September 10, 2009
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Glee
The highly anticipated new show was BACK last night with a new episode (the pilot aired last spring after the American Idol season finale), and I don’t know exactly what to think just yet.
I came across an article from ew.com that turned out to be more ambiguous about the show than the title led me to believe; it’s more of a feel-good read. Let’s just say when I see a title like “Did Glee Push It Too Far?” I would think they would address the heightened level of sexual content in the show–but they didn’t. And I only say “heightened” because it was more than was in the pilot, and more than I was expecting.
As a self-proclaimed choir nerd and musician, it’s fun to watch music that is done with excellence. Throw in some dancing and amazing vocalists and I don’t mind…mix it all up with some humor and great actors and you’ve got a WIN! Then you blend in a sure-fire affair that’s going to happen with the lead character (hero-teacher Matthew Morrison) and pretty strong sexual message with the high schoolers annnnnnnd you pooped in my High School Musical Mocha Frappuccino. Boo.
But the jury is still out…I’ll give it a few more episodes before I completely disown it…
Thoughts? Did you love it? Hate it? Do you get what I’m saying?
Comments (10)
Daniel,
I agree. ”pooped in my High School Musical Mocha Frappuccino”… exactly what I was thinking… just not in those terms. As the resident “High School” guy, the messages weren’t just there, they were popping out at you (or pooping out, which ever you prefer). The promotion of premarital AND extra-marital sex was nauseating, to say the least, then throw in the phony do-gooder exploit Christianity for personal gain compromise my morals to get what I want ‘cuz no one really lives that way antagonist and viola! A prescription for moral decay that we take in hour long doses right in own living rooms!
To me, the message is the show. And the message tells our teens that all of them want to “do it” and no one can actually practice abstinence so why even kid ourselves. Even if teen girls don’t want to do it, it’s normal to do it. With the other situation, on the outset, they even had me rooting for the nice girl over the bitty wife – how!?! My question is why? Why do they put these messages in? What is in it for them? What is there to gain? I have my opinions on the answers to these somewhat rhetorical questions, but I’ll spare your readers the time. This message is is the opposite of the sanctified, pure, blameless reputation the Bible teaches that Christians are to pursue – the message that is shouted from the roof top (or “tent” top) in High Voltage. My last question is how does this frame people in my position (Student Pastors) in the minds of our teens? The celibacy club sponsors?
I agree, I am digesting it slowly and was not even really prepared to complete a thorough exegesis on it (let alone on the WWW), however it doesn’t take much to see the political bias behind the screen. As for me? I will keep prayer short tabs on the show because I am “up against it”. It is the strong man on the other end of the rope attempting to drag our students into the moral relativism of our culture.
Whew. Didn’t realize all that was going to come out. I thought I was going to write one or two sentences.
Take it for what it’s worth.
Pastor Tim<><
PS – I am NOT against Journey, Disco, or any other particular band or genre. I actually have them on my iPod. I am, however, for Truth.
Bottom line, I love the overarching concept of the show, I love the tone of the writing, and I love the music. I agree, they pushed it too far last night, but overall, I’m still a Glee fan.
One thing I really do not like is rooting for someone’s marriage to break up, which is of course what they are pushing us towards. Not cool at all.
I listened to Gold Digger twice on the way to work.
Oh, and I love the cheer coach. That lady is FUN.NY.
@Tim - I do not envy your job AT ALL. Truthfully, I’m fretting the time when my kids get in to high school and start facing these situations…AHHH!!!
Also, did you mean the traveling, singing group, Truth?
HAHAHA
Tim- your points are well taken, and thought provoking in terms of the influence these shows have on our teen minds. Jury’s still out for me on where exactly I stand in terms of that. I don’t THINK I agree with you that the message IS the show. I think the quirky and distinctive characters are the show. In my opinion, the message is obviously a PART of the show, but more accurately portraying the climate that teens already assume/function within because these themes have been in every show they already watch. (Okay, generalizing, but the things they watch are terrible.) Agree that there are clear agendas that are portrayed as truth (her speech at the end of the celibacy club.) For ME, that is not offensive, as I can recognize it as a worldview that the creators obviously believe and are relaying through their main character. It doesn’t offend me, I can overlook it since they obviously have not experienced truth in that respect. However, I do/can recognize that kids/teens/adults can drink in these messages and catchy “inspiring” statements without distinguishing that it is indeed a writer’s opinion. I believe that has been happening for a very long time in what kids watch, unfortunately. If my kid were a teen and watching it, I would enjoy dialouging about why these people truly BELIEVE that their message is true (kids need to release the sexual tension blah blah balh) while talking about how it’s actually a lie and a clever deception. As long as that dialougue is going on, I have no problem with enjoying a good piece of art. Now….talk to me after the inevitable cheating and I may have a new viewpoint…..:)
Yeah, I’m not sure yet. I think I’m still in shock over some of the content they aired. Guys in the celibacy class making very raunchy references if you know what I mean. I was hoping this would revive and renew H.S. Choirs into Show Choirs but that remains to be seen.
I agree. I enjoyed the pilot but was very disappointed with this last show, don’t know if I’ll watch again.
@pstonebraker - Hi Pat! Welcome…
Word on the street (which means that Travis knows the dude that does all of the vocal arranging on the show) is that this was and is the worst episode…I might hang in there for a couple more to give it another chance, but otherwise I’m with you. BLECH!
It was a good episode, entertainment-wise. But the blatant sexuality was just ridiculous. The oral sex, the bobbing and thrusting, etc going on during Gold Digger – I was just in awe of how they could put that on TV – and in a show that’s blatantly targeted at youth. Thumbs down.
@MikeknaJ - 8 thumbs down, indeed.
I was flabbergasted at the sexual content, and yet…
it was a pretty accurate portrayal of the highschool mind. The chastity club bit was dead on.
A friend of mine and I were discussing the actual part where the club performed in front of the school, and she said it well in saying it was uncomfortably funny–Michael Scott funny.
I will give it a few more episodes. It feeds my inner musical-lovin’ geek.