Positive pop culture ranting
AfterElton.com recently published an article, "Five
Reasons Why Glee Matters. I comment on their major points below:
1) Glee put a non-traditionally masculine gay character front and center.
This is a good point. I never watched Will & Grace, but from what I've seen, Will didn't seem very effete. Nor did David and Keith in the macabre orgasm that is Six Feet Under. Really, the effeminate gay characters have been shunted to the side, providing comic relief and support when necessary, but…that's it, as far as I know.
With the creation of Kurt, we have now a short sixteen-year-old with a high-pitched voice and an extreme interest in fashion, who is mostly unashamed of himself. His relationship with his father is particularly impressive; there's a typically masculine man who works in a tire store and loves his feminine son. I haven't seen this on television before, and the writers do an amazing job with it.
2) Glee was created by a gay man who hired gay people to play straight and gay roles.
Very true. Creator Ryan Murphy cast Jane Lynch as maliciously delicious (straight) cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester; Chris Colfer as Kurt Hummel (above); Jonathan Groff as Lea Michele's recurring love interest, Jesse St. James; and guest star Neil Patrick Harris as former (straight) glee club member, Bryan Ryan. In a scene between Lynch and Harris, Ryan says, "Sue, you're an impressive woman. I can't tell you how much you turn me on right now. You ever heard of the term 'anger sex?'" To which Sue responds, "It's the only kind I know, Bryan."
Inside jokes abound indeed, but here we have two gay actors playing straight characters who have sex in a secret, Letterman-esque room above the cheerleading coach's office.
There aren't many gay actors who play straight on television right now, but many straight actors who play gay in all forms of media. Murphy's casting choices are based on merit and ability, rather than orientation; this is unfortunately pretty novel.
3) Glee dealt with important themes.
Important themes? Hmm…let's see what we have…
Handicaps (paraplegia, Down's syndrome, deafness, and quadriplegia)
Teen pregnancy
Homosexuality
Body image issues Religion (though in a comical way)
Chauvinism
Bullying
Things most television shows never directly address are intrinsic to Glee. Rather than primarily focusing on the dramatic relationships of the characters (which do indeed play a major part), the show operates in a heightened reality in which self-expression and camp are key. I'm not saying the way with which all the issues are dealt is perfect:
In spite of Artie's eight-year-long paraplegia, Tina convinces him that, based on her personal research on stem cell studies, a cure can be only ten years away. Quinn's explanation of her pregnancy: "…[Puck] got me drunk on wine coolers and I felt fat that day." Though we finally see this scene as a flashback during the season finale, there are strong undertones of rape here, since Quinn wasn't in her right mind when she consented. It's ambiguous, but leaning toward sexual assault, and it isn't dealt with as such.
The hyper-religious characters are treated as jokes because of their inflexibility, prejudice, and overall sticks-up-their-recta nature. While I find that this sends a probing message about the common views about religious people in contemporary American society (which I happen to agree with), it skirts around a larger issue. There are complex differences here that need to be addressed without the filter of humor.
However, a lot of these are addressed in very good ways:
All the main characters support Kurt. When Finn, in a fit of rage, uses the word "faggy," Kurt's father bursts in and lambasts Finn, comparing the word to "retard" and the n-word. What a great message for people to hear!
One of the best, campiest ways to address misogyny in American culture: MADONNA. That's all that needs to be said.
Quinn, who's pregnant, tells Mercedes, who has developed an eating disorder, that eating for her unborn child changed her relationship with food. In her words, What I realized is that if I'm so willing to eat right to take care of this baby, why am I not willing to do it for myself?" Beautiful.
4) Glee proved television can be more than just Law & Order and CSI spin-offs.
Okay, let's analyze this for a minute…
Q: How many medical shows are there currently on television in the United States?
A: Thirteen. General Hospital; Scrubs; Nip/Tuck; House, M.D.; Grey's Anatomy; Private Practice; The Listener; Royal Pains; HawthoRNe; Nurse Jackie; Trauma; Mercy; Miami Medical.
Q: How many editions of Law & Order are there, and how long have they been going?
A: Six, with two still airing, and one in the works. Law & Order - 1990-2010. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit - 1999-present. Law & Order: Criminal Intent - 2001-present. Law & Order: Trial by Jury - 2005-2006. Conviction - 2006. Law & Order: Los Angeles - autumn 2010 projected release.
Q; How many editions of CSI are there? Their start dates?
A: Three. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation - 2000-present. CSI: Miami - 2002-present. CSI: NY - 2004-present.
Q: How many usually poorly written and campy teen dramas are there?
A: Eleven. Degrassi, One Tree Hill, Greek, Life Unexpected, Pretty Little Liars, The Secret Life of the American Teenager, Gossip Girl, 90210, Friday Night Lights, Melrose Place, The Vampire Diaries.
Q: How many reality shows are there?
