Lindsay Lohan[Warning: "Glee" spoilers aplenty]
"Glee," where songs go for revival and former child stars for "image rebranding."
Lindsay Lohan judged the New Directions on the penultimate season finale episode, along with frenemy Perez Hilton and "Entourage" star Rex Lee, to help rebuild her aura — but did anybody notice? The Twitterverse was largely mum on her cameo, except for one who noted she "chaffed 'The Voice' in the judges' room." That was when Lohan professed outrage that there were no cameras filming her judging a high school national chorus championships.
'Glee,' Lohan fan reaction
Searches for "lindsay lohan" on Yahoo! did pop up 132%, and measured more than double the searches for "glee" (That's including the panicky "glee cancelled" queries. The show's not cancelled—just moved to Thursdays). Lohan’s Facebook reminder to watch her on “Glee” received 1,469 likes, but the feedback was sparse: “[S]aw you!!!!!.........really good and hilarious as always. Just hope people wontt give you grief for acting like a champ girly!!” chirped one fan, but another was “kinda disappointed” about the small role, but gave her props on the red hair. A third dispensed career advice, “[E]xcited to see you tonight but i wish you were NOT playing yourself. NOT the BEST way to showcase those great acting chops IMHO but JMO.”
Among "Glee" Facebook fans, the Lindsay moment didn’t rank as a favorite: “Perez was great. Lindsay was aweful- my lord the girls totally forgotten how to act - even acting as herself.” Others despaired: “Why did you have to ruin it with Lindsay Lohan? WHY??” and “I like it all, all except for the scene of Lindsay Lohan and Perez Hilton, even the Asian judge was annoying.” They weren’t all haters: “Loved everything, especially Lindsay,” “the discussion with lindsay and perez :'D,” and “Puck in a dress, mean, and lindsay lohan cracked me up!”
Critics: "high note" or "wasted opportunity"
Media outlets were also willing to judge the judge. X17Online gushed over how she went over the top and triggered flashbacks of the "Mean Girls" Lilo. Celebuzz duly noted the show's ironic introduction of Lohan as "America's sweetheart," her glam ensemble, and the funny lines. OK Magazine credited the actress and her love of the "underdog" for letting the Glee club kids of McKinley High finally win a trophy. (Then again, with coach Sue Sylvester pumping Mercedes full of steroids to kill her food-poisoning-induced fever, doesn't that call for an investigation?)
MTV reported Lohan's 166 seconds on "Glee" was full of "sweet, self-deprecating humor. The actress, playing herself, was able to make cracks about her contentious public image." But MTV couldn't get any "Glee" stars or even the chatty blogger to confirm or deny rumors of backstage tardiness or diva behavior. She enjoyed herself, the New York Daily News decided, and the "casual" performance was a "high note." The Seattle Post Intelligencer wasn't as kind, dismissing the "uselessness" of both Lohan and Hilton's appearances (but thumbs up on the win), Newsday dubbed it a "dumb outing, another wasted opportunity," and Entertainment Weekly — which professed great love for the Lilo — wavered and said the lines "were pretty funny -- if not a bit sad."
