The Fox television series Glee is nothing short of a phenomenon—hit show, sell-out concerts, extensive merchandising, chart-topping hits (eighth in digital sales), and a very passionate fandom. Glee is also simultaneously celebrated and disparaged for its tackling of timely cultural topics, such as bullying, coming out as gay or lesbian, and teen pregnancy. Much of… [Read more…]
November 19, 2011 by DeconstructingGlee
Dan Gainor, vice president at the Media Research Center, agreed that while the musical dramedy has been controversial since its debut, it was still driven by its entertainment factor prior to this season. But now, he says, the show appears to have reversed its focus. “’Glee’ is also becoming gimmicky,” Gainor said. “Witness the contest… [Read more…]
November 14, 2011 by DeconstructingGlee
Ok, ok, I’m blinking on this one. Mostly because all the talk is happening on Tumblr and I still find it hard to follow. How we all missed this, I have no idea, but here it is. There was a clever post on Tumblr that started off this whole discussion here. In both 3.05 and… [Read more…]
November 11, 2011 by DeconstructingGlee
So, Glee exists in a special upside-down world where pre-teen Brittany is nonchalantly statutorily raped in a tent at cheerleader camp and ragingly hormonal 16-year-old boys keep finding emotional excuses to avoid the horizontal mambo. To be fair, however, Finn is a lesbian and boy does he show his Sapphic side this episode! http://www.autostraddle.com/glee-episode-305-recap-just-the-tip-120189/ Can… [Read more…]
June 3, 2011 by DeconstructingGlee
On Glee, we hear and see a lot about the teens’ sexual lives—but not your character, Blaine, and his boyfriend, Kurt. We’ve seen them kiss, but that’s it. Will that side of their relationship develop? I mean, who knows? Something as big as gay teens on television, you gotta take things a step at a… [Read more…]
May 21, 2011 by DeconstructingGlee
The show purports to bend social conventions, but except for the gay themes (and the occasional potshots at the Tea Party and chastity hypocrites), it is deeply conservative; and in the end, everyone reverts to conventional bourgeois morality. Except for one the theme show about drinking, none of the kids ever get drunk. They don’t smoke pot… [Read more…]
April 7, 2011 by DeconstructingGlee
Julie Flores says: I’ll admit it, I love this show. My husband, son, daughter and I all watch it together. My son is 11, and some of the subject matter might be a little beyond his years. That being said, I would rather have an open dialogue with my kids about the topics on the… [Read more…]
March 28, 2011 by DeconstructingGlee
Dear Glee, You’ll never know how much it hurts me to write this letter. But if you don’t change back to the way you were, I’m going to have to break up with you. I didn’t mind if you fooled around a little because, after all, teens are into experimentation. And I don’t object to… [Read more…]
March 23, 2012 by DeconstructingGlee
1