The Glee Project

Season 1 Cast^[1]

The Glee Project is a Reality Show that is sort of a spin-off of Glee. It's a talent competition^[2] for a 7 episode guest role on Glee. The episodes involve weekly themes for which the contestants get homework. They bring in one of the stars of Glee to judge the contestants as they perform the homework challenge and choose a winner. The winner gets an advantage in the week's music video, directed by Erik White. The three who do the worst that week do a "last chance performance" for Glee's Show Runner Ryan Murphy, choreographer Zach Woodlee, casting director Robert Ulrich, and (in season 2), vocal coach Nikki Anders.

Has been renewed for a second season.

Reality Show Tropes at work include:

• Confession Cam: For both the contestants and the judges.
• Elimination Catchphrase: "You have not been called back." Albeit written down as opposed to spoken.
• Elimination Statement: The eliminated contestants give a statement about how much they’ve grown and how this was the best experience of their life. Then, because this is Glee after all, the loser sings “Keep Holding On” while the remaining contestants sing backup.
• Everyone Meets Everyone
• Non Gameplay Elimination: Cameron quit the competition because he felt he wasn't right for the show.
• Reality Show Genre Blindness: Cameron had no idea that, on a show focusing a lot on teenage relationships and sexuality, he might actually have to kiss somebody who isn't his girlfriend.
• Reality TV Show Mansion: Subverted. The contestants live in dorms.
• Shocking Elimination: Fans were not pleased with the eliminations of Marissa in episode six and Hannah in episode eight. Particularly because both contestants were fan and judge favorites and who each won that week's challenge.
• Voted Off the Island: Ryan Murphy, Zach Woodlee, and Robert Ulrich decide who should go out of the bottom three, and the contestants are then presented with a call back list which will have all but one contestant called back.

Tropes used in The Glee Project include:

• Adorkable: Michael is really cute and sweet...and he loves calculus.

Michael: Derivatives are awesome.

