because I stopped watching Glee and now have no idea what's happening in that universe?
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