Hairography
Encyclopedia
"Hairography" is the eleventh episode of the American
television series Glee
. The episode premiered on the Fox
network on November 25, 2009. It was written by series creator Ian Brennan
and directed by Bill D'Elia
. The episode introduces New Directions' rival glee club
s, the Jane Addams Girls Choir for girls recently released from juvenile detention
, and the Haverbrook Deaf Choir. Cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester
(Jane Lynch
) sabotages New Directions by giving their set-list for sectionals
to the competing clubs. Quinn
(Dianna Agron
) reconsiders having her baby adopted, but ultimately recommits to the idea, and Rachel (Lea Michele
) tries unsuccessfully to attract Finn
(Cory Monteith
).
Rapper Eve guest-stars as Grace Hitchens, director of the Jane Addams Girls Choir, and So You Think You Can Dance
contestants Katee Shean, Kherington Payne
and Comfort Fedoke appear as members of her group. The episode features covers of eight songs, including a mash-up
of "Hair
" from the musical Hair
and "Crazy in Love" by Beyoncé
. Studio recording
s of all but one of the songs performed in the episode were released as singles
, available for digital download
.
"Hairography" was watched by 6.1 million US viewers and received mixed reviews from critics. Raymund Flandez of The Wall Street Journal
deemed the mash-up performance one of the worst of the season, with Zap2it
's Liz Pardue agreeing that it was "hideous". Flandez, Pardue and Mike Hale of the New York Times all felt that it was inappropriate for New Directions to interrupt the deaf choir's performance of "Imagine", however Bobby Hankinson of the Houston Chronicle
opined that reviewers needed to "realize that this show takes its jabs at everyone, but it always has a wink and a hug and lots and lots of love behind it".
(Matthew Morrison
) suspects that cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester
has been colluding with rival glee club
s, and visits the Jane Addams Academy for girls recently released from juvenile detention
. When their club director Grace Hitchens (Eve) reveals the extent of the school's under-funding, Will invites her club to perform in the McKinley High auditorium. Will is intimidated by their opposition, but Rachel (Lea Michele
) assures him that the girls are using the power of "hairography"—frequent, dramatic hair-tossing—to distract from the fact their singing and dancing ability is limited. Will purchases wigs for New Directions and has them utilize hairography themselves, performing a mash-up
of "Hair
" and "Crazy in Love". Dalton Rumba (Michael Hitchcock
), glee club director at Haverbrook School for the Deaf, feels slighted by the invitation Will extended to the Jane Addams Academy, and arranges for his own club to also perform at McKinley High. His club duets with New Directions on John Lennon
's "Imagine
", and Will realizes that the new mash-up and hairography routine is not working. He removes it from the club's set-list, replacing it with a performance of "True Colors
". Unbeknownst to Will, Sue reveals two songs from New Directions' line-up for sectionals
to Grace and Dalton, suggesting they have their own clubs perform them to gain an edge in the competition.
Quinn
begins to doubt her decision to give her baby to Will's wife Terri
(Jessalyn Gilsig
), and re-considers her stance on raising the baby with Puck instead of Finn
. She tells Terri she wants to keep the baby, but in an effort to change her mind, Terri's sister Kendra (Jennifer Aspen
) has Quinn babysit her three unruly sons. Quinn invites Puck to babysit with her and the two bond, however when Quinn discovers that Puck spent the evening sexting
his ex-girlfriend Santana
(Naya Rivera
), she re-commits to having the baby adopted, believing her daughter deserves a better father. Elsewhere, Kurt
(Chris Colfer
) gives Rachel a make-over, ostensibly to help her attract Finn, but in reality attempting to sabotage her chances with him. Finn is unimpressed with Rachel's new look before telling her he remembered having the conversation with Kurt about what he liked in girls. Rachel confronts Kurt, stating that even if he is in love with Finn, she will always have a better chance "because [she's] a girl". But Kurt tells her that they are both kidding themselves: Finn is in love with Quinn and nothing will change that.
, and directed by Bill D'Elia
. Recurring characters who appear in the episode are glee club members Brittany (Heather Morris), Santana Lopez
(Naya Rivera
), Mike Chang (Harry Shum, Jr.
