History YMMV / TheGleeProject

** In the "Vulnerability" episode from season two, Blake plays a bully during the music video. The directors laud him for looking like he's actually bullying and hurting Michael...which can sound pretty grim in light of the abuse allegations against Blake later in his career.

** Matheus and Alex getting paired up for a homework assignment is rife with this, specially a line from Samuel
--> '''Samuel:''' Matheus think of this, you're going to be gay for a day.

-l'''Zach''': Wha...I...yes.
* NarmCharm: Blake's poem in the Season 2 finale.

* HarsherInHindsight: As the years have gone on, many contestants have spoken out about how they were treated on the show and manipulated by producers - especially the season 1 cast.
** The infamous kiss between Lindsay and Cameron was something Erik White pressured her to do and she regretted immediately, outright calling it manipulation in later interviews.
** Cameron himself was often mocked for "auditioning for a show where teens kiss and not wanting to kiss anyone". While there is something to say about not being familiar with the show, it still doesn't excuse production for surprising him with the Lindsay kiss and then, after he stressed his discomfort because he was already in a relationship, still trying to goad him into kissing Hannah in a later shoot.

** Damian and Cameron, who hug constantly and are apparently moving in together.
* MemeticMutation: Whenever a rather extremely popular contestant is eliminated, fans tend to react with a gif of a clip from the first season.
-->'''Ryan''': Am I wrong?
-->'''Zach''': Wha...I...yes.

** Season 2 had Chaylin/Charlin (Charlie/Aylin), Michellie (Michael/Nellie), Blichael (Blake/Michael), Blanna (Blake/Harper), and Shaylin (Harper/Aylin)[[note]]Harper Grae went by her birth name Shanna Henderson during the show[[/note]].

* RetroactiveRecognition: Abraham is Kenji from {{Series/TheBoys}}

** Marissa as eliminated her first time in the bottom (the same week she had one her first homework assignment), which came as an icy shock to fans who saw Marissa as the front runner.

** Harper was a front runner for most of her season, having never placed once in the bottom and only coming close once. Then she faltered in "Romanticality" (another week where there were several more obvious choices) and was eliminated to the shock of many.

* EliminationHoudini: Many people feel this way about Alex, who has been in the bottom three more than any other character (four weeks in a row and counting), and complain that his CampGay diva personality and vocal range [[AuthorAppeal appeal]] to Ryan the most.

** In Season 2 Michael and Lily have been getting a lot of flack for outlasting generally more popular contenders Nellie, Abraham, and Shanna. Especially because Michael was told SEVERAL times that he deserved to be eliminated, but they were going to give him another chance.
*** And then there's Tyler who was in the bottom 3, three or four times before finally getting eliminated. And seemed to only stay on as long as he because he could be "a role model to kids like him"

* NarmCharm : Blake's poem in the Season 2 finale.

* TastesLikeDiabetes: Ellis's first music video performance.

* EnsembleDarkhorse: Zach Woodlee.

* TheScrappy: Lindsay seems a little bit of one. It doesn't help that she seems QUITE similar to Rachel[=/=]Creator/LeaMichele.
** Emily, who seemed like an AttentionWhore with an ItsAllAboutMe Attitude.
** A lot of people seem to find Alex quite annoying.
** Can apply to any of the contestants depending on who you ask.

** Marissa changing her sign during the video shoot for "Mad World" from "flawed" to [[spoiler: "anorexic"]].
*** The entire "Mad World" [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIMNVHfYudE video]] in general. The shots of each contestant with their sign are just so visceral.
** Alex [[spoiler: breaking down during "vulnerability" week, telling Nikki about his deceased father]].
** Abraham crying during [[spoiler: Tyler's]] solo of "Keep Holding On".
* ViewerGenderConfusion: Many people have thought Alex was a girl when he sings due to his voice.
** Not helped by the fact that he looks amazing in drag, went on to play a trans character in the show, and seems fairly genderfluid these days.

* BaseBreaker: All of them that lasted longer than a couple of episodes.

* JustForFun/XMeetsY: ''Series/{{Glee}}'' meets ''Series/AmericasNextTopModel'' meets ''Theatre/AChorusLine''.

** Not helped by the fact that he looks amazing in drag, went on to play a trans character in the show, and seems fairly genderfluid these days.

** It also carried over to the series. The characters they play aren't exactly well liked.

** Not helped by the fact that he looks amazing in drag.

* TheScrappy: Lindsay seems a little bit of one. It doesn't help that she seems QUITE similar to Rachel[=/=]LeaMichele.

* UnfortunateImplications: Compare the current status of the Season 1 winners' characters on ''Series/{{Glee}}''. Despite Damian and Samuel being crowned the winners of the first season, and Alex being crowned a runner-up, Alex's character is the only one of the three whose character made it past one season, as Damian's and Samuel's characters were PutOnABus immediately after their contracted arc to introduce new characters. What may be worse is the fact that Lindsay, a fellow runner-up of Season 1, literally got less than ten minutes of screen time in total compared to Alex. These facts, combined with Ryan's obvious favoritism towards Alex in the first season, does not help opinions that Ryan unfairly favors actors/characters with whom he can most relate to and will put more effort in writing for those characters in the show proper. Blake's case when he won Season 2 turned out better for him; his character Ryder is still on the show and shares the same status as Alex in the show as a relatively static character, though it probably helps that he's actually dating one of the other cast members in real life.
** As seen also in Season 2. Maxfield Camp, a Nashville based actor turned recent country artist, was the first eliminated by Ryan and the other judges. He was sent home for Ryan Murphy's own words, "Not being interesting enough". The elimination came down to Maxfield and Tyler. Tyler was a mid-transition transgender person. Tyler's vocal range changed between auditions and the competition. Tyler could barely carry a tune in his new vocal range. He was then eliminated the next week. Maxfield has went on to have a relatively successful cameo gig in ABC's Nashville and several Country music videos. He is probably the most successful Glee Project contender post elimination with the exception of Michael and the contestants that have appeared on Glee proper in some form.
** Then there is fact that all the actual winners have been straight pretty white boys despite all the boasting about Glee championing the underdog.

