Glee is about the lives of the McKinley High School show choir, New Directions. They are considered to be nerds by the rest of the student body. They work to gain acceptance and win the vocal contest. The show focuses mainly on 12 cast members and many of them are part of a minority group.
Kurt Hummel, a member of Glee club, is a homosexual.
Another member of New Directions, Mercedes Jones, is black.
Tina, one of the female singers in New Directions is Asian.
There are also 2 male background dancers in Glee club. Mike is Asian and Matt is black.
Two homosexual fathers raise Rachel Berry, the lead female vocalist.
The Principal of William McKinley High School, Mr. Figgins, is from Pakistan.
Quinn Fabray is a cheerleader and member of Glee club who gets pregnant.
Sue Sylvester, the cheerleading coach, visits her developmentally disabled sister.
Artie Abrams is a member of Glee club and is in a wheelchair.
Two other members of the group, Santana and Brittany, are rumored to be bisexual with one another.
Several of the episodes also include a deaf choir.
So, was this group part of your typical high school experience?
The characters play up their minority stereotypes in a very over-dramatic way. Kurt tries out to be the kicker on the football team to please his dad and before he kicks he has a “unique” preparation.
Mercedes plays up many stereotypes in this video where she sings "Bust Your Windows". Not only the choice of song, but also the car and how she portrays herself demonstrate this.
If this does not represent how high school was for anyone then why has this show become so popular?
Besides the fact that this is not your average day in high school the show is also popular because of the music it incorporates. Glee is the equivalent of a musical condensed into a TV series. The cast takes popular songs from many different generations and genres, and they make them their own. It is ironic that the show gives popular songs to “unpopular” people. The show also features many celebrity guests that draw more viewers to help make the show more successful. Some of the stars include: Eve, Kristen Chenoweth, Idina Menzel, and rumor has it that we may see Lady Gaga in the future.
This show has also become such a success because there are so many characters, and although many of them are a minority they are easy to relate to. There is at least one character that everyone can relate to in one way or another. Even if you feel like you don’t relate to them they are still entertaining to watch. So which Glee member are you?
We know that Glee is popular, but do you think that its popularity will last? Is it this generation’s Saved By The Bell? Are you so addicted that you have become a Gleek?
I personally don't watch the show, but It sounds very entertaining and like it may be something I need to turn on in the future. Since I don't watch the show, the list of characters was very helpful to me. I went to a middle to upper class public high school and I can say that many of these minorities were represented at my school. We had people from all over the world which made for many different types of races. We also people with disabilities, members of the LGBT group, pregnant girls and people with hearing impediments. So, coming from the background I have, I feel that Glee a very good representation of high school now. You are going to come across many different people and may different things, which is probably why this show is such a success. There is a person in the cast that almost everyone (the shows audience) can relate to. I can personally say that I would relate to Artie Abrams - the cast member who is in a wheelchair. This is because my father was in a wheelchair as I was growing up and I understand the hardships he must face. I feel that as long as the show continues to be entertaining and appeal to many different types of people the show will last. Who knows, maybe I'll even become a Gleek.
ReplyDeleteLike Kaci, I have never seen the show. Because I have never seen the show it makes it difficult to say whether or not I would be able to relate to one of the characters, however I can see the appeal. Granted, it is probably not a perfectly accurate presentation of the majority of high school experiences, but it is different. It appears to me that Glee is not the typical “cookie cutter” presentation of high school that shows and movies like Saved by the Bell and the High School Musical series seem to portray. It is edgy, it is different, and it is a show that is progressing with the mix of racial and cultural backgrounds in America. It represents those who have not been represented in the past, especially together. This allows for a wide variety of people to relate, and to experience something different. Also, I feel that the fact that it does not show the typical high school experience also draws appeal. I think people do not always want the “popular” or Grease-like high school experience, but something that seems more real and therefore easier to relate to. Whether or not the popularity of the show will last is a good question. Like almost all shows it will phase out eventually for a newer idea, but I could see it lasting a good amount of seasons due to its fresh outlook. While I doubt that I will become a Gleek, it may be time for me to watch a few episodes.
ReplyDeleteIn grade school, promises of the morning episodes of saved by the bell were the only way to get me out of bed. Once at school, all was great, but I was notorious for not getting up on time, but saved by the bell was such a good show… so I had to. For me, it’s hard to compare glee to a show that I loved so much as a kid. They’re just so different. With that said, I’ve watched glee from the beginning and it’s a refreshingly new way to look at high school. Saved by the bell didn’t take many risks, but I feel as though glee really pushes the envelope. The show isn’t afraid to tackle any subject in our society, even taboo ones. The fact that so many different types of people are represented in the show is also something I appreciate, as do many others. Not everyone can relate to the people on 90210 or one tree hill, but glee is filled with so many unique people and makes it work. I’d say I’m a proud gleek.