) and Matt Rutherford (Dijon Talton), Terri's
sister Kendra Giardi (Jennifer Aspen
), Kendra's husband Phil (Michael Loeffelholz), and their triplet sons (Aidan, Ethan and Ben Freedman). Michael Hitchcock
guest-stars as rival glee club director Dalton Rumba, and rapper Eve plays another club director, Grace Hitchens. So You Think You Can Dance
contestants Katee Shean, Kherington Payne
and Comfort Fedoke appear as members of Grace's club.
Eve was contracted to appear in two episodes of Glee, having been offered the role of Grace after Whitney Houston
declined to appear. Discussing her casting, Eve stated: "I got asked and I'd heard the buzz about the show. When the first pilot episode
came out, I figured it was something different and something we haven't seen on TV before. I didn't want to turn it down!" She commented that she would have loved to have seen Whitney Houston appear in the show, explaining: "I think it would've been different in a sense because she's an original diva. She would've brought a whole other energy, which would've been amazing." Comparing her character Grace to McKinley High glee director Will, Eve explained: "For me especially, I come from a harder place. I'm the teacher of a reform school. I'm used to being very strict." Asked if she would return to the show in the future, she replied: "If I'm asked to do it, I definitely would. It's just a really well-made, smart show." Though she does not sing in "Hairography", Eve commented that she would like to do so if she returned to Glee in the future, naming "Sweet Dreams
" by Eurythmics
as her ideal song choice.
The episode features cover version
s of "Bootylicious
" by Destiny's Child
, "Don't Make Me Over
" by Dionne Warwick
, "Papa Don't Preach
" by Madonna
, a mash-up
of "Hair
" from the musical Hair
and "Crazy in Love" by Beyoncé
, "Imagine
" by John Lennon
, "True Colors
" by Cyndi Lauper
, and "You're the One That I Want
" from Grease
. Yoko Ono
was hesitant about allowing Glee the rights to "Imagine". Series music supervisor P.J. Bloom explained: "It was very difficult to convince Yoko Ono that it was the right thing to do. She needed to truly understand how the music was going to be used. The added component of us wanting to have a deaf choir signing the song made for this incredibly poignant moment. ...It really took a lot of convincing to get her on board and realize that it was a great, great moment, and a tribute to John and his song." Jenna Ushkowitz has commented that the performance of "Imagine" brought the cast and crew of Glee to tears, and that several cast members got "Imagine" tattoos afterwards as it was "such a nice checkpoint in our lives." Studio recording
s of all the songs performed in the episode except "You're the One That I Want" were released as singles
, available for digital download
. "Imagine" charted at number 82 in Australia, 49 in Canada and 67 in America, while "True Colors" charted at number 47 in Australia, 38 in Canada and 66 in America. "Don't Make Me Over", "Imagine" and "True Colors" are also included on the album Glee: The Music, Volume 2
.
"Hairography" was watched by 6.1 million U.S. viewers, and attained a 2.5/7 rating/share in the 18-49 demographic. Its viewership was a season low, however the episode aired the night before Thanksgiving
, when all the major networks saw decreased ratings. In Canada, it was the twenty-second most watched show for the week of broadcast, attaining 1.37 million viewers.
In the UK, the episode was watched by 2.231 million viewers (1.886 million on E4, and 345,000 on E4+1), becoming the most-watched show on E4 and E4 +1 for the week, and the most-watched show on cable for the week, as well as the most-watched episode of the series at the time. Lynda K. Walker, Ann Marie Luddy, Michael Ward and Gina Bonacquisti were nominated for the "Outstanding Hairstyling for a Single-Camera Series" award at the 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards
for their work on the episode.
The episode received mixed reviews from critics. Raymund Flandez of The Wall Street Journal
was critical of New Directions' mash-up performance, deeming it one of the worst performances of the season. He enjoyed the deaf choir's rendition of "Imagine", but wished that New Directions had not interrupted and joined in with them. Mike Hale of the New York Times also disapproved of New Directions joining in with the deaf choir, writing that "Imagine": "was shaping up to be the best thing in the episode" until New Directions "torpedoed the moment." Liz Pardue of Zap2it
felt that with "Hairography" Glee "wasn't at its best", deeming the writing less sharp than usual and observing that the pregnancy storyline dulled the episode for her. Pardue felt that New Directions were "butting in" to the Haverbrook performance of "Imagine", which she found "a little insulting", observing: "Good intentions, but cringe-y outcome." Pardue also criticized the mash-up of "Hair" and "Crazy in Love" as "hideous".
