Funk (Glee)
Encyclopedia
"Funk" is the 21st episode of the American
television series Glee
. The episode was written by series creator Ian Brennan
and directed by Elodie Keene
. It premiered on the Fox
network on June 1, 2010 and was watched by 9 million viewers. In "Funk", New Directions is intimidated by rival glee club Vocal Adrenaline. Jesse St. James (Jonathan Groff
) defects back to Vocal Adrenaline, and New Directions explores funk music, knowing it is their rival club’s weakness. The episode features cover versions of six songs, all of which were released as singles
, available for download
, and two of which are included on the soundtrack album
Glee: The Music, Volume 3 Showstoppers
.
The episode received mixed reviews from critics. Lisa Respers France of CNN
and Blair Baldwin of Zap2it
both received the episode positively. Todd VanDerWerff of The A.V. Club
, Entertainment Weekly
Tim Stack and James Poniewozic of Time
highlighted continuity issues with the show, while VanDerWerff and Henrik Batallones of BuddyTV
deemed "Funk" a set-up episode for the season finale. Bobby Hankinson of the Houston Chronicle
gave a more positive review, but still found "Funk" lacking compared to previous episodes, a sentiment shared by Aly Semigran of MTV
.
" in the McKinley High auditorium, and TP
New Directions' choir room as intimidation ahead of the Regionals competition. The New Directions members become depressed, and club director Will Schuester
(Matthew Morrison
) tries to reinvigorate them by asking them to perform funk numbers. Quinn
(Dianna Agron
) performs "It's a Man's Man's Man's World
" to vent her frustration of being an unwed teenage mother. Mercedes
(Amber Riley
) sympathizes with Quinn and invites her to move in with her; later, she, Puck (Mark Salling) and Finn
(Cory Monteith
) perform "Good Vibrations" as their own "funk" number, based on Marky Mark
's band name being the Funky Bunch.
Will and Terri
(Jessalyn Gilsig
) finalize their divorce. Attempting to deal with his sorrow and cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester
's (Jane Lynch
) incessant bullying, Will seduces Sue with a performance of "Tell Me Something Good
" and asks her out on a date, standing her up to humiliate her. Sue withdraws the cheerleading squad from the upcoming Nationals competition and becomes bed-bound. Will sees the negative impact on the cheerleaders and realizes that some of them might lose their college scholarships. Will knows that hurting his nemesis did not make him feel any better, and encourages her to be there for her girls. Sue reenters and wins Nationals, but later gives Will two options: either house her new trophy inside New Directions' choir room, or kiss her. As Will is about to kiss her, Sue backs out and determines that the trophy will be set up in the choir room as a reminder of her superiority.
In retaliation to Vocal Adrenaline's vandalism, Puck and Finn slash the tires of their rivals' Range Rovers. Principal Figgins (Iqbal Theba
) thinks they should be expelled, but Vocal Adrenaline director Shelby Corcoran (Idina Menzel
) disagrees as she decides not to press charges, but she insists they pay for the damages. She then recommends taking the money out of Glee's budget, but Will says that the club will go bankrupt. Finn then says that he and Puck will get jobs and Shelby agrees. Puck and Finn get jobs at Sheets-N-Things, working for Terri. Expressing the dissatisfaction in their lives, Puck, Finn, Terri, customer Sandy Ryerson (Stephen Tobolowsky
), and employee Howard Bamboo (Kent Avenido) perform "Loser" in a dream sequence. Terri finds that Finn reminds her of Will, and befriends him, helping him with his funk assignment.
Jesse further breaks Rachel's (Lea Michele
) heart when he lures her to the parking lot, where he and the other Vocal Adrenaline members throw eggs at her
. Rachel, being vegan is distressed by the baby chicks that died and says she is having nightmares about the mothers of the chicks chasing her. The male New Directions members, led by Puck, are talked out of violent retaliation by Will, and instead the group performs "Give Up the Funk
" to show Vocal Adrenaline that they are not defeated by their bullying. Their showdown intimidates their rivals, who have never been able to pull off a funk number.