ReplyDeleteLike Kelsey, Saved by the Bell was what got me out of bed every morning; 7:00 a.m. on the dot. I couldn’t tell you what was so appealing about that show that made me get up, but I absolutely loved it. When I was younger I guess that is exactly what I thought high school would be like. After going to high school I realized that representation was false. Saved by the Bell was your typical “cookie cutter” image of high school which is just not realistic. Glee on the other hand shows what I think to be a more accurate portrayal of high school. I attended a middle class public school and my graduating class was over 800 kids so I definitely saw a lot of minorities. I encountered people of different races, religions, disabilities, and sexual orientations. I think Glee is a good representation of high school, or at least a more accurate representation that any other of those 90’s tv shows like Saved by the Bell. Glee shows how unique people are and the difficulties they face. This show is different from your typical high school tv show, but I think it’s much more realistic and I think it works.
ReplyDeleteIt is pretty amazing to see that everyone was like me and had to get their Saved By the Bell fix in the mornings before they headed off to school; whenever I watched it I would anticipate how those events could happen in my life, sadly it didn't typically happen that way. But glee is completely different! It portrays characters that aren't normally seen on shows geared toward teenage audiences. I think the cool thing about glee is that everyone can remember a time when they were the kid that was made fun of, and this in a way could show kids that they aren't alone in the world.Instead of seeing the normal white popular group, students see a real life school setting with people from different walks of life. You don't have to be black to relate with a black girl that was a so called "geek." And this show really has a way of reaching many people that had been in similar unpopular groups. This show is way more realistic than Saved by the Bell could ever be, it shows viewers the real life scenarios that a lot of students have to endure. Goodbye old days of the overused white, popular students and hello to the new diverse, realistic kids!
ReplyDeleteLike Kaci and Matt I have never actually watched this show so I don’t know the exact details of what this show is or what it talks about. Despite never watching it, I can still see that the show is groundbreaking in a sense. With the diverse cast that Glee contains and the varying stereotypes that are represented it is easy to see how almost anyone can relate in some way to the show. For me personally, Glee does not represent my typical high school experience. In my high school we often joked that we went to school in a “bubble” where there was almost no diversity. It seemed that just about everyone was a white, middle class, and Catholic. I know that this is not how everyone’s high school experience was and therefore the show Glee has become very popular. Another reason I feel that this show has become so popular is because it brings a very fresh cast that people have not seen on the television before. This fresh cast allows the producers to depict new conflicts and experiences that the audience enjoys watching. I feel that as long as the producers can continue to depict these fresh ideas and interactions with the characters then the show will continue to be a success.
ReplyDeleteUnlike a lot of others in the recent posts, I am one to not watch a lot of TV. When everyone was getting up before school to watch Saved by The Bell, I was spending that time asleep. And now, 10 years later, I am not a Glee watcher. It was very helpful to watch some clips and view the list of characters in the show- it gave me some sort of a summary of what the show was about and how it could be enjoyable. It seems as if the cast could be very easy to relate to, and quite funny in comparison to Saved by the Bell. Like I said, I wasn’t one to watch that TV show, however, my friends could relate to it back when it was more popular. As for Glee, it seems to be more up to date and accurate of what a typical high school consists of, which gives high schoolers something to relate to. In my particular high school, we never had such clicks or stereotypical people. My high school, however, was very diverse, but in a different sense. In regards to Glee, it was a great addition to the television programs. On the other hand, when I am a mom, I don’t see the show Glee to be as popular then as it is now.
ReplyDeleteI too, as many others have mentioned, watched Saved by the Bell. It was the classic high school television show that took our generation by storm. The show addressed the typical teen issues, but didn’t really try anything real controversial. Glee on the other hand deals with very taboo subjects and does so with maturity. I did not watch the show when it first started, but then I saw a few episodes and began to watch it regularly. The main appeal for me was not necessarily the storyline, or the cast for that matter, but the singing that drew me in. I agree that the show is a new way to display the high school scene, and the diversity of the cast has made it immensely popular. It is refreshing to see a variance from the typical actors and actresses that we usually see on television. It’s nice that almost everyone can relate to a character. I haven’t been watching the show since the new season started and watched very little last season, so I would not call myself a gleek. I do enjoy the show however, and I definitely think that it will stay popular for at least a few more seasons.
ReplyDeleteI personally don’t think that I am similar to any of the characters from the show. I have never seen the show but it seems to be geared to a more specific type of audience. The groups targeted to watch the show are “geeks” but also gets attention from people who can directly relate to a certain character. The musical and high school aspects remind me of high school musical, which is exactly the same type of format. I don’t think that GLEE could become as popular as Saved by the Bell because of the small group that it attracts. Saved by the Bell focused more on the jocks and popular groups but it still had an attraction to other groups, which is something I don’t think GLEE has. However, I don’t see GLEE going anywhere soon. It has a large viewership who are completely in love with it.
ReplyDeleteI think it's interesting that each character is representative of usually just one stereotype. It's as if the people in charge wanted each character to represent specifically one thing. That lays a great foundation for playing with stereotypes. But it doesn't seem like there are any messages too deep in Glee. As always, makers of media are eager to please, and Glee is definitely not an exception. The songs, for example, could all have specific messages, but they're only called 'popular' in the blog. They are also mentioned to come from a broad range of time periods. It seems like Glee is trying to appeal to everyone, either they've got your minority covered, or they've got your favorite music, or both. Or simply, hey it's a funny show -- so why not? In addition, having celebrity guests is just another way to attract more attention. I think Glee is all about their marketing, and I think they're doing a good job.