• All Guys Want Cheerleaders: Damian and Lindsay in the "sexuality" main challenge.
• All Love Is Unrequited: The theme of the "believability" main challenge video.
• Alpha Bitch: Lindsay seems to be like this in the beginning, which may be due to Manipulative Editing of her confessionals.
• Ambiguously Brown: Bryce, Tyler, and Taryn.
• Ascended Fanboy/Fangirl: The whole premise of the show is to make one of the contenders this.
• Author Appeal: Ryan is very clearly supportive of people like Alex (a Camp Gay occasionally-crossdressing countertenor in the mold of Chris Colfer) and Cameron (a nerd-chic rocker who is outspokenly Christian, which is a character type Ryan has "always wanted to write").
• Auto-Tune: In the video for "U Can't Touch This".
• Awesome but Impractical: According to the producers, Samuel and Lindsay are this because both are great singers, but they're not very relatable.
• Back for the Finale: It turned out that all the eliminated contestants returned to participate as background singers for the "Glee-ality" main challenge.
• Bait and Switch: Ryan is a fan of this method of elimination. In a number of episodes (including the finale), he complimented a contestant, making it seem as if they were safe. He told Marissa she was gorgeous and talented and would never have a problem being cast; he told Hannah she was "the show" and exactly what they were looking for, and he told Alex that he can "do something no one else can do" and praised his voice constantly. All these contestants were then eliminated.
• Be Yourself: The first week's "individuality" theme.
• Beware the Nice Ones: Lindsay's faux tears--especially after Alex broke down about his deceased father provoked sweet, upbeat Nikki to lose her temper and call Lindsay fake to her face.
• Bifauxnen: Dani is gender-androgynous.
• Big Beautiful Woman:
  • Hannah.
  • Alex in drag.
  • Lily in Season 2.
• Big Brother Instinct: Damian towards Matheus when they were partners. He defended Matheus when other contestants, especially Alex, tried to put him down.
• Big Guy, Little Guy: Damian and Matheus' duet.
• Bishonen: Damian and Samuel, in two very different ways.
  • Cameron as well, especially in 'Theatricality'.
• Blonde, Brunette, Redhead: Subverted. There are no towheads in sight.
• Bowdlerise: The Party Rock Anthem video. The original song contains the line "running through these hoes like Drain-O"; in this version it's "combing through my hair like Stamos".
• The Cameo: One of the Glee cast shows up to mentor the contestants and judge the homework assignment every week.
  • In season 1 it was Darren Criss (twice!), Idina Menzel, Dot-Marie Jones, Harry Shum Jr., Max Adler, Mark Salling, Ashley Fink, Jenna Ushkowitz, and Kevin McHale as the guest judges. Max also appeared in the music video of his episode.
  • In season 2 so far it's Lea Michele, Samuel Larsen, Cory Monteith, and Naya Rivera. And Iqbal Theba aka Principal Figgins appeared briefly in the "Individuality" music video.
• Camp Gay: Alex, Alex, ALEX.
• Camp Straight: Abraham.
• Celibate Hero: Cameron, who doesn't feel comfortable kissing the other girls because of his relationship back at home.
• The Charmer: Ryan called Maxfield this.
• Cheerful Child: The guest singers for the "Generosity" challenge.
• The Cheerleader: Lindsay in the "sexuality" main challenge.
• Cloudcuckoolander: Charlie. When asked to give three words friends would use to describe him, Abraham said things such as compassionate and tenacious. Charlie? "Dandelions, lightning and fuchsia".
• Composite Character: Fans have been saying that Alex is what would happen if Kurt Hummel and Mercedes Jones had a child together.
  • Not just fans. Ryan Murphy described Alex as "Kurt and Mercedes' love child" to Ian Brennan.
• Continuity Nod: Cameron's shown to be one of few contenders who can accompany himself through guitar. In the finale, he plays electric guitar when all of the fallen contestants rejoin the final four for "Don't Stop Believin'".
• The Cover Changes the Gender: Averted by Samuel's cover of "Jolene". It's written as a woman singing about another woman stealing her man . . . and that's exactly what Samuel sings it as.
• The Cover Changes the Meaning: Damian's performance of "Jesse's Girl".
• Covered in Gunge: The contestants are slushied in the "tenacity" main challenge.
• Deadpan Snarker: Ellis, at times, which led to the judges think of her as negative and rude.
  • Zach, when he isn't focusing on choreography. Sometimes when he is, and a contestant isn't doing well.
• Did I Just Sing That Out Loud?

Damian: Uh, actually I changed my mind. I don't want to be Jesse's girl.