Gerrick D. Kennedy for the Los Angeles Times
was generally more positive regarding the episode's musical performances, however was critical of the ongoing pregnancy plot, noting that he cringed whenever Quinn appeared on screen. Conversely, Bobby Hankinson of the Houston Chronicle
enjoyed Quinn in the episode, writing: "I love that she can keep her Mean Girls
edge while being heartbreakingly sad or as joyful as she was singing "Papa Don't Preach". He countered criticism of the portrayal of New Directions' rival choirs, suggesting: "at this point, everyone needs to realize that this show takes its jabs at everyone, but it always has a wink and a hug and lots and lots of love behind it." Entertainment Weekly
Dan Snierson reviewed the episode positively, calling the "Imagine" performance "a classic feel-good Glee moment, teeming with sappy but undeniable heart", while Aly Semigran of MTV
deemed it her favorite musical moment from the show, feeling that it: "honored the classic song in such a respectful way."
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 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 November 25, 2009. It 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 Bill D'Elia
Bill D'Elia
Bill D'Elia is an American television screenwriter, producer, and director. He was an executive producer of Boston Legal and Ally McBeal, and is the co-creator and a principal screenwriter for Judging Amy....
. The episode introduces New Directions' rival glee club
Glee club
A glee club is a musical group or choir group, historically of male voices but also of female or mixed voices, which traditionally specializes in the singing of short songs—glees—by trios or quartets. In the late 19th Century it was very popular in most schools and was made a tradition...
s, the Jane Addams Girls Choir for girls recently released from juvenile detention
Youth detention center
A youth detention center, also known as a juvenile detention center , juvenile hall or, more colloquially as juvie, is a secure residential facility for young people, often termed juvenile delinquents, awaiting court hearings and/or placement in long-term care facilities and programs...
, and the Haverbrook Deaf Choir. 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...
(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...
) sabotages New Directions by giving their set-list for sectionals
Sectionals
"Sectionals" is the 13th episode of the American television series Glee. It premiered on the Fox network on December 9, 2009. The episode was written and directed by series co-creator Brad Falchuk, and serves as the mid-season finale for the show's first season. "Sectionals" sees the glee club win...
to the competing clubs. 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...
) reconsiders having her baby adopted, but ultimately recommits to the idea, and Rachel (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...
) tries unsuccessfully to attract 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:...
).
Rapper Eve guest-stars as Grace Hitchens, director of the Jane Addams Girls Choir, and So You Think You Can Dance
So You Think You Can Dance (Season 4)
So You Think You Can Dance is a United States television reality program and dance competition airing on the Fox Broadcasting Company network. Season four premiered on May 22, 2008, with Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy returning as permanent judges and Cat Deeley returning to host...
contestants Katee Shean, Kherington Payne
Kherington Payne
Kherington Taylor Payne is an American dancer and actress who came to prominence as a Top 10 Finalist in Season 4 of the hit reality-dance show So You Think You Can Dance and in a role in the 2009 reinvention of the movie Fame. She's been a principal dancer for Katy Perry, and is also a lead cast...
and Comfort Fedoke appear as members of her group. The episode features covers of eight songs, including a mash-up
Mashup (music)
A mashup or bootleg is a song or composition created by blending two or more pre-recorded songs, usually by overlaying the vocal track of one song seamlessly over the instrumental track of another...
of "Hair
Hair (song)
"Hair" is the title song to the 1968 musical Hair, as well as the 1979 film version of the musical.The song was a major hit single for The Cowsills in 1969 and their most successful single. Their version spent two weeks at #1 on the Cash Box Top 100 and reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100...
" from the musical Hair
Hair (musical)
Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical is a rock musical with a book and lyrics by James Rado and Gerome Ragni and music by Galt MacDermot. A product of the hippie counter-culture and sexual revolution of the 1960s, several of its songs became anthems of the anti-Vietnam War peace movement...
and "Crazy in Love" by Beyoncé
Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles , often known simply as Beyoncé, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child...
. Studio recording
Studio recording
The term studio recording means any recording made in a studio, as opposed to a live recording, which is usually made in a concert venue or a theatre, with an audience attending the performance.-Studio cast recordings:...
s of all but one 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 digital 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...
.
"Hairography" was watched by 6.1 million US viewers and received mixed reviews from critics. Raymund Flandez of The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
deemed the mash-up performance one of the worst of the season, with 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...