"Funk" was originally intended to air on May 25, 2010, but was switched in the schedule with the episode "Theatricality
". Series creator Ryan Murphy has stated that there are three relationships which are the cornerstone of Glee: those between Finn and Rachel, Will and Emma
(Jayma Mays
), and Will and Sue. Murphy explained that Will's seduction of Sue in "Funk" is an attempt to get her to leave the Glee club alone, expanding: "I think he's just done getting pushed around by Sue, but they had great fun with that."
Will's wife, Terri, returns to the series in "Funk", giving her first vocal performance. Murphy planned a redemptive storyline for Terri, in which she realizes that Finn is similar to Will. He explained: "She met Will at 16, so she sees a way to redemption... a way to redo that relationship in a positive way [by acting] almost as Finn's guardian angel
, his fairy godmother. She gives him proper moral advice." Murphy enjoyed seeing Gilsig and Monteith work together, so much so that he stated their friendship will continue into the show's second season. On June 2, 2010, Megan Masters of E! Online reported that Gilsig had yet to be officially invited back for the second season, but was confident that she would be. Discussing Terri's relationship with Finn, Gilsig explained: "She sees in Finn so much of what she saw in Will when she first met him because he's the same age as Will was. It's her way of remembering happier times—when she used to be kind to Will. And she realizes, here's a chance to be supportive of this kid."
The episode features cover version
s of six songs: "Another One Bites the Dust" by Queen
, "Tell Me Something Good" by Rufus
, "Loser" by Beck
, "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" by James Brown
, "Good Vibrations" by Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch
featuring Loleatta Holloway
and "Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof off the Sucker)" by Parliament
". All of the songs performed in the episode were released as singles
, available for download
. "Loser" is Gilsig's first vocal performance on the show, and is included on the deluxe edition of the soundtrack album
Glee: The Music, Volume 3 Showstoppers
. "Give Up the Funk" is included on both the deluxe and standard editions of the album.
. It was the third most-watched show of the week in the 18-49 demographic (losing to America's Got Talent
the night of the broadcast), the highest scripted show, and the eleventh most-watched program amongst all viewers. "Funk" received mixed to negative reviews from critics. CNN
's Lisa Respers France called it "incredible", and was pleased to see New Directions performing funk music, although noted that she was "slightly disturbed" by Quinn's "weird" performance of "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" utilizing pregnant teenagers as backing dancers. Blair Baldwin of Zap2it
stated: "While it didn't have the poignant vocals of previous episodes, it was fresh and fun...a nice change of pace for the series." Bobby Hankinson of the Houston Chronicle
called it a "pretty good" and "solid" episode, albeit noting that it lacked the "emotional punch" of previous episodes.
Todd VanDerWerff of The A.V. Club
graded the episode "C", writing that it felt like "a frantic attempt to raise a bunch of potential storylines for season two and an attempt to put things in place for the season finale". He criticized the show's lack of continuity, particularly with regard to the Jesse and Rachel storyline. Entertainment Weekly
Tim Stack also observed the lack of continuity in the Jesse storyline, calling it "slightly confusing" and "a little half-baked"; continuity errors in his storyline may have been the result of the change in episode broadcast order. He felt that the episode was "a slight let down", noting: "There wasn’t as much tension as I would have hoped going into the finale but there were still plenty of fun moments to enjoy." James Poniewozik
of Time
attributed part of the episode's problems to it being "an episode that could air easily out of order", explaining: "Glee is a very serial show, after all, but this episode largely consisted of moments that felt dropped in and random, in a way that undermined even the good moments."