* UnfortunateImplications: Compare the current status of the Season 1 winners' characters on ''Series/{{Glee}}''. Despite Damian and Samuel being crowned the winners of the first season, and Alex being crowned a runner-up, Alex's character is the only one of the three whose character made it past one season, as Damian's and Samuel's characters were PutOnABus immediately after their contracted arc to introduce new characters. What may be worse is the fact that Lindsay, a fellow runner-up of Season 1, literally got less than ten minutes of screen time in total compared to Alex. These facts, combined with Ryan's obvious favoritism towards Alex in the first season, does not help opinions that Ryan unfairly favors actors/characters with whom he can most relate to and will put more effort in writing for those characters in the show proper. Blake's case when he won Season 2 turned out better for him; his character Ryder is still on the show and shares the same status as Alex in the show as a relatively static character, though it probably helps that he's actually dating one of the other cast members in real life. **As seen also in Season 2. Maxfield Camp, a Nashville based actor turned recent country artist, was the first eliminated by Ryan and the other judges. He was sent home for Ryan Murphy's own words, "Not being interesting enough". The elimination came down to Maxfield and Tyler. Tyler was a mid-transition transgender person. Tyler's vocal range changed between auditions and the competition. Tyler could barely carry a tune in his new vocal range. He was then eliminated the next week. Maxfield has went on to have a relatively successful cameo gig in ABC's Nashville and several Country music videos. He is probably the most successful Glee Project contender post elimination with the exception of Michael and the contestants that have appeared on Glee proper in some form.

* BaseBreaker: Aylin, due to her flirty nature.

* UnfortunateImplications: Compare the current status of the Season 1 winners' characters on ''Series/{{Glee}}''. Despite Damian and Samuel being crowned the winners of the first season, and Alex being crowned a runner-up, Alex's character is the only one of the three whose character made it past one season, as Damian's and Samuel's characters were PutOnABus immediately after their contracted arc to introduce new characters. What may be worse is the fact that Lindsay, a fellow runner-up of Season 1, literally got less than ten minutes of screen time in total compared to Alex. These facts, combined with Ryan's obvious favoritism towards Alex in the first season, does not help opinions that Ryan unfairly favors actors/characters with whom he can most relate to and will put more effort in writing for those characters in the show proper. Blake's case when he won Season 2 turned out better for him; his character Ryder is still on the show and shares the same status as Alex in the show as a relatively static character, though it probably helps that he's actually dating one of the other cast members in real life. <p>As seen also in Season 2. Maxfield Camp, a Nashville based actor turned recent country artist, was the first eliminated by Ryan and the other judges. He was sent home for Ryan Murphy's own words, "Not being interesting enough". The elimination came down to Maxfield and Tyler. Tyler was a mid-transition transgender person. Tyler's vocal range changed between auditions and the competition. Tyler could barely carry a tune in his new vocal range. He was then eliminated the next week. Maxfield has went on to have a relatively successful cameo gig in ABC's Nashville and several Country music videos. He is probably the most successful Glee Project contender post elimination with the exception of Michael and the contestants that have appeared on Glee proper in some form.<p>

* UnfortunateImplications: Compare the current status of the Season 1 winners' characters on ''Series/{{Glee}}''. Despite Damian and Samuel being crowned the winners of the first season, and Alex being crowned a runner-up, Alex's character is the only one of the three whose character made it past one season, as Damian's and Samuel's characters were PutOnABus immediately after their contracted arc to introduce new characters. What may be worse is the fact that Lindsay, a fellow runner-up of Season 1, literally got less than ten minutes of screen time in total compared to Alex. These facts, combined with Ryan's obvious favoritism towards Alex in the first season, does not help opinions that Ryan unfairly favors actors/characters with whom he can most relate to and will put more effort in writing for those characters in the show proper. Blake's case when he won Season 2 turned out better for him; his character Ryder is still on the show and shares the same status as Alex in the show as a relatively static character, though it probably helps that he's actually dating one of the other cast members in real life.

As seen also in Season 2. Maxfield Camp, a Nashville based actor turned recent country artist, was the first eliminated by Ryan and the other judges. He was sent home for Ryan Murphy's own words, "Not being interesting enough". The elimination came down to Maxfield and Tyler. Tyler was a mid-transition transgender person. Tyler's vocal range changed between auditions and the competition. Tyler could barely carry a tune in his new vocal range. He was then eliminated the next week. Maxfield has went on to have a relatively successful cameo gig in ABC's Nashville and several Country music videos. He is probably the most successful Glee Project contender post elimination with the exception of Michael and the contestants that have appeared on Glee proper in some form.

* FanDumb: It may be because of the show's target demographic or the fact that it is a reality show in which the contenders are [[ManipulativeEditing made to look a certain way]], but fan dislike for some contenders has garnered numerous, and at times quite vicious, online attacks against them prompting mentor Robert Ulrich to speak up against it.
** Lindsay and Alex have certainly received the short end of the stick; Cameron, Matheus, and Marissa fans continually blame Alex for their favourite's departure despite the decision being Ryan Murphy's, and Lindsay gets hate from Cameron fans for apparently forcefully kissing him despite the fact that it was directed and generally for being presented as an attention grabbing, fake, bitch.
*** Honestly, most fans with only one favorite will go out of their way to flame other contenders and praise their own resulting in fan wars.