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Glee - Multimedia Journal 1

Brief character descriptions (in order of appearance):

Noah Puckerman (Puck) : football jock and bad boy

Quinn Fabray: head cheerleader who unexpectedly becomes pregnant with Puck’s child

Artie: a wheelchair ridden teen with big hopes of becoming a dancer

Tina: a shy Asian-American who fakes a stutter to keep people away from her

Finn Hudson: football quarterback and Rachel Berry’s boyfriend; compassionate and caring

Rachel Berry: a Jewish girl and the daughter of a gay couple; one of the best vocalists in Glee who is very ego driven

Mercedes Jones: strong vocalist who is determined for a chance in the spotlight

Brittany: oblivious and stereotypical dumb blonde

Kurt Hummel: closeted teenage boy who is bullied by the football jocks; always looking to do the right thing and stand up for what is right

Santana Lopez: fierce and vocally opinionated; reveals she is lesbian and in a relationship with Brittany

Sue Sylvester: Cheerio’s cheerleading coach; always rivaling against Mr. Schue and New Directions

Mr. Schue: New Directions advisor and former glee club champion

Overview

In Lima, Ohio William Schuester, a former Spanish teacher, takes it upon himself to revitalize McKinley High School’s Glee club. This show follows the lives of a group of talented, misfit teens. The use of singing and dancing along with a comedic dialogue help generate conversation about certain issues that the students face in everyday life. Several issues including race, religion, and sexuality, are addressed within the series and sends an important message of acceptance and inclusion.

In the video, Sue Sylvester says “High school is a caste system. Kids fall into certain slots.” Mr. Schue then asks, “Where do the glee kids lie?” Sue replies, “sub-basement.” Through the glee club these kids learn that they are more than the caste that they have been forced in to by the social constructs of high school. This situation relates to the article by Gregory Jay titled “What is Multiculturalism.” He states, “Multiculturalism, then, insofar as it groups individuals into categories, may overlook the practical reality that no one lives in just one box” (5). It’s easy to categorize someone as just black, white, or Asian because of the appearance of their skin color or a jock because they are a football quarterback or mean and popular because they are blonde, pretty, and head of the cheerleading squad. However, everyone has core and invisible attributes that make up who they are as a person. Glee club opens the doors to new friendships and relationships that seem absurd to most people. This show emphasizes how misleading stereotypes can be and the importance of accepting people of all races, religions, and backgrounds. Glee club provides a common ground for everyone and is a place where individual differences are respected.

Race Affecting Relationships

Although Mercedes Jones has feelings for Sam Evans, she feels as though their relationship is not worth her time because of the fact that he is white, and she is black.

Despite the fact that our society has come a long way in accepting mixed relationships, it is still a controversial and problematic situation for some people. Mercedes is questioning her decision to date Sam because of what other people will think of her. Mercedes made her decision to cut things off with Sam because she was unable to name an example of a couple in which a black, female artist was dating a white man. Even though it may have been acceptable and normal in glee club, she says, “the real world has rules” and that “people pay attention to that kind of stuff.” According to Gregory Jay, “race can be a powerful reality for organizing social, political, and cultural activity [...]” (2). There are no laws or rules against dating people of other races, but Mercedes is conflicted because she wants to stray away from a certain image that society has constructed in her mind.  

Santana Comes out to Grandmother

Santana Lopez finally finds the courage to open up to her grandmother and tell her the truth about her sexual orientation. However, things don’t go as she had hoped because of her grandmother’s beliefs. 

This clip highlights the presence of intersectionality. Santana, a Hispanic teen who was most likely raised in a religious family, finds herself disowned by her grandmother after revealing her sexuality. From this scene it is apparent that her grandmother is traditional in her beliefs and is embarrassed when Santana lays down the truth. Race, religion, and sexuality are all interconnected here and helps us, the viewers, understand real problems and the disadvantages that certain groups of people face in the world. 

The Power of a Photo

A photo is a story in itself. This picture shows New Directions with a championship trophy, also known as the denotative meaning. However, the connotative meaning holds a deeper and more powerful message. It represents the things a diverse group of individuals can accomplish with hard work and dedication. For Sturken and Cartwright, “A single image can serve a multitude of purposes, appear in a range of settings, and mean different things to different people” (9). For each individual in New Directions this photo varies in meaning. For Rachel it could represent her journey to the big stage. For Kurt it could represent a family and group of friends who accept his uniqueness. Although those are just a few examples, this photo holds a million more meanings.

Conclusion

This show proves that everyone has a place. it doesn’t matter who you are, what you look like, your sexual orientation, your abilities or disabilities because we all have our own struggles and insecurities. When we learn to embrace our differences and accept others for who they are, we can accomplish great things.  

Works Cited

BlockbusterUK. YouTube, YouTube, 1 May 2010. <www.youtube.com/watch?  v=sefQqCMusJI>

Glee Scenes. “Glee - Mercedes Tells Sam She Can't Date Him Because of His Race 5x15.” YouTube, YouTube, 6 Feb. 2017. <www.youtube.com/watch?v=89CsuxSHcHk.>

Jay, Gregory. “Terms for Multicultural Studies: Defining 'Race,' 'Ethnicity,' and    'Nationality.” UW-Milwaukee - Desire2Learn - Online Courses,            uwm.courses.wisconsin.edu/d2l/le/content/725011/viewContent/5314754/View

Jay, Gregory. “What Is Multiculturalism?” Handout, 7AD, 2011.    <www.academia.edu/443484/What_is_Multiculturalism.>

Mulligan, Georgia, and Thom Andrewes. “Every Glee Character Ranked from Worst to Best.” The Idiot Box, 22 June 2015. <theidiotboxx.wordpress.com/2015/06/21/everyglee-character-ranked-from-worst-to-best/.>

NayaMitchell. “Santana Comes out to Her Grandmother.” YouTube, YouTube, 29 Nov. 2011. <www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGASGDFUVEs.>

Sturken, Marita, and Lisa Cartwright. “Practices of Looking: Images, Power and Politics.” UW   Milwaukee - Desire2Learn - Online Courses, 2009.   uwm.courses.wisconsin.edu/d2l/le/content/725011/viewContent/5314758/View.