Henrik Batallones of BuddyTV
deemed "Funk" a bridge between "Theatricality" and the season finale, writing: "It feels like the episode got itself in a funk, and when things get close to being awesome, it pulls back." Eric Goldman of IGN
rated the episode 6.8/10 for "Passable", but deemed it the weakest episode of Glee thus far, while Gerrick D. Kennedy of the Los Angeles Times
called it "just one big funked-up mess." Broadway World Mary Hanrahan felt that: "While "Funk" had some redeeming, even charming, moments, it did nothing to make up for the perplexing episode that preceded it and ultimately left much to be desired." In contrast, Aly Semigran of MTV
had enjoyed the preceding episode, yet still received "Funk" poorly, calling it: "a step down from last week's strong 'Theatricality'." As with Respers France, Semigran noted that Quinn's performance" felt a little uncomfortable and borderline 'offensive'." In contrast, Raymund Flandez of the Wall Street Journal enjoyed Quinn's song, which he called a "magnificent surprise", praising the "perfect jazzy–funk choreography". Flandez criticized the "Good Vibrations" performance, however, deeming it a "song so bad it can't be saved by irony or nostalgia", and felt that "Give Up the Funk" was "underdeveloped" asking: "Where's the soul? Anger? Passion? Emotion? Isn't that what this was supposed to be about?"
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television series Glee
Glee (TV series)
Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
. The episode was written by series creator Ian Brennan
Ian Brennan (writer)
Ian Brennan is a television writer, actor and producer. He is best known for his work on the television show Glee.-Early life:Brennan is the son of John and Charman Brennan. His sister, Sarah Brennan, is one of the founders of in Chicago...
and directed by Elodie Keene
Elodie Keene
Elodie Keene is an American film/television director, producer and editor. As a television director her credits include ER, NYPD Blue, The Practice, Ally McBeal, Charmed, Felicity, The Wire, House, M.D., The Closer, Nip/Tuck and among other series.She has won three Primetime Emmy Awards, two for...
. It premiered on the Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
network on June 1, 2010 and was watched by 9 million viewers. In "Funk", New Directions is intimidated by rival glee club Vocal Adrenaline. Jesse St. James (Jonathan Groff
Jonathan Groff
Jonathan Drew Groff is an American singer-songwriter, stage, television and film actor. He originated the role of Melchior Gabor in the stage musical Spring Awakening and appeared as Jesse St...
) defects back to Vocal Adrenaline, and New Directions explores funk music, knowing it is their rival club’s weakness. The episode features cover versions of six songs, all of which were released as singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, available for download
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
, and two of which are included on the soundtrack album
Soundtrack album
A soundtrack album is any album that incorporates music directly recorded from the soundtrack of a particular feature film or television program. In some cases, not all the tracks from the movie are included in the album; however there are rare cases of songs in the trailers that do not appear in...
Glee: The Music, Volume 3 Showstoppers
Glee: The Music, Volume 3 Showstoppers
-Sales and chart performance:The album debuted at number one on the American, Australian, Canadian, and Irish charts. It sold 136,000 copies in its first and 63,000 in its second week of release in the US, and saw the Glee cast beat the record previously set by The Beatles in 1966, for shortest...
.
The episode received mixed reviews from critics. Lisa Respers France of CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
and Blair Baldwin of Zap2it
Zap2it
Zap2it is an American website and affiliate network that provides news, photos and video, local TV listings and movie showtimes. The site is produced by Tribune Media Services , part of the publishing division of the Chicago-based Tribune Company...
both received the episode positively. Todd VanDerWerff of The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
, Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
Tim Stack and James Poniewozic of Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
highlighted continuity issues with the show, while VanDerWerff and Henrik Batallones of BuddyTV
BuddyTV
BuddyTV is an entertainment-based website based in Seattle, Washington, which generates content about television programs and sporting events. The website publishes information about celebrity and related entertainment news through a series of articles, entertainment profiles, actor biographies and...
deemed "Funk" a set-up episode for the season finale. Bobby Hankinson of the Houston Chronicle
Houston Chronicle
The Houston Chronicle is the largest daily newspaper in Texas, USA, headquartered in the Houston Chronicle Building in Downtown Houston. , it is the ninth-largest newspaper by circulation in the United States...
gave a more positive review, but still found "Funk" lacking compared to previous episodes, a sentiment shared by Aly Semigran of MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
.
