Glee-ful for TV Do-Goodery
As a former chorus-geek and eternal lover/practitioner of vocal music, there was no denying I was going to love Glee. This may garner eye-rolls from the more serious and somber of TV-viewers, but I can’t help myself. It’s fun, it takes itself just seriously enough, and here’s a big plus in my book–It frequently illuminates the social issues and problems teens (and adults!) face in a respectful and often provocative way.
TV just doesn’t do this enough.
Never before have I seen a television show so seamlessly integrate awareness-raising about a variety of causes into its (admittedly kitschy but lovable) story-lines. Since it came on air in September 2009, Glee has invited the audience to ponder such issues as gay rights, women’s empowerment, anorexia, physical and mental disability, chronic illness, peer pressure, bullying, issues related to performance-enhancing drugs, teen pregnancy, and more.
To be admired further, the Glee cast backs up their in-character explorations of social issues with real-life public service announcements and service. In my opinion, Glee’s approach to awareness-raising for causes feels deliberate, but not forced down the audience’s throat.
My questions are: In what ways might Glee have inspired offline/off-air action in its audience members towards some of the issues it addresses? And, of course, how can Glee further use its awesome musical powers of audience-enchanting for good?
3 Responses to “Glee-ful for TV Do-Goodery”
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I just watched the entirety of Glee in a marathon 2-day session, and aside from absolutely falling in love with it in what is probably a deeply emasculating way, the thing that most struck me was how exaggerated the focus on popularity seemed to be.
Yes, popularity was something people cared a lot about in high school. But nobody ever actually talked about it in the terms that people do in Glee and other teen comedies/dramas. When Quinn said “Popularity is currency,” I just rolled my eyes. It mattered, but it was something people just understood. Nobody delved into rambling exposition on the subject.
Then again, I went to high school in New England, in a suburb of the biggest city in the country. Is it different elsewhere? Are people actually that…articulate about popularity in the Midwest, or, say, North Carolina?
I’d say that’s a fair criticism – while the show does illuminate some important issues (especially teenager-focused ones), it does permit its characters to vocalize things that are more logically just part of their inner monologue. That said, it’s probably just a means of being ‘clear’ in its message to its younger audience, so I forgive it.
To answer your question – no, no they are not that articulate about popularity in NC, as far as I’m aware. I was one of those kids who hung out with the nerds as a Freshmen, but thanks to my involvement in chorus (yes, like Glee) I interacted with peers from a variety of backgrounds and social statuses and became some one who was more easily able to get along with every one despite popularity. I guess that’s another reason I <3 Glee so much – while in my chorus class we unfortunately weren’t able to launch into a song and perform with perfection at random, we did grow to be very much like a family. Best memories are from that class…