BY JENNA JAUREGUI
DIGITAL MEDIA MANAGER
When it comes to “Glee,” chances are either you love it or you hate it. The Emmy-award winning TV show that centers on a high school glee club with an eclectic mix of “outcast” students has returned for a second season of show tunes, stereotypes, and social issues.
In the time since the pilot episode aired, devout viewers have escalated into a jubilant cult following known as “Gleeks,” while critics storm the Blogosphere with angry posts accusing “Glee” of being a dangerous influence to young people. Just what makes this show so wildly controversial? On the surface, a “Glee” episode appears to be in the same innocent league of Disney’s “High School Musical.” Get past the first commercial break, however, and you’ll find yourself already deep in a campy parade of heavy topics that are transforming television’s social agenda.
In its first season, “Glee” featured a whirlwind of plot twists that openly dealt with themes like teen pregnancy, divorce, and eating disorders, to name only a few. The second season, now into its 8th week, seems to have come back with even greater force—its shock-and-delight quality inflating with fresh controversy. By introducing new characters, directors/producers Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuck, and Ian Brennan can further explore serious issues including sexual abuse (the shy new football coach is wrongly accused of inappropriate conduct towards students), homosexuality (lonely Kurt gets an unexpected kiss from a bully jock and finds a new flirtation with a boy who shares a love for glee club), and spirituality (glee club members respond to tragedy by reaching out to friends and higher powers).
While the show follows a maddeningly disjointed plot and many of its characters are static stereotypes who only come alive through contrived, elaborate music numbers, its unabashed irreverence of taboo subjects is what raises the biggest criticism for some and causes fans to break into songs of praise. Season two episodes celebrating Britney Spears and the Rocky Horror Picture Show have punctuated “Glee’s” edginess, as have its display of girl-on-girl make-out scenes and auditorium orgies.
Fans celebrate “Glee’s” pioneering portrayal of cultural realities many people ignore, but others say the show goes too far. The Parents Television Council criticized the Britney Spears episode, which earned the show its highest ratings ever, saying “Glee’s” impressionable young audience “basically witnessed an endorsement of narcotics abuse, public masturbation, and school-sanctioned burlesque.” For Glee’s college-aged audience who remembers the Britney sensation of their days in Jr. High, however, the show was simply a fun homage to a music icon. Many religious, conservative critics believe “Glee’s” LGBT references are in bad taste for television, but viewers (both gay and straight) voice their approval—especially when it comes to the character of Kurt. One blogger, who calls him “the heart of the show” and “the best gay character on TV,” says Kurt is helping to break down barriers and anti-gay sentiments with his lovable personality and friendship with the other glee club members.
While the show bravely pushes boundaries and forces viewers to discuss relevant social topics, you do have to wonder at what point does a show cease its show-tune infused entertainment and become ruled by its social agenda: manipulated by controversial material and cameo performances instead of a plotline.
Television has evolved since the clear black-and-whiteness that was once broadcast into America’s living rooms as the sitcoms of yesteryear gave way to a gray area of shows that toe the line between teen drama and adult subject matter. Love it or hate it, the face and content of the weeknight lineup is changing, and “Glee” may be a harbinger of similar shows to come. So settle into the couch, appreciate the talented actors as they dance and sing their way across the screen, and let your social awareness grow. It’s time for America to discuss the issues we face in society, and putting it to music can only make it more fun. Tuesday nights, 9 p.m. on FOX—it’s time for “Glee.”