Plot
Former New Directions member Jesse St. James returns to rival glee club Vocal Adrenaline. They give a performance of "Another One Bites the DustAnother One Bites the Dust
"Another One Bites the Dust" is a song by the English rock band Queen. Written by bass guitarist John Deacon, the song featured on the group's eighth studio album The Game . The song was a worldwide hit, charting number one on the United States Billboard Hot 100, number two on the R&B charts and...
" in the McKinley High auditorium, and TP
Toilet papering
Toilet papering is the act of covering an object, such as a tree, house, or another structure with toilet paper. This is typically done by throwing numerous toilet paper rolls in such a way that they unroll in mid-air and thus fall on the targeted object in multiple streams...
New Directions' choir room as intimidation ahead of the Regionals competition. The New Directions members become depressed, and club director Will Schuester
Will Schuester
William "Will" Schuester, often referred to as Mr. Schue, is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actor Matthew Morrison and has appeared in Glee since its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Will was developed by Glee...
(Matthew Morrison
Matthew Morrison
Matthew James "Matt" Morrison is an American actor, director, musician, and singer-songwriter. He is best known for starring in multiple Broadway and Off-Broadway productions, including his portrayal of Link Larkin in Hairspray on Broadway, and most notably for his Emmy and Golden Globe nominated...
) tries to reinvigorate them by asking them to perform funk numbers. Quinn
Quinn Fabray
Quinn Fabray is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Dianna Agron, and has appeared in Glee since its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. She is a former cheerleader at the fictional William McKinley High School in...
(Dianna Agron
Dianna Agron
Dianna Agron is an American actress, best known for her portrayal of Quinn Fabray on the television series Glee.-Early life:Dianna Agron was born in Savannah, Georgia, and raised in San Antonio, Texas and San Francisco, California. She is the daughter of Mary and Ronald S. Agron, a general...
) performs "It's a Man's Man's Man's World
It's a Man's Man's Man's World
"It's a Man's Man's Man's World" is a song by James Brown and Betty Jean Newsome. Brown recorded it on February 16, 1966 in a New York studio and released it as a single later that year. It reached #1 on the Billboard Top R&B Singles charts and #8 in the Billboard Hot 100...
" to vent her frustration of being an unwed teenage mother. Mercedes
Mercedes Jones
Mercedes Jones is a fictional character from the Fox popular musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Amber Riley, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Mercedes was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and...
(Amber Riley
Amber Riley
Amber Patrice Riley is an American actress and singer best known for her role on the series Glee as Mercedes Jones.-Early life and career:...
) sympathizes with Quinn and invites her to move in with her; later, she, Puck (Mark Salling) and Finn
Finn Hudson
Finn Hudson is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actor Cory Monteith, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Finn was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan...
(Cory Monteith
Cory Monteith
Cory Allan Monteith is a Canadian actor and musician, best known for his role of Finn Hudson on the Fox television series Glee.-Early life:...
) perform "Good Vibrations" as their own "funk" number, based on Marky Mark
Mark Wahlberg
Mark Robert Michael Wahlberg is an American actor, film and television producer, and former rapper. He was known as Marky Mark in his earlier years, and became famous for his 1991 debut as a musician with the band Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. He was named No. 1 on VH1's 40 Hottest Hotties of...
's band name being the Funky Bunch.
Will and Terri
Terri Schuester
Terri Schuester is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Jessalyn Gilsig, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Terri was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian...
(Jessalyn Gilsig
Jessalyn Gilsig
Jessalyn Gilsig is a Canadian actress known for her roles in the television series Boston Public, Nip/Tuck and as Will Schuester's ex-wife Terri Schuester in Glee...
) finalize their divorce. Attempting to deal with his sorrow and cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester
Sue Sylvester
Susan "Sue" Sylvester is a fictional character of the Fox musical comedy-drama series, Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Jane Lynch, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Sue was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Ian...
's (Jane Lynch
Jane Lynch
Jane Marie Lynch is an American comedian, actress and singer. She gained fame in Christopher Guest's improv mockumentary pictures such as Best in Show and is currently best known for playing the role of Sue Sylvester in the television series Glee...