ReplyDeleteAs many others I also have never seen Glee. Although it does sound very interesting and I can see why so many people like it. Now the question is about the minorities and the fact that all of these students are different. I think that the producers thought that if they did something like this they would automatically get attention from their viewers. But not only that, I think that society is changing and they wanted to make a point of it. By having a group of students being different minorities that all get along so well is something I think is important. Most people didn’t go to high school and that be the situation. So as our society continues to change, so do the groups of people. I think that this show will continue to have many viewers and I think one of the main reasons is because of this special group of students and how they interact with one another. Since I have never seen the show Glee it is hard for me to make the comparison to Saved by the Bell. That was one show that I would watch all the time. Maybe for some now, Glee has taken the place of the show Saved by the Bell.
ReplyDeleteThough I have never seen Glee, I can understand why it has become such a popular show. Glee portrays high school in a much more realistic way than past shows such as Saved by the Bell, for it contains characters that represent many different cultures, backgrounds, and orientations. Furthermore, these characters all positively interact with each other and have created friendships which represents the way high school students should interact. I think that its popularity will last for a significant amount of time because it is much different than any other show on air today. Even though I have not watched the show, I know many people who are so-called "Gleeks" and make sure they watch every single episode. I also think that Glee could be considered today's Saved by the Bell because it provides an accurate depiction of the majority of today's high school students, much like Saved by the Bell did at the time it was created. Glee is a unique show that embraces the different cultures, backgrounds, and orientations of high school students and encourages viewers to have a more open mindset toward others. The show seems interesting, but I do not think I will ever become addicted enough to be considered a "Gleek" myself.
ReplyDeleteIt is understood that this is a hyperbole to help us creatively take a walk in the shoes of other Americans, but the situations of the students in the glee club are centralized and narrowly focused. That, for the record, is not a bad thing. Instead of inconspicuously trying to put an image of a student in a wheel chair, the show pretty much screams, "yeah, we're trying to address some very narrow issues, but they are ones all americans need to know about." instead of having a main character with a gay brother who occasionally struggles with his homosexuality every few episodes, they have multiple main characters, explaining what their life is like every show. I know that I would love this show, and if I didn't already have a disgusting line-up of weekly shows I must follow, then I know this one would be on that list.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with what Erin said, the fact that the main characters are mostly minorities makes for a lot of story lines. That is why I believe the show could have some staying power. The key is that they keep it fresh and original, which their casting has done already. There are so many possible stories based on how high school students interact of how families interact that they could have 20 seasons and not have a repeated event. That is very unique and I believe that will allow the series to last. Unfortunately that is all I know about the show. I am not a fan of the musical aspect personally, so I most likely won't be checking this show out, but I could see many people enjoying it and becoming devoted fans. While I probably won't watch the show I do have great respect for the creators and their attempt to do something new and original and most of all real. There are so many shows that show the characters with perfect lives it's refreshing to see a show attempt to show how things really are.
ReplyDeleteWell, I guess I am the minority here in that I did not get up at 7am every day before high school to watch Saved By the Bell. I would not consider myself a diehard fan of the show, but I have watched several episodes and have found them entertaining. Like Louie and a lot of others, I have never seen Glee nor have I ever heard of it. For these reasons, this blog came by surprise and pretty entertaining nonetheless. It is cool to see how Glee targets a specific target market that includes minorities. Other than Black Entertainment Television and the gay channel here at Ohio University, very seldom do we see this a lot, if at all, on television nowadays. I think Glee is geared towards an audience who is tired of the status quo of ordinary television such as that of “Saved By the Bell.” This group portrayed on the show was nowhere near my high school experience. I went to a private all male school, so rarely did we see minorities let alone pregnant women, etc. Although the show does not represent how my high school experience was, I think it has become popular because it is unique and innovative. It gives people a new way to look at television shows, whether or not it accurate depicts their everyday lives. The popularity of the show will probably last temporarily. I can’t say whether it is this generation’s Saved By the Bell. With all the dumb “reality” shows out today, it’s relieving to see Glee challenge the notion of what we may think of as popular television.
ReplyDeleteI’m increasingly realizing just how much I lack in paying attention to popular culture. I’ve never watched Glee or Saved by the Bell. However, I can say is that from the list of cast characters there is only one of those, being Rachel’s character, which I didn’t come into contact with during high school. Our culture and high school students specifically are more diverse than ever. It’s only natural that shows reflect that as well. Not only to mention how popular television for some time now are realities or anything dramatic. What’s more dramatic than high school? Hey, and why not throw in all the social diversity you possibly can? As far as audience goes, it’s not something I would image my parents that are in their fifties to watch. In their age its just not something they would be involved with. However I feel for younger people whether they connect to a character or not, it’s typically something they wouldn’t mind to watch. I’m surprised I think only one person commented saying they have watched the show. Whether it is this show in particular or not, my guess is that in the least a similar show will be the next Saved By the Bell in time to come.
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