Gleek Out!

If you haven’t heard of FOX’s hit series Glee yet, then you’ve been living under a rock. Glee first aired in May of 2009 and became an instant hit with viewers of all ages. The series takes place at the fictional William McKinley High School in Lima, Ohio where a group of students ranging from geeks to cheerleaders and football players come together to form the High School Glee Club called “New Directions”. The series has done so well that it won the 2010 Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series—Musical or Comedy and received three additional nominations for Best Actress (Lea Michele), Best Actor (Matthew Morrison), and Best Supporting Actress (Jane Lynch). It has also earned itself a group of loyal followers that proudly call themselves “Gleeks”. For all things Glee related Gleeks can indulge with the blog Gleeks United.

So why is Glee such a big hit with such a wide variety of viewers including young, old, male, and female alike? Maybe it’s because deep down each and every one of us wants to break out in song when dealing with our daily struggles or because we can all relate to at least one of the overly generalized yet surprisingly complex characters. Yes, Glee has managed to take the typical High School stereotypes that unfortunately actually exist in real life and shed an honest light on the truth behind façade that each character puts on. This is not only refreshing but inspiring, as is the “in your face with a musical twist” way each episode handles the real to life situations that both teens and grownups face. From teenage pregnancy and a son’s “coming out of the closet”, to a couple’s infertility and infidelity, the cast dances and sings its way through each episode causing the viewers to sing (and possibly dance) along while seriously considering the message and how it relates to their own life.

While Glee is awesome as a way to self-entertain in the evening, it also offers up a wonderful parenting opportunity for those of you with teens. Each episode is full of laughs (and what better way to bond with your teen than through laughter) and also gives parents and opportunity to open conversations about the serious topics that their children are facing both personally and out in the real world. Finally, for many of us, it also gives us a chance to share something we rarely have in common with the younger generation: music. That’s right! Glee has managed to make the music from our generation seem cool to our kids! Now if that’s not a reason to Gleek out, then I don’t know what is. New episodes of Glee air April 13th on FOX.