A: Here are the twenty-five that are on MTV; writing down all of them would take way too much time. 'Cribs, Teen Cribs, True Life, When I Was 17, Busted, The City, Downtown Girls, Engaged and Underage, High School Stories, The Hills, Jersey Shore, Making the Band, My Life as Liz, My Super Sweet 16, Parental Control, The Real World, RW/RR Challenge, Room Raiders, 16 and Pregnant, Taking the Stage, Teen Mom, The X Effect, Run's House, America's Best Dance Crew, Paris Hilton's My New BFF.
Q: How many dramedy musical series are there?
A: One. Glee.
5) Glee showed that uncool things can be very cool. Or that uncool things are worth doing.
Here we have a show in which head cheerleaders and star football players are defecting to the glee club, and in the process, are breaking out of their boxes and growing as people. With lots of musical numbers. No contest.
Reasons Why Glee Matters. I comment on their major points below:
1) Glee put a non-traditionally masculine gay character front and center.
This is a good point. I never watched Will & Grace, but from what I've seen, Will didn't seem very effete. Nor did David and Keith in the macabre orgasm that is Six Feet Under. Really, the effeminate gay characters have been shunted to the side, providing comic relief and support when necessary, but…that's it, as far as I know.
With the creation of Kurt, we have now a short sixteen-year-old with a high-pitched voice and an extreme interest in fashion, who is mostly unashamed of himself. His relationship with his father is particularly impressive; there's a typically masculine man who works in a tire store and loves his feminine son. I haven't seen this on television before, and the writers do an amazing job with it.
2) Glee was created by a gay man who hired gay people to play straight and gay roles.
Very true. Creator Ryan Murphy cast Jane Lynch as maliciously delicious (straight) cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester; Chris Colfer as Kurt Hummel (above); Jonathan Groff as Lea Michele's recurring love interest, Jesse St. James; and guest star Neil Patrick Harris as former (straight) glee club member, Bryan Ryan. In a scene between Lynch and Harris, Ryan says, "Sue, you're an impressive woman. I can't tell you how much you turn me on right now. You ever heard of the term 'anger sex?'" To which Sue responds, "It's the only kind I know, Bryan."
Inside jokes abound indeed, but here we have two gay actors playing straight characters who have sex in a secret, Letterman-esque room above the cheerleading coach's office.
There aren't many gay actors who play straight on television right now, but many straight actors who play gay in all forms of media. Murphy's casting choices are based on merit and ability, rather than orientation; this is unfortunately pretty novel.
3) Glee dealt with important themes.
Important themes? Hmm…let's see what we have…
Things most television shows never directly address are intrinsic to Glee. Rather than primarily focusing on the dramatic relationships of the characters (which do indeed play a major part), the show operates in a heightened reality in which self-expression and camp are key. I'm not saying the way with which all the issues are dealt is perfect:
However, a lot of these are addressed in very good ways:
4) Glee proved television can be more than just Law & Order and CSI spin-offs.
Okay, let's analyze this for a minute…
Q: How many medical shows are there currently on television in the United States?
A: Thirteen. General Hospital; Scrubs; Nip/Tuck; House, M.D.; Grey's Anatomy; Private Practice; The Listener; Royal Pains; HawthoRNe; Nurse Jackie; Trauma; Mercy; Miami Medical.
Q: How many editions of Law & Order are there, and how long have they been going?
A: Six, with two still airing, and one in the works. Law & Order - 1990-2010. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit - 1999-present. Law & Order: Criminal Intent - 2001-present. Law & Order: Trial by Jury - 2005-2006. Conviction - 2006. Law & Order: Los Angeles - autumn 2010 projected release.
Q; How many editions of CSI are there? Their start dates?
A: Three. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation - 2000-present. CSI: Miami - 2002-present. CSI: NY - 2004-present.
Q: How many usually poorly written and campy teen dramas are there?
A: Eleven. Degrassi, One Tree Hill, Greek, Life Unexpected, Pretty Little Liars, The Secret Life of the American Teenager, Gossip Girl, 90210, Friday Night Lights, Melrose Place, The Vampire Diaries.
Q: How many reality shows are there?
A: Here are the twenty-five that are on MTV; writing down all of them would take way too much time. 'Cribs, Teen Cribs, True Life, When I Was 17, Busted, The City, Downtown Girls, Engaged and Underage, High School Stories, The Hills, Jersey Shore, Making the Band, My Life as Liz, My Super Sweet 16, Parental Control, The Real World, RW/RR Challenge, Room Raiders, 16 and Pregnant, Taking the Stage, Teen Mom, The X Effect, Run's House, America's Best Dance Crew, Paris Hilton's My New BFF.
Q: How many dramedy musical series are there?
A: One. Glee.
5) Glee showed that uncool things can be very cool. Or that uncool things are worth doing.
Here we have a show in which head cheerleaders and star football players are defecting to the glee club, and in the process, are breaking out of their boxes and growing as people. With lots of musical numbers. No contest.