's Liz Pardue agreeing that it was "hideous". Flandez, Pardue and Mike Hale of the New York Times all felt that it was inappropriate for New Directions to interrupt the deaf choir's performance of "Imagine", however 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...
opined that reviewers needed to "realize that this show takes its jabs at everyone, but it always has a wink and a hug and lots and lots of love behind it".
Plot
New Directions' director Will SchuesterWill 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...
) suspects that 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...
has been colluding with rival glee club
Glee club
A glee club is a musical group or choir group, historically of male voices but also of female or mixed voices, which traditionally specializes in the singing of short songs—glees—by trios or quartets. In the late 19th Century it was very popular in most schools and was made a tradition...
s, and visits the Jane Addams Academy for girls recently released from juvenile detention
Youth detention center
A youth detention center, also known as a juvenile detention center , juvenile hall or, more colloquially as juvie, is a secure residential facility for young people, often termed juvenile delinquents, awaiting court hearings and/or placement in long-term care facilities and programs...
. When their club director Grace Hitchens (Eve) reveals the extent of the school's under-funding, Will invites her club to perform in the McKinley High auditorium. Will is intimidated by their opposition, but Rachel (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...
) assures him that the girls are using the power of "hairography"—frequent, dramatic hair-tossing—to distract from the fact their singing and dancing ability is limited. Will purchases wigs for New Directions and has them utilize hairography themselves, performing a mash-up
Mashup (music)
A mashup or bootleg is a song or composition created by blending two or more pre-recorded songs, usually by overlaying the vocal track of one song seamlessly over the instrumental track of another...
of "Hair
Hair (song)
"Hair" is the title song to the 1968 musical Hair, as well as the 1979 film version of the musical.The song was a major hit single for The Cowsills in 1969 and their most successful single. Their version spent two weeks at #1 on the Cash Box Top 100 and reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100...
" and "Crazy in Love". Dalton Rumba (Michael Hitchcock
Michael Hitchcock
Michael Hitchcock is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, and television producer.In 2011, Hitchcock became a writer and consulting producer for season 3 of the FOX television series Glee, where he had guest starred in season 1 as rival glee club director Dalton Rumba.As an actor, he has...
), glee club director at Haverbrook School for the Deaf, feels slighted by the invitation Will extended to the Jane Addams Academy, and arranges for his own club to also perform at McKinley High. His club duets with New Directions on John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
's "Imagine
Imagine (song)
"Imagine" is a song written and performed by the English musician John Lennon. It is the opening track on his album Imagine, released in 1971...
", and Will realizes that the new mash-up and hairography routine is not working. He removes it from the club's set-list, replacing it with a performance of "True Colors
True Colors (song)
"True Colors" is a song written by songwriters Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly, additional lyrics by Cyndi Lauper. It was both the title track and the first single released from Cyndi Lauper's second album. It was the only original song on the album that Lauper did not help write...
". Unbeknownst to Will, Sue reveals two songs from New Directions' line-up for sectionals
Sectionals
"Sectionals" is the 13th episode of the American television series Glee. It premiered on the Fox network on December 9, 2009. The episode was written and directed by series co-creator Brad Falchuk, and serves as the mid-season finale for the show's first season. "Sectionals" sees the glee club win...
to Grace and Dalton, suggesting they have their own clubs perform them to gain an edge in the competition.
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...
begins to doubt her decision to give her baby to Will's wife 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...
), and re-considers her stance on raising the baby with Puck instead of 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...
. She tells Terri she wants to keep the baby, but in an effort to change her mind, Terri's sister Kendra (Jennifer Aspen
Jennifer Aspen
Jennifer Aspen is an American actress best known for her roles as Daphne Jablonsky in Fox's teen drama Party of Five , as Trina Hamilton in ABC's family comedy Rodney and as Kendra Giardi in the first season of the show Glee.-Personal life:Aspen was born in Richmond, Virginia, and resides in Los...
) has Quinn babysit her three unruly sons. Quinn invites Puck to babysit with her and the two bond, however when Quinn discovers that Puck spent the evening sexting
Sexting
Sexting is the act of sending sexually explicit messages or photographs, primarily between mobile phones. The term was first popularized in early 21st century, and is a portmanteau of sex and texting, where the latter is meant in the wide sense of sending a text possibly with...
his ex-girlfriend Santana
Santana Lopez
Santana Lopez is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Naya Rivera, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Santana was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan...
