daxterdd:

So I know some folks have interpreted it differently, but I actually really appreciate that Blaine specifies “I transfered schools to be with you” instead of just a cop out like “I transferred for you.”

Because to Blaine, it’s totally worth changing his life and changing schools and leaving the glory he got as Warbler’s frontman just so that he could be with Kurt more.

I don’t think Blaine resents changing his life like that for Kurt, because to him that’s all been worthwhile.  What he does resent is that Kurt feels like it’s not enough, and that instead of enjoying their time together, Kurt is always making plans for the future. Plans to leave Blaine behind once again. And now, plans with someone else.

And this time Blaine doesn’t even have the solace of “after school and on weekends” to comfort him.

Yessss. I’ve been sort of quietly questioning the motives of all the parallel posts of Kurt questioning him at the time vs Blaine bringing it up here because there is a HUGE DIFFERENCE between “for you” and “to be with you.” And maybe Kurt and some viewers are hearing the former, but in my mind Blaine definitely means exactly what he said.

Also, the idea that Blaine’s frustrated and panicking because this argument pings a deep and paralyzing fear in him that Blaine as he is now isn’t good enough for Kurt, that he can’t grow fast enough to keep up with Kurt, that Kurt will move somewhere beyond Blaine’s reach, that perhaps Kurt is actively TRYING to move beyond his reach? Really easily explains for me why Blaine would choose this line of defense after Kurt accuses Blaine of not affirming him enough. In Blaine’s eyes, his entire LIFE as it is now is an affirmation of how special Kurt is.* Kurt MOVES him, and it’s terrifying to Blaine that Kurt might regard that essential fact of their relationship as a thing of their past, and not of their present or future. 

And it really easily explains why I Have Nothing failed to resolve this argument and Blaine’s hurt. I mean, setting aside the fact that Kurt essentially took a leaf out of the Finchel relationship handbook, how would you feel if the person you love and idolize and have already changed everything for told you via heart-rending ballad that they’re going to continue moving forward full speed ahead, with or without you, but if it’s without you it will hurt them deeply, so keep up damn it? Blaine is already trying his hardest to keep up. Kurt’s the one who did something morally ambiguous here. I Have Nothing honestly only adds insult to injury. It’s certainly not an apology, and it’s extremely manipulative (remember, Kurt knows that he moves Blaine). Moreover, it puts the onus on Blaine to surrender in this conflict by heavily implying Blaine’s in danger of failing at what he’s put his whole heart and soul into (e.g. making Kurt happy, becoming the kind of person who can stay with Kurt for the long haul). It’s less a concession and more a blatant escalation. 

Of course, Kurt doesn’t understand this. He doesn’t even know this is the core issue for most of the episode. To him, he’s the one who’s always had to chase after Blaine. He’s the one who’s had to constantly deal with Blaine’s considerable and much more mainstream (professional and personal) appeal. He’s the one who has been neglected in the face of Blaine’s anxiety over his dependence on Kurt. And all of that is fair. TL;DR: All this means is just that teenage egos are needy as fuck, and that these two need to remember to communicate because their insecurities clash too easily against each other if they don’t.

*And thus, the metatext becomes the actual text. Lol, Glee. You make my brain hurt.

lettersfromtitan:

The notable difference is that Kurt finds strength and victory in his rage (or after it) as a rule.  Blaine does not.

That’s a really good thought. And this isn’t quite related but

I think it’s interesting that Kurt’s rage song is a fantasy that gets staged—he ends up performing it and is acknowledged to have done so by the literal narrative i.e. Burt—whereas Blaine’s rage song is a staged fantasy—the staged part more than likely happens entirely inside Blaine’s head.

I mean, the only parts of Fighter that are acknowledged as really happening are the walking away and the boxing/shower scene. And even those “real” parts are mostly a headspace performance where, while the action is probably literal, the singing is probably not. So the staged part at the end, with Blaine wearing the same clothes but having acquired a technically elaborate set, reads to me as almost certainly being a fantasy. And since no one was there to see the performance if it was real, it’s no more potent than a fantasy anyway.

So by considering these two performances together, we get this indication that Kurt automatically projects his pain out—his feelings immediately inform a song choice and quickly become a performance—while Blaine’s feelings, even within himself, are experienced in real time through imagined song and performance, on a stage he keeps locked inside himself along with his pain. So we see Kurt have this moment of struggle and wrath that leads to resolution, and we see an achingly similar moment with Blaine that fails to resolve anything.

Which makes the fact that Kurt encourages him to actually sing for/with Cooper and have that duet moment really lovely, because obviously they’re working with similar headspaces. Kurt sees that Blaine’s still struggling with it, so he encourages Blaine to harness that performative tendency and embody it, to use it constructively as a force for communication and change like Kurt has had success with in the past. And obviously that works out much better.

TL;DR: listen to your boyfriend, Blaine. Good things happen when you do.

mzminola:

“Hey guys. My name is Mercedes Jones. So most of you know, Cheerios is about perfection, and winning. Looking hot, and being popular. Well I think that it should be about something different. How many of you at this school feel fat?”

[Quinn raises her hand, girl in green looks at Quinn, and then raises her own hand]

“How many of you feel like you’re not worth very much? That you’re ugly, or that you have too many dimples and not enough friends?”

[hey Jesse. What’s up with you?]

“Well I felt all those things about myself at one time or another. Heck I felt most of those things about myself today. And that just ain’t right. And we’ve got something to say about it. And if you like what we have to say, come down here and sing it with us.”

…this is her forming a choir out of the girl!Cheerios, and other students at the school. THIS IS CHOIR SUMMONING POWERS.

I really like this headcanon. She’s the pied piper of chorus members! A power perfected over years of having her church’s choir wrapped around her little finger? They do seem more than happy to show up for any song Mercedes is involved with that needs a gospel moment.

I LOVED THIS BIT SO MUCH.

Blaine tries to give Kurt his mike. He’d give up his mike in a heartbeat to make Kurt happy, to give him a chance to shine.

Kurt says, “oh no, no,” and for a second we think it’s modesty, BUT LO, IT IS NOT. KURT HAS HAD A MIKE ALL ALONG. HE IS PERFECTLY PREPARED TO SING, TOO. But he would never take away Blaine’s mike just to have his own moment. They can both have mikes. They can both have their chances. They don’t have to compromise themselves to be able to share this.

Both Blaine and Kurt have their own voices, and they can support each other 100% without either of them ever needing to be less just so that the other has a chance to be more. Kurt knows they can go on just as they are, and they’ll just shine twice as bright.

AND THEN I REALIZE MY OTP IS SO FLAWLESS I HAVE FEELS ABOUT MICROPHONES AND THEN I HAVE TO LOL.