so like everyone i know, i've gone and jumped on the glee bandwagon. a little late, maybe, but i've now caught myself up to present speed. and at first, i couldn't understand what everyone's, including my own, fascination with the show is. yes, it's quirky, and cute - but it sort of reminds me of old after school television (like the tv adaption of clueless), or it's a little bit reminiscent of ugly betty, which i guess was/is a popular show, but only appeals to a few. everywhere, everyone i know is talking about glee. my intelligent, snarky friends love it. my friends that i would expect to like it, like it. my mom loves it. multitudes of both male and female friends love it. my pastor loves it. i simply couldn't understand this phenomenon. it's a whisper away from high school musical, throw in a few adult references and zac efron may as well be the star. the storyline is mostly predictable, the characters are stereotypical and politically correct, and there aren't any big named stars - not even underground big named stars, as the show's fallback. so what is it?

i'm still not entirely sure. all i can reason is my own love for the show. it comes because i am cheesy. and easily entertained. and maybe, (mostly) it's because i can live vicariously through the girls on the show who have amazing skills - something i always dreamed of in high school. having a pretty voice, being the star of an actual, live show - that would have made my life in high school. so maybe that's it, maybe that's what it is for everyone. there's a little bit of something for everyone in that, being able to live vicariously through these high school kids, the things we weren't able to do in high school, or the things we did that just weren't cool. making things like band and chorus socially acceptable. making being in a wheelchair okay, getting pregnant in high school okay, having a developmentally disabled person become a cheerleader okay.

so with all things that i read too deeply into, i'm hopeful with a show like this. what if this influences kids in ways that we were never influenced in high school? to allow kids to break from their rigid social roles and realize that's not how it is in real life? could you imagine the amazing things that would ensue if children were pushed to follow their dreams, rather than the dreams of their parents or the dreams of what is socially acceptable? it would be unbelievable. it's okay to know yourself. to learn how to be comfortable in your own skin. to stand up for your beliefs, values, interests, for yourself - and not be ashamed of what others think. and i'm hoping that's the underlying message glee is trying to send. i'm hoping, even if it isn't, that's the message that gets sent anyway. because it's a good one.