One has to wonder what would inspire a sharp-minded, highly cultured Northwestern student to devote the precious minutes between 7 and 8 P.M. one night a week to a glorified, drawn-out High School Musical (with thematic elements that may be unsuitable for children under 13). Historically, I have been someone who is unwilling to let my intelligence be insulted by falling for overly dramatized depictions of reality. However, for Fox’s new hit musical series, I make an exception. It seems that the genius of the show is in its ability to be mentally stimulating under a mask of frivolity. I present to you my top three reasons for jumping on the bandwagon that took off Tuesday night with Glee’s Season 2 premiere:
1. Full House’s hair obsessed, stud-otherwise known as Uncle Jesse-may be able to prove that his rock star character on the show wasn’t just smoke and lights. John Stamos will appear in season two as the mysophobic school counselor’s dentist. Granted this role doesn’t seem as glamorous as that of an Elvis-loving, uneducated, married parent living with his brother-in-law. However, Glee frequently portrays social outcasts as the key to unlocking the hearts of viewers, and I expect this approach will prove no less successful for Stamos. I say we give him a chance, and when your little sister’s friends are talking about how much they want to marry “Dr. Carl Howell,” you can snatch up the opportunity to bestow upon them some cultural wisdom on how much hotter the man was 20 years ago.
2. Speaking of cultural wisdom, this show offers you additional opportunities to have the upper hand amongst those who will call Selena Gomez a classic music artist. Though Glee’s cast does a rather impressive vocal recreation of the intro to “Don’t Stop Believin’,” none should forget that the song is more than just the product of a Journey to success at show choir competitions. The show has featured the music of Madonna, The Beatles, The Eagles, Niel Diamond, and several others, which only a sophisticated listener would be able to truly appreciate.
3. Beyond pop culture, the show also provides some insightful social commentary. In a country that is still trying to work through the implications of a racial, cultural, moral, and religious melting pot, it seems that those in the public eye are being forced to walk on eggshells for fear of offending just about anyone. Glee’s approach to tackling this touchy subject: discriminate against all. From blacks and Jews to people in wheelchairs, the show exaggerates the intolerance and ignorance that just about any minority group could use to play the victim card. As far as I’m concerned, this may be the closest I’ve seen to eliminating social prejudice, because if we’re all outcasts then none of us are. (Ironically, High School Musical said basically the same thing: “We’re all in this together,” but the cheese-factor was a bit high, and frankly who would resist a free pass to laugh at a racist joke?).
If these reasons didn’t quite strike a chord with you, there is certainly nothing wrong with flocking to the TV lounges with all the freshmen girls and taking the show at face value. “Glee” is light-hearted and entertaining–the perfect chance to take off your cultured, knowledgeable, Northwestern hat and relax.
Emily Alvarado is a Medill sophomore. She can be reached at [email protected].