• Did Not Get the Girl: Damian gave up the love of his life for his music career.
• Double Take: Lily in the season 2 "Individuality" video after she realizes she gave a flyer to Principal Figgins.
• Drill Sergeant Nasty: Zach Woodlee and Nikki Anders are brutally honest with the contestants, and do not baby them through anything. Nikki does have Team Mom characteristics despite this.
• Dreadful Musician: None of the final four except for Samuel know how to play musical instruments.
• Dreadlock Rasta: Samuel, of the rebellious nature.
• Dude Looks Like a Lady: Samuel has very long dreadlocks, a slim frame, and an interesting tendency toward eyeliner.
• Duet Bonding: Hannah was upset because Lindsay got to sing with Damian instead of her.
• Dysfunction Junction: Ali comments on how every contestant has overcome an emotional or physical challenge.
• Eerie Pale-Skinned Brunette: Damian, Ellis, and Lindsay.
  • Nellie in Season 2.
• Eighties Hair: Marissa in the "Pairability" main challenge.
• Enforced Method Acting: Marissa's and Lindsay's surprise kisses for Samuel and Cameron, respectively.
• The Everyman: Damian.
• Everybody Lives: Samuel and Damian were the co-winners, each getting a 7-episode character arc. But Ryan and the writers were so fascinated by Lindsay and Alex that they will also each receive a 2-episode guest spot. EVERYBODY WINS.
• Expy: Some compare Lindsay to Rachel Berry/LeaMichele because of the way they both strive to be the best and their similar singing styles.
• Fake American: Cameron gets Damian to say raunchy things in an American accent.
• Fake Band: The final four act as one of these for the "generosity" main challenge.
• Fascinating Eyebrow: Damian's eyebrows move a lot when he sings or speaks, which is commented on and parodied by Zach.
  • He also frequently gives one on his shot on the title card.
• The Fashionista: Alex wants to be a fashion designer.
• Femme Fatale: Emily, from the beginning. Ryan seemed to think Marissa was this, pointing it out before he eliminated her.
• Fiery Redhead: Marissa appears to be this. Hannah as well.
• First Kiss: Ellis has hers on the set of the music video shooting.
• Food Fight: Cameron and Hannah in the "sexuality" main challenge.
• Forceful Kiss: Lindsay kisses Cameron at the end of the "pairability" main challenge, causing him to break down afterwards.
• Funny Foreigner: Damian, at the beginning. There was much giggling over his thick Irish accent.
  • Lampshaded by Damian himself early on, when he entertains the other contestants by performing an impromptu rap that consists entirely of Irish phrases in a thick Irish accent (of course), to the point where the only part that most American viewers could fully understand was the part about "walking in Dublin."
    • Lampshaded again by Emily, who notes "I've never seen a leprechaun dance like that!"
• Fun Size: Mattheus.
• Genki Girl: Hannah. Ellis, when she's not snarking.
• Girl-On-Girl Is Hot: During the Spin the Bottle sequence in the season 2 "Dance-ability" video, Aylin and Lily Mae kiss. Blake and Michael don't, to the disappointment of many.
• The Glomp: Ellis to Zach, during the last episode when she comes back.
• Gratuitous Rap: The mash-up of "Ice Ice Baby" and "Under Pressure".
• Happily Adopted: Lindsay.
• Heroic BSOD: Cameron after Lindsay kissed him.
• Heroic Sacrifice: Cameron quits the show in "Sexuality", which ends up saving Damian.
• Heterosexual Life Partners: Damian and Cameron. The two are set to live together in an LA apartment near Paramount.
• Hollywood Nerd: Cameron. Though many have contested that despite the term "nerd" coming from Cameron himself; he is, in fact, a hipster.
• I Call It "Vera": Ali's wheelchair is named Roxanne.
• I Can't Dance: Hannah, though it's subverted a bit. She--and the choreographers--believe her to not be as technically proficient at dancing as the other contestants, but she works harder than others who are better dancers (*cough* Alex *cough).
  • Damian is by far, the WORST dancer of the contenders, and he knows it. However, like Hannah, he works hard and his positive attitude has more than made up for his lack of dance ability.
  • Cameron as well admitted to having a lot of trouble with dancing, which is probably because of his lanky and awkward frame. This is subverted a bit by Glee's own head choreographer Zach Woodlee fanboying over how cool Cameron moves in "Theatricality". Nikki did this as well in his final audition before being cast as one of the Final Twelve.
• Iconic Item: Marissa's banana earrings have become this within the fandom.
• I'm Not Here to Make Friends: Lindsay, though largely believed to be due to Manipulative Editing.
• Incorruptible Pure Pureness: Cameron, arguably.
• Incredibly Lame Pun: They sing "Ice Ice Baby" in the video where they’re getting slushie facials.
• It's All About Me: Lindsay and Emily.
• Jerk Jock: Bryce had some aspects of this.
• Ladykiller in Love: Samuel reveals himself to have been this in the "vulnerability" challenge, when he dubs himself "rejected".
• Let's Duet: The "pairability" and "sexuality" challenges.
• Little Miss Snarker: Ellis.
• Lovable Jock: Damian in the "sexuality" main challenge.
• Love Dodecahedron: A Type 2 occurs in the video for “The Only Exception”. Hannah wants Alex, who wants Damian, who wants Lindsay, who wants Samuel, who wants Hannah.
• Lyric Swap: Marissa slips Ryan's name into the chorus of her last-chance performance of "Hate on Me".
• Married to the Job: Damian, or at least he’s afraid of this happening.
• Mean Character, Nice Actor: Lindsay is protrayed as an Alpha Bitch character in her confessionals, but in real life she and the other contestants are very good friends.
• Megane: Cameron.
• Metal Scream: Part of Matheus's skill-set, which doesn't fair well when he tries to sing swing.
• Nerds Are Sexy: Cameron without a doubt.
• Nice Guy: Both Cameron and Damian came off as this throughout the competition, which inevitably led to mass fan adoration. The two caused many Heartwarming Moments in the show. Damian defended Mattheus in one episode and then Alex on Twitter. Cameron, in particular, was the epitome of a sweet lovable nice guy when he also reassured Alex, gushed to the cast about how they were all friends, gave McKynleigh flowers when she was eliminated, handed tissues to Lindsay (and Damian) during the Live Finale Chat, and, you know.... the Dameron thing.
• Nice Guy / Reasonable Authority Figure: Robert, especially in contrast to Deadpan Snarker Zach and, well, Ryan.
• Nice Hat:
  • Ryan Murphy sports a few, most notably the bright yellow beret.
  • Charlie tends to wear a blue beanie.
• Nice Shoes: Damian's and Matheus' boots in their duet. Apropos, they sung "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'".
• Oblivious to Love: Damian has no idea about Hannah's crush on him.
• Odd Couple: Matheus and Alex, in their duet. Surprisingly, they had decent chemistry.
• Odd Friendship: Hannah and Lindsay were best friends during their time on the show together, and are moving into an apartment in LA together.
• Older Than She Looks: Ellis.