(Naya Rivera
Naya Rivera
Naya Marie Rivera is an American actress and singer known for her role in the musical comedy television series Glee, as cheerleader Santana Lopez.-Early life:...
), she re-commits to having the baby adopted, believing her daughter deserves a better father. Elsewhere, Kurt
Kurt Hummel
Kurt Hummel is a fictional character and one of the male leads in the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. Series creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan initially conceived of him as a fashionable gay countertenor who is routinely bullied at school...
(Chris Colfer
Chris Colfer
Christopher Paul "Chris" Colfer is an American actor and singer known for his portrayal of Kurt Hummel on the television series Glee, for which he won a 2011 Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor and was also nominated twice for an Emmy...
) gives Rachel a make-over, ostensibly to help her attract Finn, but in reality attempting to sabotage her chances with him. Finn is unimpressed with Rachel's new look before telling her he remembered having the conversation with Kurt about what he liked in girls. Rachel confronts Kurt, stating that even if he is in love with Finn, she will always have a better chance "because [she's] a girl". But Kurt tells her that they are both kidding themselves: Finn is in love with Quinn and nothing will change that.
Production
"Hairography" was written by series creator Ian BrennanIan 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 Bill D'Elia
Bill D'Elia
Bill D'Elia is an American television screenwriter, producer, and director. He was an executive producer of Boston Legal and Ally McBeal, and is the co-creator and a principal screenwriter for Judging Amy....
. Recurring characters who appear in the episode are glee club members Brittany (Heather Morris), Santana Lopez
Santana Lopez
Santana Lopez is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Naya Rivera, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Santana was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan...
(Naya Rivera
Naya Rivera
Naya Marie Rivera is an American actress and singer known for her role in the musical comedy television series Glee, as cheerleader Santana Lopez.-Early life:...
), Mike Chang (Harry Shum, Jr.
Harry Shum, Jr.
Harry Shum, Jr. is an American dancer, actor, and choreographer. He is best known for his role as Mike Chang on the FOX television show Glee. He has appeared in dance films such as Stomp the Yard, You Got Served, Step Up 2: The Streets and Step Up 3D...
) and Matt Rutherford (Dijon Talton), Terri's
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...
sister Kendra Giardi (Jennifer Aspen
Jennifer Aspen
Jennifer Aspen is an American actress best known for her roles as Daphne Jablonsky in Fox's teen drama Party of Five , as Trina Hamilton in ABC's family comedy Rodney and as Kendra Giardi in the first season of the show Glee.-Personal life:Aspen was born in Richmond, Virginia, and resides in Los...
), Kendra's husband Phil (Michael Loeffelholz), and their triplet sons (Aidan, Ethan and Ben Freedman). Michael Hitchcock
Michael Hitchcock
Michael Hitchcock is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, and television producer.In 2011, Hitchcock became a writer and consulting producer for season 3 of the FOX television series Glee, where he had guest starred in season 1 as rival glee club director Dalton Rumba.As an actor, he has...
guest-stars as rival glee club director Dalton Rumba, and rapper Eve plays another club director, Grace Hitchens. So You Think You Can Dance
So You Think You Can Dance (Season 4)
So You Think You Can Dance is a United States television reality program and dance competition airing on the Fox Broadcasting Company network. Season four premiered on May 22, 2008, with Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy returning as permanent judges and Cat Deeley returning to host...
contestants Katee Shean, Kherington Payne
Kherington Payne
Kherington Taylor Payne is an American dancer and actress who came to prominence as a Top 10 Finalist in Season 4 of the hit reality-dance show So You Think You Can Dance and in a role in the 2009 reinvention of the movie Fame. She's been a principal dancer for Katy Perry, and is also a lead cast...
and Comfort Fedoke appear as members of Grace's club.