) incessant bullying, Will seduces Sue with a performance of "Tell Me Something Good
Tell Me Something Good
"Tell Me Something Good" is a song by Rufus and Chaka Khan, released in 1974. It was a big hit peaking at number three on the Billboard Hot 100, though it didn't chart in the United Kingdom. Written by Stevie Wonder, the song is among the earliest hits to use the guitar talk box. The single...
" and asks her out on a date, standing her up to humiliate her. Sue withdraws the cheerleading squad from the upcoming Nationals competition and becomes bed-bound. Will sees the negative impact on the cheerleaders and realizes that some of them might lose their college scholarships. Will knows that hurting his nemesis did not make him feel any better, and encourages her to be there for her girls. Sue reenters and wins Nationals, but later gives Will two options: either house her new trophy inside New Directions' choir room, or kiss her. As Will is about to kiss her, Sue backs out and determines that the trophy will be set up in the choir room as a reminder of her superiority.
In retaliation to Vocal Adrenaline's vandalism, Puck and Finn slash the tires of their rivals' Range Rovers. Principal Figgins (Iqbal Theba
Iqbal Theba
Iqbal Theba is a Pakistani-American actor. Theba currently has a recurring role as Principal Figgins in the show Glee.-Life and career:Theba became a familiar face in the 1990s when he appeared in various TV shows and commercials in the United States....
) thinks they should be expelled, but Vocal Adrenaline director Shelby Corcoran (Idina Menzel
Idina Menzel
Idina Kim Menzel is an American actress, singer and songwriter. She is widely known for originating the roles of Maureen in Rent and Elphaba in Wicked.-Early life:...
) disagrees as she decides not to press charges, but she insists they pay for the damages. She then recommends taking the money out of Glee's budget, but Will says that the club will go bankrupt. Finn then says that he and Puck will get jobs and Shelby agrees. Puck and Finn get jobs at Sheets-N-Things, working for Terri. Expressing the dissatisfaction in their lives, Puck, Finn, Terri, customer Sandy Ryerson (Stephen Tobolowsky
Stephen Tobolowsky
Stephen Harold Tobolowsky is an American actor. He is well known for his role as Ned Ryerson in Groundhog Day, as well as portraying Commissioner Hugo Jarry in Deadwood for nine episodes and Bob Bishop in Heroes for eleven episodes over the second and third seasons...
), and employee Howard Bamboo (Kent Avenido) perform "Loser" in a dream sequence. Terri finds that Finn reminds her of Will, and befriends him, helping him with his funk assignment.
Jesse further breaks Rachel's (Lea Michele
Lea Michele
Lea Michele Sarfati , known professionally as Lea Michele, is an American actress and singer. Michele began working professionally as a child actress on Broadway in productions such as Ragtime and Les Misérables. She originated the role of Wendla in the musical Spring Awakening and currently plays...
) heart when he lures her to the parking lot, where he and the other Vocal Adrenaline members throw eggs at her
Egging
Egging refers to the act of throwing eggs at houses, cars, or people. Egging is a criminal offence in most areas. The eggs are usually raw, but are sometimes hard-boiled or expired. This can be considered vandalism....
. Rachel, being vegan is distressed by the baby chicks that died and says she is having nightmares about the mothers of the chicks chasing her. The male New Directions members, led by Puck, are talked out of violent retaliation by Will, and instead the group performs "Give Up the Funk
Give Up The Funk (Tear The Roof Off The Sucker)
"Give Up the Funk " is a funk song by Parliament. It was released as a single under the name "Tear the Roof off the Sucker ". It was the second single to be released from Parliament's 1976 album Mothership Connection "Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof off the Sucker)" is a funk song by Parliament. It...
" to show Vocal Adrenaline that they are not defeated by their bullying. Their showdown intimidates their rivals, who have never been able to pull off a funk number.
Production
Theatricality
"Theatricality" is the 20th episode of the American television series Glee. The episode was written and directed by series creator Ryan Murphy, and premiered on the Fox network on May 25, 2010. In "Theatricality", glee club member Tina Cohen-Chang has an identity crisis...