"I'm eighteen, I swear!"

• OT3: Damian, Hannah, and Cameron. Invoked by Damian, hilariously enough:

"The threesome's back together again!"

• • He also dedicates his final performance to them.
• Parental Abandonment: Shanna was raised by her grandparents because her mother was heavily involved in drugs.
• Perpetual Frowner: Samuel has a default "squinting" face when he sings. Lampshaded by Lindsay.
• Portmanteau Couple Name: Invoked by guest judge Darren Criss in Pairability with Matalex (Matheus and Alex), leading to the contenders coming up with their own couple names some of which are also now used by fans when Actor Shipping.
  • Examples include: Dameron (the bromance of Cameron and Damian and the most known shipname to come from the show), Damsay (Damian/Lindsay), Marissam (Marissa/Samuel), Camsay (Cameron/Lindsay), Dannah (Damian/Hannah) and Samsay (Samuel/Lindsay).
• Power Trio: Cameron, Damian, Hannah. They referred to themselves as "the threesome" and there were plenty of Crowning Moments Of Heartwarming between them.
• Raven Hair, Ivory Skin: Lindsay.
• Reaction Shot: Nikki gets some very good ones, all of them stemming from her frustration with the contestants in the recording booth.
• Real Person Shipping: Hannah reveals that she had a bit of a crush on Damian. Shipping ensues among the fans.
  • Not the only pair, just look at the Portmanteau Couple Name entry above.
  • A great deal of the TGP fandom is guilty of this, especially in regard to Dameron, bromance or otherwise. Other fan-supported ships include Damsay, Camrissa and Samsay. Dannah started gaining steam since the airing of the Sexuality episode, while Samsay became popular after Glee-ality and their epic running-jump hug.
    • The cast themselves also do this. Ironically, Cameron ships Damsay, while Lindsay is considered one of the biggest Dameron supporters out there.
• Replacement Goldfish: Samuel becomes Ryan's ideal Christian character after Cameron quits.
• The Runner Up Takes It All: Hinted that more than one of the contestants may get a spot on the final show.
  • As of the finale: CONFIRMED. EVERYONE gets a spot. Damian and Samuel were co-winners, each with 7-episode arcs, and Lindsay and Alex will get 2-episode guest spots.
• Scatting: Hannah has a unique rap-style called "skadoosh".
• Screw The Money, I Have Rules!: The reason Cameron left the competition. He knew he didn't have the acting power to kiss another girl (as he was currently in a relationship and felt like he was cheating) and didn't want to rob the other kids of their chance, even though Ryan told him he would be giving up a recording contract, a starring role, and a concert deal.
• Shrinking Violet: Alex's singing partner in the "generosity" main challenge.
• Small Name, Big Ego: Lindsay and Alex, the latter to the point that it landed him in the bottom three more than once.
• Something Completely Different: The "pairability" episode changed how most of the competition process worked for that week.
  • Instead of one big music video there were four smaller ones, each centered around a different pair.
  • The winner of the homework assignment got to pick their duet partner, and both would get assistance from the mentor.
  • Instead of the bottom three people singing, it was the bottom three pairs. From them, the bottom three would be chosen. However, they wouldn’t sing again; it went straight to elimination after that.
• Something Something Leonard Bernstein

Matheus: Mfft lala la GIVES YOU HELL!

