Glee

While watching the first episode of Glee I associated parts of the movie with a few of our discussions from class. I understood the theme the directors are trying to hit. This show is based on high school children and popularity. It is also based on Passion. It gives a representation of the self-identity process teens go through. Also, it depicts the stereotypes that are formed and that in high school it is allot easier to be like the rest then to be yourself. I did notice that the show did make all the football players white males. What grabbed my attention and what I liked was the cheer leading squad had males on it! YEY...However, the main "popular" cheerleaders were of course your same old blonde light skinned girls. I liked how there was lots of humour used. I didn't like however how the faculty and students picked on the boy in the wheel chair allot. I feel like if students watch a TV show where the Principle is making a comment about how "you are not going to succeed with a handicap in the group", this gives students false impressions of how a principle should act, and also how they should be role models in how to treat other children. I think I would like to watch the next episode but if its on TV cuz I'm not gonna pay for it. I would really like to see this group of teens prove themselves by winning nationals. There was nothing I didn't understand while watching the show.

Glee went along with the assumption that youth is a culturally constructed category. Even in my high school years there were the same clicks there are now. That was only 6 years ago. Clicks now are pretty much the same but regardless they can change over time and as society (and within high school) this will change what these teenagers accept as cool and therefore change the way they act. I don't know where Glee is heading but at the end there were the cheerleaders and jock staring them down when they saw what a wonderful job they had done performing. They could become jealous but they could also all of a sudden feel like this is the next cool thing to do. These brave teens took a stand and could change the way the clicks look at theatre production, maybe in a more positive light. I can relate to this because I was friends with everyone in college and ran track. I brought my "hippie" friend who only believed a workout consister of typing on the computer and other friends who did not show interest. Because I thought it was cool I had introduced it to others it changed the way they looked at it. Some came to cheer, while others joined. I think in order to change a cultural construct it takes a leader and time. Eventually, this becomes the newest culturally constructed category everyone wants to par take in. Who ever started the pants past the bum phase? I know most of us found it unattractive yet it was the coolest style for a short period of time. Why? Because there was a majority of teenagers who went through that phase. If we werent dressing like that then we looked right past it because it eventually became a norm to us. Our parent's on the other hand who had a different style going on during their teens, could not believe when they saw this new in cool style of gigangtic baggy pants that come down past the bumm.

This article can relate to coming of the Age with the Internet by Sally J McMillan and Margaret Morrison. The reason why the girl in this video felt like she was nothing was because of what other girls think of her. She tried using the Internet to put herself out there for others to see her talent. She was then ridiculed by the other students who made her feel like poo about herself. Media Matters. I say this because it was stated by the girl who was a great singer that she was trying to be famous because that's what everyone strives to do , is become famous. If she really knew thhat there are plenty of unhappy famous people out there she may just have second thoughts.But the media leaves what goes on behing closed doors out, so in the light (AKA Media Portrayal) all famous people are happy. Also, I found many relations to Rabys reading on "Girls Negotiating Adolescence". The main characters who join the group Glee seem to all be taking a risk. Most of whom have never cared about others opinions. However the quarterback of the football team has a rep to uphold, but he still gives it a try and when he has the chance to back down, doesn't. I liked when they said they wanted to find something that they were good at. He is willing to make a change to "find himself".

This video I found has relevance to this show with underlying meaning. there has been lots of talk recently about "pregnancy pacts." I find this relevant because teens these days (as in Glee) try to "fit in" to be cool. There could be other reasons why teens get pregnant but when there are "pacts" as in this case, up to 17 girls in one yr around the age of 16, there is definitely a social problem that exists. I feel bad some girls have gone this far to fit in. Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse.