It’s something that every show struggles with – how do you keep viewers interested and invested in a show season after season? The team behind Fox’s hit dramedy Glee, Ryan Murphy, Ian Brennan, and Brad Falchuk, has tackled this problem head on, and their show has not faltered one bit. However, this has not stopped conservative groups like the Parents Television Council from giving the show heat for supposedly becoming more risqué in a ploy to increase viewership.
According to Entertainment Weekly, the PTC has been outraged at the current season of Glee, saying that they have gone far over-the-top in terms of depicting the sexual lives of the high school students on the show. This specifically references the show’s fifth episode of the season, “The First Time,” in which four of the characters lose their virginities.
Also according to Entertainment Weekly, the Culture and Media Institute has come out opposing not only Glee’s depiction of teen sex, but the show’s depiction of a same-sex couple. They have stated that Glee has “waged a relentless campaign of liberal propaganda and pushing the boundaries of what’s acceptable on broadcast TV… the show is now stepping up its campaign of homosexual promotion.”
Both of these conservative groups are way out of line – Glee is hardly the only show that depicts teenagers having sex, and in all honesty, Glee has depicted it in the most realistic, heartwarming manner. Two couples that are in love engage in sexual activity – nothing that is uncommon for high school students today. Glee tackles this issue in an appropriate and respectable manner, and is simply showing what actually goes on in high schools.
Not only that, but the Culture and Media Institute is absolutely offensive in declaring that Glee has a “campaign of homosexual promotion” – the sexuality of the characters is irrelevant. To say otherwise is prejudicial, homophobic, and blatantly wrong. It’s disgusting that today’s society cannot look past the genders of couples and just let people be happy.
Glee star Chris Colfer addressed the issue in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, stating, “Teens are having sex, there’s not that much you can do to stop it, and we’re just showing a story about it…. It’s about an experience in these teens’ lives that everyone has… it’s promoting safe teen sex.”
Some people are also claiming that this supposed increase in risqué behavior has led to an increase in melodrama in the show – but this makes absolutely no sense and holds no merit. How exactly has Glee become more melodramatic? This is the show that in its first season, dealt with a teenage pregnancy (oh, that’s right – Glee has already tackled teen sex and shown the potential downside to it), a divorce, a failed wedding, coming out stories, love triangles, love squares, you name it.
And that’s just the first season. If anything, the show has become less melodramatic and more realistic. MHS senior Mike LiBretto said, “Shifting the paradigm of the show from an ‘underdog’s tale’ to one of real people makes the show that much more enjoyable.” While the show has certainly evolved since the first season, it has changed for the better and has become a show that everyone can find a way to relate to.
Yes, many people have been complaining about the recent storyline involving Finn and Rachel getting engaged, touting it as ridiculous – but that is exactly the point that the Glee writers are trying to make, that it is ridiculous.
Finn and Rachel have a tendency to dream big, and don’t realize that they are rushing things, but as the storyline has progressed it has been made clear that their parents do not support their decision, and neither do their peers. So how exactly is it a problem that the storyline is showing that teen marriage is a bad idea? It isn’t a problem at all – people are just failing to grasp the full concept of what is occurring.
Even in the final seconds of its winter finale, Glee delivered yet another important message – not to text and drive, as Quinn gets into a car accident because she was texting while driving. Quinn’s fate is as of yet unknown, and it will be interesting to see what the writers decide to do with her character.
As MHS senior Christine Apicella stated, “It’s not overly risqué and it doesn’t show anything ridiculous like other networks. That aspect of the show doesn’t deter from its overall value, it simply portrays another aspect of teenage life.”
Teenage life – that is what Glee is really supposed to be about. This season, the writers of Glee have chosen to make the show more about teenage life than ever before, unafraid to tackle major issues and pushing forward through the season with no boundaries.
The show, which has already won four Golden Globe awards and six Emmy awards, is better than ever. It is now successfully combining its clever wit with real-life drama and, of course, fantastic and elaborate musical numbers – some of this season’s biggest hits were covers of “We Are Young” and “Rumour Has It / Someone Like You.” The show returns on April 13 to wrap up this controversial season, and it is sure to go out with a bang.