Everybody has one show that they feel made them who they are today. This show sticks with you for the rest of your life and you feel like nothing can compare to it. For me, that show is Glee.
Glee premiered in 2009 when I was just around ten years old. The show went on for six seasons and ended in 2015. It features a large, diverse group of characters who join a glee club at William McKinley High School and learn to look past each other’s differences in order to keep the arts alive in their school.
Glee is probably the best show I could have begun to go through my teenage years with. It showed me the first girl-girl and boy-boy kisses, which allowed me to learn at a young age that love is universal, no matter who it is between. I watched Kurt Hummel come out to his loving father and saw Santana Lopez get kicked out of the house by her grandmother because she was gay. I witnessed a heartbreaking story of teen pregnancy and what it’s like to lose someone close to you. But, most importantly, I was taught the importance of friendship.
Through every musical number, they exemplified the struggles of typical high school students trying to fit in. Each character had their own personal struggles, and these are just a few examples of what I believe are some of the most important story-lines:
Santana Lopez’ coming out scene:
Being gay and coming out in the Latina/o community has always been a sensitive subject. Glee captured this sensitivity when Santana came out to her abuela to which she was disowned and kicked out of the house. Watching her start to cry and break down was heartbreaking to watch and brought light to a topic that is rarely mentioned on television.
Dave Karofsky in ‘On My Way’:
*TW* From the beginning of season two, Dave Karofsky is introduced as the typical homophobic, bullying football player. In the episode “Never Been Kissed”, he kisses Kurt and it is revealed to the audience that he is questioning himself and his sexuality. Towards the end of season three, Dave transfers from McKinley to a private school to start off fresh. This doesn’t go as planned and upon arriving to the locker room, he notices the jocks have spray-painted “FAG” on his locker. He rushes back to his dorm and ultimately, he attempts suicide. This scene adds new depth and dimension to a character no one could have expected. His past actions towards Kurt were now reflecting on himself.
Lastly, Coach Beiste’s domestic abuse:
This episode took on domestic abuse in a very raw and realistic manner. Coach Beiste had gotten into an argument with her drunk husband when he hit her. This began with denial, she didn’t want to admit what had happened and didn’t want anyone to think that because of this she was weak. A few girls from the glee club found out about this and approached it with humor rather than sympathy. She then confided in Will Shuester, the glee club teacher, and Sue Sylvester, the cheer coach. They informed the girls about the seriousness and reality of domestic abuse and helped her to get out of the bad situation at home.
These plots are just three of many of Glee’s informal and important episodes. There were many based around bullying, a season exploring teen pregnancy, and an episode based around an intense school shooting. Glee was important for many reasons and I thank the creators and cast for letting me fall in love with their show. It made me into the aware and open-minded person I am today.