• Spicy Latina: Emily. Eventually it led to her being eliminated, since she kept switching back to this personality when she was supposed to be vulnerable.
• Spin the Bottle: In the "Dance-ability" music video of season 2.
• Stepford Smiler: Lindsay, apparently.
  • Subverted slightly since Lindsay seems genuinely happy about her life. And then of course, as of "Glee-ality", she makes the decision to stop being perfect and to find herself beneath all her masks.
• Stern Teacher: Not a teacher, but music video director Erik White has very high standards, and doesn't like it when the contestants mess up the shoot.
• The Stoic: Aside from the big group crying session earlier in the series, Samuel's known to be the only character that hasn't had an emotional breakdown.
  • This was actually to his disadvantage because Ryan Murphy WANTED to see vulnerability from the contestants and when Samuel found out, he believed it to be too late in the game therefore having his own emotional breakdown in "Generosity".
• Street Musician: Samuel started out as one.
• Take a Third Option: None of the final four are eliminated before the finals.
• Tantrum Throwing: Marissa kicks a chair during the "tenacity" homework challenge, but the spontaneity of it won her the challenge, according to Max Adler.
  • Of course, Marissa's move was less of a real tantrum and more of fulfilling the Homework assignment. Hers was simply the most noticeable.
• Team Dad: Robert Ulrich, who encourages the kids through the challenges and comforts them when it's time for the callback list to be posted.
  • Ryan actually gets a bit of this when he goes backstage to talk to Cameron, making sure he was making the decision that was best for him, not what Ryan wanted him to do.
• Team Mom: Nikki Anders, the vocal director. She goes the extra mile to comfort the contestants and help them during their last-chance performances. Does not stop her from being a bit of a Drill Sergeant Nasty to contestants who are screwing up.
• Tomboy and Girly Girl: Hannah, in comparison to Lindsay and Marissa.
• Totally Radical: Damian throws in several "yo's" and "dawgs" during the shoot for "U Can’t Touch This". It works.
• Training from Hell: The contestants actually have less time than the actual cast of the show to learn their songs and choreography.
• Transgender: Tyler.
• Ugly Guy, Hot Wife: Nikki and her husband Adam. Yikes.
• The Unfavorite: Lindsay was this to the judges. Ryan Murphy bluntly stated, "I root for the other contestants, but for some reason, I don't root for you."
  • Subverted as of "Glee-ality" with Ryan himself saying that he believed that Lindsay grew the most throughout the competition, calling her persona as pure "light" - of the shining presence variety.
• Vocal Range Exceeded: The worst-case scenario of vocal recording with Nikki.
• The Von Trope Family: Marissa Von Bleicken.
• Walking Shirtless Scene: Matheus is fond of his own abs.
• What Could Have Been: Many fans speculate about who would have won if Cameron hadn't quit and Damian had gone home.
• Wholesome Crossdresser: Alex does the "pairability" challenge in drag ("Nowadays" from Chicago), his last chance performance in "Tenacity" ("And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" from Dreamgirls) in drag, and his final performance on the show in drag ("I Am Changing" from Dreamgirls).
• Wild Teen Party: In the "Dance-ability" music video of season 2.
• Write Who You Know: Ryan Murphy bases the winner's Glee character on their personality.
• X Meets Y: Glee meets America's Next Top Model meets A Chorus Line.
• You Are Not Alone: At the end of the “Mad World” music video.
• You Gotta Have Blue Hair: Abraham has bright red highlights in his hair.
• You May Remember Me From: Everyone remembers Dani from America's Got Talent

1. ↑ Top row: Damian, Bryce, Samuel, Hannah, Cameron. Second row: Alex, Emily, Lindsay. Third row: McKynleigh, Ellis, Matheus. Bottom: Marissa.
2. ↑ or as Robert Ulrich has stated, and "inspiration" competition