Eve was contracted to appear in two episodes of Glee, having been offered the role of Grace after Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...
declined to appear. Discussing her casting, Eve stated: "I got asked and I'd heard the buzz about the show. When the first pilot episode
Pilot (Glee)
"Pilot" is the pilot episode of the television series Glee, which premiered on the Fox network on May 19, 2009. An extended director's cut version aired on September 2, 2009. The show focuses on a high school show choir, also known as a glee club, set within the fictional William McKinley High...
came out, I figured it was something different and something we haven't seen on TV before. I didn't want to turn it down!" She commented that she would have loved to have seen Whitney Houston appear in the show, explaining: "I think it would've been different in a sense because she's an original diva. She would've brought a whole other energy, which would've been amazing." Comparing her character Grace to McKinley High glee director Will, Eve explained: "For me especially, I come from a harder place. I'm the teacher of a reform school. I'm used to being very strict." Asked if she would return to the show in the future, she replied: "If I'm asked to do it, I definitely would. It's just a really well-made, smart show." Though she does not sing in "Hairography", Eve commented that she would like to do so if she returned to Glee in the future, naming "Sweet Dreams
Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) (song)
Marilyn Manson released a cover version of "Sweet Dreams " as the first single from the EP, Smells Like Children. This version became an MTV staple and helped to establish the band in the mainstream. It also appears on the band's greatest hits album, Lest We Forget: The Best Of...
" by Eurythmics
Eurythmics
Eurythmics were a British pop rock duo, formed in 1980, currently disbanded, but known to reunite from time to time. Consisting of members Annie Lennox and David A...
as her ideal song choice.
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 "Bootylicious
Bootylicious
"Bootylicious" is a song by American R&B group Destiny's Child. It was written and produced by Rob Fusari, Falonte Moore, and band member Beyoncé Knowles for the band's third studio album Survivor , and contains a prominent sample from the 1981 recording "Edge of Seventeen," as written and...
" by Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child was an American R&B girl group whose final line-up comprised lead singer Beyoncé Knowles alongside Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. Formed in 1997 in Houston, Texas, Destiny's Child members began their musical endeavors in their pre-teens under the name Girl's Tyme...
, "Don't Make Me Over
Don't Make Me Over (song)
"Don't Make Me Over" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David which marked the recording debut of Dionne Warwick in 1962.-Dionne Warwick version:...
" by Dionne Warwick
Dionne Warwick
Dionne Warwick is an American singer, actress and TV show host, who became a United Nations Global Ambassador for the Food and Agriculture Organization, and a United States Ambassador of Health....
, "Papa Don't Preach
Papa Don't Preach
"Papa Don't Preach" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna. The song was written by Brian Elliot with additional lyrics by Madonna, and produced by Stephen Bray and Madonna for her third studio album True Blue, released in June 1986...
" by Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
, a mash-up
Mashup (music)
A mashup or bootleg is a song or composition created by blending two or more pre-recorded songs, usually by overlaying the vocal track of one song seamlessly over the instrumental track of another...
of "Hair
Hair (song)
"Hair" is the title song to the 1968 musical Hair, as well as the 1979 film version of the musical.The song was a major hit single for The Cowsills in 1969 and their most successful single. Their version spent two weeks at #1 on the Cash Box Top 100 and reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100...
" from the musical Hair
Hair (musical)
Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical is a rock musical with a book and lyrics by James Rado and Gerome Ragni and music by Galt MacDermot. A product of the hippie counter-culture and sexual revolution of the 1960s, several of its songs became anthems of the anti-Vietnam War peace movement...
and "Crazy in Love" by Beyoncé
Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles , often known simply as Beyoncé, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child...
, "Imagine
Imagine (song)
"Imagine" is a song written and performed by the English musician John Lennon. It is the opening track on his album Imagine, released in 1971...
" by John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
, "True Colors
True Colors (song)
"True Colors" is a song written by songwriters Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly, additional lyrics by Cyndi Lauper. It was both the title track and the first single released from Cyndi Lauper's second album. It was the only original song on the album that Lauper did not help write...
" by Cyndi Lauper
Cyndi Lauper
Cynthia Ann Stephanie "Cyndi" Lauper is an American singer, songwriter, actress and LGBT rights activist. She achieved success in the mid-1980s with the release of the album She's So Unusual and became the first female singer to have four top-five singles released from one album...
, and "You're the One That I Want
You're the One That I Want
"You're the One That I Want" is a song written by John Farrar for the 1978 film version of the musical Grease. It was performed by John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John....
" from Grease
Grease (film)
Grease is a 1978 American musical film directed by Randal Kleiser and based on Warren Casey's and Jim Jacobs's 1971 musical of the same name about two lovers in a 1950s high school. The film stars John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John, Stockard Channing, and Jeff Conaway...
