Brookline Hub

It’s time for me to break down and tell the world.

I like the TV show Glee.

Why do I like it? I think I was just born this way but could never admit it to myself.

The show does everything I don’t. I don’t dance in public. I don’t sing, even when alone. I don’t wear makeup. I don’t spend more than 1 minute deciding what to wear each day. I don’t listen to music that isn’t Rock ’N Roll. I don’t watch shows with commercials, unless of course it’s Sons of Anarchy or Mad Men. I don’t watch shows that macho guys don’t admit to watching.

I mean, I really like Glee.

My first musical love was the J. Geils Band. I “borrowed” their first vinyl record from my best friend’s sister and couldn’t give it back because I wore out the grooves. (Some of you may have to Google “vinyl record”.)  I loved all the blues-based rock bands with a heavy beat. I was young, full of energy and myself and I loved anything that spiked my testosterone. Now, I feel lucky that I still have testosterone.

What I’ve always hated the most is “pop” music. If the person who plays the song didn’t write the song, I want no part of it. That’s what I tell everyone. I also love to hate anything that’s really popular because I’m a snob.

But, I really love Glee.

I know 30-year old actors play the high school kids and that the production quality of the performances stretches believability to the point that the show is almost surreal. I also know that the show represents a vanilla version of reality; I’m not an idiot. I also know that teens aren’t fools either, they know it’s not real. It’s network TV. But I still love it.

You aren’t allowed to state what you think is good for young people anymore if you don’t have a PhD, but I like the situations represented. My memories of high school were the jocks, the freaks and the nerds. You bullied or you were bullied. There were no other choices. The one thing you were not allowed to be under any circumstance was different.

I like that Glee shows straight, gay and “not ready” yet kids. It shows teenage pregnancies, the effects of bullying, athletes performing with the music kids, teachers in their glory, physically challenged kids being accepted, a female boy's football coach and the importance of dreaming big. I like that it’s ok on the show for everyone to be different and that what you look like doesn’t sum up everything there is to know about you.

Mostly I love the singing and dancing and the big production numbers! I’m done with sneaking DVR viewings in the middle of the night and pretending that the show is beneath my coolness in public. I’m into it and I don’t care who knows it. Now that it’s out in the open I have to also admit that I also have always secretly liked “The Sound of Music”, “West Side Story” and Fleetwood Mac.

My friend Jeff Katz, BHS men's varsity soccer coach and X-Factor addict, actually convinced me to watch X-Factor instead of Thursday Night Football.  I fear an intervention will soon be in order.


by R. Harvey Bravman