Are You a "GLEEk"?

Fox has premiered one of TV's most out-of-the-box crossover hits (for a TV series, that is) in its new show "Glee". Die hard fans (who call themselves "Gleeks") watch the show, catch them again online and download the choir-performed songs to their iPods. It's "Fame" for this generation, but instead of being based in a Julliard-esque school of performing arts it is based in a high school glee club (choir) who sing while performing choreographed moves (trust me - it is not dancing).

I was really excited about "Glee" and even programmed my DVR to make sure I would not miss an episode. The pilot episode was everything it promised to be and, despite some awkward moments, I was hooked (my wife moreso than me). The singing (while obviously staged - especially the musicians), quarkiness, characters, and flow were great. I was well on my way to being a "Gleek". Then came the second, third and fourth episodes and we watched the wheels fall off this wagon entirely. I have serious problems with "Glee" and no longer watch it because of how absolutely uncomfortable it makes me. Here are some of the key issues I have with the show:

• It is a melting pot of culturally hot topics. Teen sex (major part of the story), pedophilia (somehow they've made that a joke), homosexuality, cheesy abstinence "promises", Christianity, inappropriate relationships (male students sleeping with and being groped by older, sexy women), a looming affair (it is almost a certainty that the main character, the glee club teacher, is going to leave his wife for a colleague) and more.
  

• It seems the primary purpose of the show is to promote one worldview: "follow your heart" (which should have the subtitle: "regardless of the consequences"). Instead of encouraging virtue it takes the obvious fact that the world is broken and no one is perfect and embraces it, encouraging people to accept it and enjoy it. Instead of encouraging students to guard their heart they use teens as the vehicle for promoting reckless living.

• The absolute mockery that is Christianity in the show. Christianity is represented in the show via the (as usual in Hollywood) snotty, pretentious, wealthy, beauty queen Head Cheerleader. To top it off she is head of the abstinence club that teaches the girls (this over-the-top-not-so-subtle joke is unfortunately very true of most girls and guys) to flaunt it, tease it, but don't give it up. This teasing, however, has now led to the Christian cheerleader sleeping with one of the glee members and ending up pregnant. See my take on TV and Christianity here.

• The sexuality promoted is anything but subtle. In many of the musical numbers sex is the primary motive of the song choices and the choreography. Here is a small sample:

1. Male teachers and two male students form a singing group (funny name: "AcaFella" instead of Acapella) and perform the sexually-loaded song "Poison" for all the PTA moms
2. The students of the glee club sing the HIGHLY sexual song "Push It" by Salt-n-Peppa in front of the entire student body. They grind on each other, grope each other, they gyrate, and the student audience salivates. To see this clip (not recommended), click here: "Push It" from Glee.
3. Cheerleaders wash cars in cheer skirts and bikini tops while accompanying one of the glee club members as she sings about breaking windows in someone's car
4. Glee members sing Carrie Underwood's song "Last Name" (about a night of drinking and loose living with a guy whom she doesn't even know his last name) as the female adult in the performance occasionally grabs the male students' butts (I thought that was illegal?) and teases them.

Glee gets away with all of this (and is now beloved by audiences and critics alike) because they intentionally play it over the top (such as the former glee teacher who is fired in the pilot for inappropriate relationship with a male student later stalking Josh Groban on Facebook) and wrap it in the no boundaries genre of comedy. This way they can say "we're not really embracing that stuff, we are mocking it and showing the absurdity of it."

I am not laughing though. How can I? They take everything I am working diligently to protect my children from (and myself, for that matter) and embrace it. They mock the very faith I call vital and have very little regard for the welfare of teens - those who face this broken world daily and don't have life scripted for them. A life where all decisions have consequences (good and bad) and real people are emotionally fragile.

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"Please - Humiliate Me, Insult My Wife and Mock My Faith!"

It is said that life is too short and that we ought to learn to laugh a little - to include laughing at ourselves a bit, so as not to take life too seriously. However, is there a line in the sand, so-to-speak? A point where instead of laughing at our own shortcomings, we become the proverbial "butt of the joke" and the target for public mockery?

This is the reality of shows like South Park, The Family Guy, American Dad, The Simpsons and The Cleveland Show (Fall 2009). Instead of using shows to make insightful observations about culture and life in general, they are vehicles for absolute mockery. They respect nothing and all subjects are open for "laughs" (to include abortion, though Fox wisely opted against airing The Family Guy abortion episode).

Over the last couple weeks I've been discussing worldview in film (peppered with a little TV) with my teenagers in church and last week The Family Guy (just nominated for an Emmy) was brought up several times with a couple students doing their best impression of the characters from the show. I asked them who had seen at least one episode and all students raised their hands. I then asked how many watched it regularly and about half the hands stayed up. One student quickly said "I know I probably shouldn't like it because they make fun of God, like when He hits on girls and stuff, but I can't help it. It's so funny!"

So then I asked how they would like it if some random stranger broke in to their home and trashed the things they value the most. They all responded as one would expect - they wouldn't like it. Then I said - how is what you are doing when you watch that show any different?

Every night you willingly open your door to a stranger to come in to your life and mock, belittle and ultimately trash everything you supposedly value the most: family (no, the "Family" Guy is not a show about promoting family), real friendships, and above all, God! If someone were to literally bash your life publicly on a stage in front of a crowded stadium of people there is no way you'd stay for them keep doing it - you'd walk out. So why do we keep doing it in this instance?

PARENTS: Again, I am not a fan of censorship; however, it is our job to help our teens see exactly what these educators (television, film, music, and the arts: the #1 philosophy teachers of our day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) are telling your kids (and us as adults) to believe. Yes, there is value in some self-directed laughter (and even some things in religion that are laughable), but when our families, marriages, and our faith become a public mockery - we should not be part of the laughing audience.

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