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"You guys, I am so pumped that the new season of The Glee Project is finally here! And after last night&amp;#x27;s premiere episode, I&amp;#x27;m way more excited about finding out who lands that starring role on Glee than I ever was for Mr. Schue and the gang to finally win Nationals. Let me explain. But before we go any further, I have to tell the absolute truth. Full disclosure: one of the guys on this season&amp;#x27;s The Glee Project is a friend of a friend (hey, Randy!) and I miiiiiggghhttt have made out with this contestant once--many months ago. Charlie, to be specific. I tell you this not to brag (though he&amp;#x27;s not a bad lookin&amp;#x27; guy, so no shame here), but because I&amp;#x27;m going to unabashedly root for him to win. I know (from experience!) he&amp;#x27;s super talented at dancing, he&amp;#x27;s a nice guy, and, hey, I&amp;#x27;ll have a great party story if he takes the prize. So, if my recaps seem completely biased, it&amp;#x27;s because they totally are. OK, now back to why The Glee Project trumps Glee... Reason 1: It brings back happy memories Remember the glory days of season one Glee? When everything seemed fresh and the writing was actually witty? Back when the kids were a bunch of slushie-covered underdogs? I miss that Glee, and The Glee Project totally brings that back for me. When we first meet this season&amp;#x27;s contestants, they&amp;#x27;re so fresh-faced and excited to be there, it&amp;#x27;s infectious. They run around their candy-colored dormitory with wonderment, exclaiming how lucky they are to be there. And when Lea Michele makes a guest appearance, some of the contestants actually cry because they&amp;#x27;re so grateful to meet her. Reason 2: It has real individuality Glee is all about diversity and being the underdog-with-a-good-backstory, but this season&amp;#x27;s contestants have, in my humble opinion, way more interesting personal stories than most of the fictional characters. Take, for example, Mario. He&amp;#x27;s blind, he&amp;#x27;s sassy, and he&amp;#x27;s got that voice. I&amp;#x27;d much rather watch him than NeNe Leakes&amp;#x27; Coach Roz terrorize Sue Sylvester. This episode&amp;#x27;s lesson is &amp;quot;Individuality,&amp;quot; so the group is asked to perform Lady Gaga&amp;#x27;s &amp;quot;Born This Way&amp;quot; before Lea and Ryan Murphy. They&amp;#x27;re both impressed by Shanna&amp;#x27;s individuality, so she wins a one-on-one with Lea and a special solo in the group music video, which is... drumroll... White Snake&amp;#x27;s &amp;quot;Here I Go Again.&amp;quot; I&amp;#x27;m not sure what that song has to do with individuality, but sure. Reason 3: Real life is way more dramatic than fiction As the crew practices for their music video, the drama unfolds, and it becomes clear who is struggling the most. Transgender Tyler can&amp;#x27;t dance, flirty-girl Aylin lacks in energy and spunk, Taryn seems withdrawn and has trouble finding her voice, and future-country-star Max struggles in the recording booth. Plus, he looks like a deer in headlights the whole time. In the end, the judges declare Shanna to be the strongest this week, and they send Ayin, Tyler, and Max to do a last-chance performance in front of Ryan Murphy. Aylin belts out a balled version of David Guetta&amp;#x27;s &amp;quot;Without You.&amp;quot; It&amp;#x27;s awesome (though not as good as Lea&amp;#x27;s version), and she shows them her flirty side. Apparently she has a big crush on Blake (but next week&amp;#x27;s preview teases to a fling with my boy Charlie). Next up is Tyler, who sings a lackluster version of &amp;quot;ABC&amp;quot; by the Jackson 5. Ryan&amp;#x27;s right--Tyler&amp;#x27;s story is better than his talent. Then Max does a totally charming version of Willie Nelson&amp;#x27;s &amp;quot;Always on My Mind.&amp;quot; But, sadly, the country crooner is sent home. Eeep! I can&amp;#x27;t wait for next week! So which show do you prefer, Glee or The Glee Project? And which cast member do you think is going to win? You already know who I&amp;#x27;m betting on... More TV to watch... *The Real Housewives of New York Invaded the Glamour Offices! *Girls: Everybody Enjoying the Hannah and Adam Honeymoon Period? *OMG, A Major Character Died on Tonight&amp;#x27;s Mad Men!"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.glamour.com/entertainment/blogs/obsessed/2012/06/5-reasons-the-glee-project-is>