". Series creator Ryan Murphy has stated that there are three relationships which are the cornerstone of Glee: those between Finn and Rachel, Will and Emma
Emma Pillsbury
Emma Pillsbury is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. Portrayed by actress Jayma Mays, Emma has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Emma was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan...
(Jayma Mays
Jayma Mays
Jayma Suzette Mays is an American television and film actress, and singer. Mays' most prominent roles include that of Emma Pillsbury on the American television series Glee, recurring appearances on Ugly Betty and on Heroes as characters named Charlie.- Life and career :Mays was born Jamia Suzette...
), and Will and Sue. Murphy explained that Will's seduction of Sue in "Funk" is an attempt to get her to leave the Glee club alone, expanding: "I think he's just done getting pushed around by Sue, but they had great fun with that."
Will's wife, Terri, returns to the series in "Funk", giving her first vocal performance. Murphy planned a redemptive storyline for Terri, in which she realizes that Finn is similar to Will. He explained: "She met Will at 16, so she sees a way to redemption... a way to redo that relationship in a positive way [by acting] almost as Finn's guardian angel
Guardian angel
A guardian angel is an angel assigned to protect and guide a particular person or group. Belief in guardian angels can be traced throughout all antiquity...
, his fairy godmother. She gives him proper moral advice." Murphy enjoyed seeing Gilsig and Monteith work together, so much so that he stated their friendship will continue into the show's second season. On June 2, 2010, Megan Masters of E! Online reported that Gilsig had yet to be officially invited back for the second season, but was confident that she would be. Discussing Terri's relationship with Finn, Gilsig explained: "She sees in Finn so much of what she saw in Will when she first met him because he's the same age as Will was. It's her way of remembering happier times—when she used to be kind to Will. And she realizes, here's a chance to be supportive of this kid."
The episode features cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
s of six songs: "Another One Bites the Dust" by Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
, "Tell Me Something Good" by Rufus
Rufus (band)
Rufus was an American funk band from Chicago, Illinois best known for launching the career of lead singer Chaka Khan. They had several hits throughout their career, including "Tell Me Something Good," "Sweet Thing," and "Ain't Nobody."-Origins:...
, "Loser" by Beck
Beck
Beck Hansen is an American musician, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, known by the stage name Beck...
, "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" by James Brown
James Brown
James Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...
, "Good Vibrations" by Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch
Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch
Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch was a hip-hop group led by Mark Wahlberg. The Funky Bunch consisted of Wahlberg , Scott Ross , Hector Barros , Terry Yancey and Anthony Thomas...
featuring Loleatta Holloway
Loleatta Holloway
Loleatta Holloway was an American singer, mainly known for disco songs such as "Hit and Run" and "Love Sensation", both of which have been sampled extensively.-Biography:...
and "Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof off the Sucker)" by Parliament
Parliament (band)
Parliament was a funk band most prominent during the 1970s. It and its sister act Funkadelic, both led by George Clinton, began the funk music culture of that decade.-History:...
". All of the songs performed in the episode were released as singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, available for download
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
. "Loser" is Gilsig's first vocal performance on the show, and is included on the deluxe edition of the soundtrack album
Soundtrack album
A soundtrack album is any album that incorporates music directly recorded from the soundtrack of a particular feature film or television program. In some cases, not all the tracks from the movie are included in the album; however there are rare cases of songs in the trailers that do not appear in...
Glee: The Music, Volume 3 Showstoppers
Glee: The Music, Volume 3 Showstoppers
-Sales and chart performance:The album debuted at number one on the American, Australian, Canadian, and Irish charts. It sold 136,000 copies in its first and 63,000 in its second week of release in the US, and saw the Glee cast beat the record previously set by The Beatles in 1966, for shortest...
. "Give Up the Funk" is included on both the deluxe and standard editions of the album.