. Yoko Ono
Yoko Ono
is a Japanese artist, musician, author and peace activist, known for her work in avant-garde art, music and filmmaking as well as her marriage to John Lennon...
was hesitant about allowing Glee the rights to "Imagine". Series music supervisor P.J. Bloom explained: "It was very difficult to convince Yoko Ono that it was the right thing to do. She needed to truly understand how the music was going to be used. The added component of us wanting to have a deaf choir signing the song made for this incredibly poignant moment. ...It really took a lot of convincing to get her on board and realize that it was a great, great moment, and a tribute to John and his song." Jenna Ushkowitz has commented that the performance of "Imagine" brought the cast and crew of Glee to tears, and that several cast members got "Imagine" tattoos afterwards as it was "such a nice checkpoint in our lives." Studio recording
Studio recording
The term studio recording means any recording made in a studio, as opposed to a live recording, which is usually made in a concert venue or a theatre, with an audience attending the performance.-Studio cast recordings:...
s of all the songs performed in the episode except "You're the One That I Want" 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 digital 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...
. "Imagine" charted at number 82 in Australia, 49 in Canada and 67 in America, while "True Colors" charted at number 47 in Australia, 38 in Canada and 66 in America. "Don't Make Me Over", "Imagine" and "True Colors" are also included on the album Glee: The Music, Volume 2
Glee: The Music, Volume 2
Glee: The Music, Volume 2 is the second soundtrack album by the cast of the American musical television series Glee, featuring songs from episodes nine to thirteen of the show's first season. It was first released on December 4, 2009 in Australia by Columbia Records...
.
Reception
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
, when all the major networks saw decreased ratings. In Canada, it was the twenty-second most watched show for the week of broadcast, attaining 1.37 million viewers.
In the UK, the episode was watched by 2.231 million viewers (1.886 million on E4, and 345,000 on E4+1), becoming the most-watched show on E4 and E4 +1 for the week, and the most-watched show on cable for the week, as well as the most-watched episode of the series at the time. Lynda K. Walker, Ann Marie Luddy, Michael Ward and Gina Bonacquisti were nominated for the "Outstanding Hairstyling for a Single-Camera Series" award at the 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards
62nd Primetime Emmy Awards
The 62nd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, took place on August 29, 2010, at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California beginning at 5:00 p.m. PDT...
for their work on the episode.
The episode received mixed reviews from critics. Raymund Flandez of The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
was critical of New Directions' mash-up performance, deeming it one of the worst performances of the season. He enjoyed the deaf choir's rendition of "Imagine", but wished that New Directions had not interrupted and joined in with them. Mike Hale of the New York Times also disapproved of New Directions joining in with the deaf choir, writing that "Imagine": "was shaping up to be the best thing in the episode" until New Directions "torpedoed the moment." Liz Pardue 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...
felt that with "Hairography" Glee "wasn't at its best", deeming the writing less sharp than usual and observing that the pregnancy storyline dulled the episode for her. Pardue felt that New Directions were "butting in" to the Haverbrook performance of "Imagine", which she found "a little insulting", observing: "Good intentions, but cringe-y outcome." Pardue also criticized the mash-up of "Hair" and "Crazy in Love" as "hideous".
Gerrick D. Kennedy for 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....
was generally more positive regarding the episode's musical performances, however was critical of the ongoing pregnancy plot, noting that he cringed whenever Quinn appeared on screen. Conversely, 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...
enjoyed Quinn in the episode, writing: "I love that she can keep her Mean Girls
Mean Girls
Mean Girls is a 2004 American teen comedy-drama film directed by Mark Waters. The screenplay was written by Tina Fey and is based in part on the non-fiction book Queen Bees and Wannabes by Rosalind Wiseman, which describes how female high school social cliques operate and the effect they can have...
edge while being heartbreakingly sad or as joyful as she was singing "Papa Don't Preach". He countered criticism of the portrayal of New Directions' rival choirs, suggesting: "at this point, everyone needs to realize that this show takes its jabs at everyone, but it always has a wink and a hug and lots and lots of love behind it." 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...
Dan Snierson reviewed the episode positively, calling the "Imagine" performance "a classic feel-good Glee moment, teeming with sappy but undeniable heart", while 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....
deemed it her favorite musical moment from the show, feeling that it: "honored the classic song in such a respectful way."
External links
- "Hairography" 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...