Ever since Glee creator Ryan Murphy got into a public bitchfight with one of the artists who refused to license their music to the show, I’ve really soured on it. I haven’t kept up with Glee and whenever I catch the show it smacks of try-hard and sensationalism, with the characters seeming like stereotyped cardboard cutouts. I don’t know if Glee changed, if my perspective did or a little of both, but I’m surely not the only one who decided to stop watching the show as a direct result of Murphy’s petty behavior. Well Murphy seems to have received the message. He recently apologized for telling Kings of Leon founder Nathan Followill to F off. Instead of barking back when Foo Fighter singer Dave Grohl called him out for being so petty about artists refusing to license their music, Murphy backed down and praised them, saying it was their right and that he would still listen to their music.

“F**k you, Kings of Leon,” Ryan previously told The Hollywood Reporter of Kings of Leon after they turned him down. “They’re self-centered assholes, and they missed the big picture.”

Then, Nathan Followill responded to Ryan Tweeting, “Dear Ryan Murphy, let it go. See a therapist, get a manicure, buy a new bra.”

And next up was Foo Fighter’s Dave Grohl speaking out against Ryan saying, “It’s every band’s right… F**k that guy for thinking anybody and everybody should want to do Glee.”

Well, Ryan is now backing down and apologizing for his comments.

“I didn’t speak with as much clarity as I would have liked,” Ryan explained to The Hollywood Reporter on Friday of his comments. “Who am I to say ‘F**k you?’ That’s not what I meant. I completely understand when artists don’t want a show or another artist to interpret their songs. In fact, I respect it. It’s their personal work and I’d feel the same way. We get turned down all the time and I’ve don’t fight it or even go back after a rejection.”

“I’ve never felt that if you don’t give Glee your music, there’s something diabolical about you,” he added. “To the contrary: I support artists and what they choose to do… I think Kings of Leon are cool as shit. The Foo Fighters are brilliant. We’d love to do one if their songs, if they were ever interested. But if it’s not their thing, then OK. I personally wish them luck will still listen to their music.”

And Ryan said he’s learned an important lesson out of this fight.

“Don’t say f**k you to someone in the press,” Ryan joked. But seriously he said, “I’m really proud of the fact that we can introduce songs to younger kids or their parents because I’m the biggest music fan. The show is about the love of performing and arts education — things I think are very special.”

And it sounds like Kings of Leon may have accepted Ryan’s apology.

“We’ve been trading texts and emails and I support them.”

[From OK! Magazine]

This was the right thing to do, particularly since Grohl really had Murphy’s number and listed out the many ways that he’s been juvenile and petty with artists up until this point. It doesn’t mean I’m going to go back to watching Glee again, though. That ship has passed.

Photo credit: PRPhotos