“We’re dealing with children. They need to be terrified. It’s like mother’s milk to them. Their bones won’t grow properly.” – Sue Sylvester
Terror is an emotion common to many Lawrence students. Whether it’s writing that first freshman studies paper or preparing that final honors defense, we feel terror in our everyday academic lives. Take heart, since according to “Glee” character Sue Sylvester, you may be working towards an osteoporosis-free life.
However, if you feel as though calcium is enough to make your bones grow, have no fear; “Glee,” which airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on FOX, is a beacon of hope in these times of terror.
Even if you were never in show choir and you avoided every high-school-related activity like it was the swine flu, “Glee” will connect to some aspect of your life. “Glee” offers advice about building confidence and dealing with germophobia, about the correct way to go about starting an aboveground-pool cleaning business to attract cougars and about how to solicit members for clubs in need of participants.
Cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester, played by Jane Lynch, is the show’s biggest draw: Every word out of her mouth is a precious pearl that has clearly come from a grain of sand long been gestated by an oyster – worth the wait. She, much like Tyra Banks, is all about confidence-building. She is brave enough to publicly take a pro-littering stance – she will not rest until every inch of Ohio is covered in trash – and to announce that caning should be brought back into public schools – “Yes we cane!”
But her greatest and most inspiring speech ends with the following gem: “There’s not much of a difference between a stadium full of cheering fans and an angry crowd screaming abuse at you. They’re both just making a lot of noise. How you take it is up to you. Convince yourself they’re cheering for you. You do that, and someday, they will be.”
Other aspects of the show offer a great delight as well. There is Kurt, the flamboyantly gay Glee Club member who recently joined the football team as its kicker. He knows the entire “Single Ladies” dance – although, at this point, who doesn’t? – and teaches it to his teammates.
Rachel Berry is the sometimes-annoying Glee Club diva, but in a heartfelt moment, she reaches out to head cheerleader and head-Rachel-tormenter Quinn Fabray.
Finn Hudson is the bumbling jock new to the world of song and dance, and he is often a little slow on the uptake, but he means well. Indeed, on “Glee,” the high school students are more worthwhile than the adults.
“Glee” attempts to find the blend between dark comedy, musical theater and dramatic moments. Sometimes it is unsuccessful, but even at its lowest moments, it’s still better than a lot of shows on television right now. I recommend taking a peek at it, if only for Jane Lynch’s hilarious deadpan delivery of some of the most hysterical lines in the history of primetime television.
TV is the answer
