By Tom Comi
One of the great things about Fox’s award-winning show Glee is the platform it has provided for the topic of bullying, and a great deal of the credit for building that platform goes to creator Ryan Murphy. Unfortunately, Murphy has allowed the success of the show to transform him into both a bully and a hypocrite.
You would think that a show of Glee’s stature would have musicians begging to have their songs covered. Whether it’s the cast arrangement of a song or the original version, viewers are downloading singles off iTunes faster than a Sue Sylvester one-liner. It’s almost guaranteed money for any artist to be featured on an episode, which is why everybody from Paul McCartney to Beyonce has given their blessing to have their music featured.
But not everybody has gotten on board, and that has rubbed Murphy the wrong way. When popular band Kings of Leon politely declined a request, Murphy opted to turn his positive platform into a negative by referring to the band as “self-centered [expletives].” Apparently feeling that wasn’t enough, he went on to add, “[Expletive] you, Kings of Leon!”
Not the kind of rhetoric you would expect from the guy responsible for a show named Glee, is it? But Murphy didn’t stop there. After guitar player Slash of the group Guns N’ Roses refused a request for his songs to be showcased and took a few jabs at the show, the outspoken Murphy couldn’t resist the urge to lash out. “Usually, I find that people who make those comments, their careers are over; they’re uneducated and stupid,” he was quoted as saying.
I do have to admit that it is baffling as to why any musician would turn down what is probably the easiest money they will ever make, while also being exposed to a demographic that might not be familiar with their music. But it is their right to do so, and that’s something that Murphy has to acknowledge and accept. Glee is a great show, but it is certainly not everybody’s cup of tea.
If one of the goals of his show is to truly put an end to bullying around the country, Murphy might want to get the giant chip off his shoulder and practice what he preaches. To paraphrase a line from the best-selling book of all time, “he who casts the first slushie …”
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© 2010 Fox Broadcasting Co.
