The power of Glee has reached a whole new level. The show started off as a simple group of high school students battling between the desire to be popular and being a nerd in the Glee club (more formerly known as New Directions.) Working off of its high horse, Glee has recently featured celebrities such as John Stamos and Gwenyth Paltrow, but that's not all. The show, at times a heartwarming depiction of reality and at others ridiculously farfetched, has now begun to incorporate teaching life lessons into every episode.
One of the first issues tackled was bullying. Dave, the Glee character who plays the role of the consistent slushy-throwing bully, finally came around a little bit in the premiere of the spring season. He was so inspired by the choreographed dance to "Thriller" at the halftime show that he hopped right on the field to join in and forgot about all the tension and differences.
The following episode revolved around Valentine's Day and featured many love songs. Here comes the unexpected: Puck, the hot football jock, fell for Lauren, the nerdy, female wrestler. Maybe opposites do attract. In this same episode, everybody caught mono, mainly because Quinn cheated on Sam with Finn. Here it seemed as if the directors of Glee were teaching us that it is wrong to cheat on your boyfriend or girlfriend.
The third episode was all about the Bieber experience. Well…I guess the only lesson learned here was that Bieber Fever really does exist. I'M A BELIEBER!
The most recent episode, "Blame it on the Alcohol," tackles one of the most controversial issues in our society: underage drinking. The audience of college students probably all had a similar reaction: "YES! THEY'RE GONNA GET DRUNK!" Parents of younger children and high school students might have been disappointed, claiming that the episode sent a provocative message. However, it wasn't until the end of the episode that viewers realized that Glee actually approached this topic with a smarter strategy.
After the Glee club performed "Tik Tok" by artist "Key-dollar-sign-HA," the episode came full circle. As bothersome as it was to watch the Brillo-headed teacher Mr. Schuester act as a father-figure to the kids in Glee club, the overall message made complete sense. Underage drinking is inevitable. Although our parents and elders may not accept it, the least they can do is be available for us, rather than scare kids into making even worse decisions.
Maybe you drank in high school, maybe you didn't. Maybe you drink in college, maybe you don't. Maybe you were an early bloomer and started drinking in seventh grade. I remember my first drink, and I certainly didn't come running home to share the news with my mom and dad. Instead, I rummaged through the fridge when I got home to find anything with garlic or chocolate to cover up the smell in my mouth.
Things have certainly changed since that day, mainly because I did my best to respect my parents and their rules as they respected me as a growing teenager. They were by no means buying me bottles of Bacardi Razz and pouring me shots before my friend's Sweet Sixteen; however, I did know that my dad would pick me up at any time and anywhere without question. To this day, my dad still wouldn't deny me this promise. (Yes, he is the greatest man I know.)
At the end of the day, Glee is making a smart move. Although the show might appeal to the younger crowd, there are a large amount of adult Gleeks out there. Maybe those extremely strict parents with kids who get blood alcohol poisoning their first night out at college might rethink the way they handle underage drinking.
So fellow classmates, if you ever find yourself in an unsafe situation due to drinking, just call Mr. Schuester's cell and he will pick you up no matter where you are—even if it means he has to drive all the way to Baltimore from McKinley High in Ohio or some flashy set in L.A. Or you could call my dad.
And that's what you missed on…GLEE!
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