Reception
In its original broadcast, "Funk" was watched by an average of 9 million American viewers. The episode began with a 3.6/10 rating/share in the 18–49 demographic, rising to 4.1/11 in the last 30 minutes. It was down 21% on the previous episode, but was Glee best 18–49 rating for an episode not following American IdolAmerican Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
. It was the third most-watched show of the week in the 18-49 demographic (losing to America's Got Talent
America's Got Talent
America's Got Talent is an American reality television series on the NBC television network, and part of the global British Got Talent franchise. It is a talent show that features singers, dancers, magicians, comedians, and other performers of all ages competing for the advertised top prize of...
the night of the broadcast), the highest scripted show, and the eleventh most-watched program amongst all viewers. "Funk" received mixed to negative reviews from critics. CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
's Lisa Respers France called it "incredible", and was pleased to see New Directions performing funk music, although noted that she was "slightly disturbed" by Quinn's "weird" performance of "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" utilizing pregnant teenagers as backing dancers. Blair Baldwin of Zap2it
Zap2it
Zap2it is an American website and affiliate network that provides news, photos and video, local TV listings and movie showtimes. The site is produced by Tribune Media Services , part of the publishing division of the Chicago-based Tribune Company...
stated: "While it didn't have the poignant vocals of previous episodes, it was fresh and fun...a nice change of pace for the series." Bobby Hankinson of the Houston Chronicle
Houston Chronicle
The Houston Chronicle is the largest daily newspaper in Texas, USA, headquartered in the Houston Chronicle Building in Downtown Houston. , it is the ninth-largest newspaper by circulation in the United States...
called it a "pretty good" and "solid" episode, albeit noting that it lacked the "emotional punch" of previous episodes.
Todd VanDerWerff of The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
graded the episode "C", writing that it felt like "a frantic attempt to raise a bunch of potential storylines for season two and an attempt to put things in place for the season finale". He criticized the show's lack of continuity, particularly with regard to the Jesse and Rachel storyline. Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
Tim Stack also observed the lack of continuity in the Jesse storyline, calling it "slightly confusing" and "a little half-baked"; continuity errors in his storyline may have been the result of the change in episode broadcast order. He felt that the episode was "a slight let down", noting: "There wasn’t as much tension as I would have hoped going into the finale but there were still plenty of fun moments to enjoy." James Poniewozik
James Poniewozik
James Poniewozik is an American journalist and television critic. He writes Times Tuned In column and has a blog with the same name.Originally from Monroe, MI, Poniewozik attended the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, graduating with a BA in English. He subsequently attended the graduate program...
of Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
attributed part of the episode's problems to it being "an episode that could air easily out of order", explaining: "Glee is a very serial show, after all, but this episode largely consisted of moments that felt dropped in and random, in a way that undermined even the good moments."
Henrik Batallones of BuddyTV
BuddyTV
BuddyTV is an entertainment-based website based in Seattle, Washington, which generates content about television programs and sporting events. The website publishes information about celebrity and related entertainment news through a series of articles, entertainment profiles, actor biographies and...
deemed "Funk" a bridge between "Theatricality" and the season finale, writing: "It feels like the episode got itself in a funk, and when things get close to being awesome, it pulls back." Eric Goldman of IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
rated the episode 6.8/10 for "Passable", but deemed it the weakest episode of Glee thus far, while Gerrick D. Kennedy of the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
called it "just one big funked-up mess." Broadway World Mary Hanrahan felt that: "While "Funk" had some redeeming, even charming, moments, it did nothing to make up for the perplexing episode that preceded it and ultimately left much to be desired." In contrast, Aly Semigran of MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
had enjoyed the preceding episode, yet still received "Funk" poorly, calling it: "a step down from last week's strong 'Theatricality'." As with Respers France, Semigran noted that Quinn's performance" felt a little uncomfortable and borderline 'offensive'." In contrast, Raymund Flandez of the Wall Street Journal enjoyed Quinn's song, which he called a "magnificent surprise", praising the "perfect jazzy–funk choreography". Flandez criticized the "Good Vibrations" performance, however, deeming it a "song so bad it can't be saved by irony or nostalgia", and felt that "Give Up the Funk" was "underdeveloped" asking: "Where's the soul? Anger? Passion? Emotion? Isn't that what this was supposed to be about?"
External links
- "Funk" at Fox.comFox Broadcasting CompanyFox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...