This week, I have chosen Glee. It’s difficult to explain my love for Glee, but if you get it, you get it, and if you don’t, you don’t. Glee is objectively hilarious because it is just so ridiculous. Combined with both appreciating and making fun of theater kids, Glee has never failed to make me laugh.

Glee follows a group of theater and performing arts kids at a high school in Ohio, as they struggle in the social scene and attempt to make the glee club “cool.” They are led by their teacher Mr. Schue, who in my opinion should definitely have his teaching license taken away for all the weird stuff he made these high schoolers do. He first blackmails the quarterback of the football team into joining the Glee Club by planting marijuana on him after he heard him singing in the locker room showers. That just doesn’t sound great. 

While Mr. Schue is weird and somewhat problematic, another character takes the cake for out of pocket behavior. Yet, she is my and other viewers of Glee’s absolute favorite. Sue Sylvester, played by Jane Lynch, is the coach of the cheer team and at first, the arch nemesis of the Glee Club. Throughout the show, Sue stands as the funniest character from her hatred of the Glee Club and everyone except herself. There is genuinely an episode where Sue marries herself, because she doesn’t believe she needs anyone else. She is constantly calling the kids by the wrong names, or her own special nicknames, because she doesn’t care to learn them. She also hosts her own segment of the local news, called “How Sue C’s it” where she once stated “All I want is just one day a year where I’m not visually assaulted by uglies and fatties. Seriously, Ohio, these retinas need a day off.”

Throughout Glee, they performed hundreds and hundreds of songs, usually covers of existing music. I’m sure the majority of people in our generation have heard a Glee cover at one point in their lives. While I know people have many differing opinions on Glee, me and my friends absolutely love a good Glee cover. We’ll listen to a random playlist on shuffle, and there is a good chance of a Glee song playing. We all watched Glee around the same time in middle school/high school, and all share a love for how hilarious and stupid this show is, and its fire soundtracks. However, we are self aware of how weird some people think that is.

While Glee was extremely ridiculous, it was also a show that promoted diversity and acceptance at its core. Characters in the show struggled with body image issues, OCD, accepting their sexual orientation, loss of family and friends, and bullying. While some plot lines were bizarre, this show has good messages throughout. Glee shows that their is a community and a place for everyone, and you will be accepted by those who truly care for you. Glee will always have a place as one of my favorite shows growing up, even though they swung a kid in a wheelchair from a jungle vine during a performance of Roar by Katy Perry (not even the most bizarre thing they did.)