Amusement and Glee
The Fox Broadcasting series Glee is hit, and as one who makes a living keeping a finger on the pulse of pop culture, I'm familiar with the show. For those less so, it features a remarkably talented cast of young performers who are all triple threats: they can act, sing, and dance. The show's story lines always incorporate impressive production numbers, renderings of Broadway show tunes, classic Billboard hits, and current chart-topping Pop. On the face of it, the show is entertaining as the fictional high school glee club members— who are all high school archetypes—navigate the rapids of an Ohio high school, replete with social cliques, fleeting love-sick pairings, and petty power struggles. It's also preachy. For example, one of the characters, Curt, is openly gay, as is the show's creator. Story lines repeatedly return to Curt's struggle to assert his identity, find acceptance, and ultimately love. In resolving the dramatic conflict, episodes usually present an et...