Thoughts on Glee

I'm a regular watcher of FOX's hit show Glee. But, I came to it the hard way. Let me explain. My fiancee loves the show. We watch it regularly together. I don't enjoy the show as much as she does. I give it credit for being original. And I generally enjoy the music that's performed. Beyond that, I wouldn't exactly describe myself as a fan. And, I do see why the show is popular.

But, I've been doing some thinking on the issue. The show does imitate life pretty well. Let me discuss a few examples:

1. We all wish our lives had a great soundtrack. To many (if not most) of us, music is important. Certain songs seem to really capture how we feel at certain times or about certain issues. It is not hard to imagine these songs playing, or like in the case of Glee to break out into actually singing these songs as we go through our lives.

2. People constantly lie to each other. This is reflected well in the show, as are modern attitudes about lying. Think about it! We go through life demanding honesty from various persons and entities, ranging from our spouses and partners to politicians and government to corporations. But we encounter and participate in so much lying every day, our hypocrisy is quickly exposed. Additionally, we live in a culture where lying is considered to be natural, but also a display of good manners. The characters are constantly lying to each other. Art imitating life indeed.

3. We all deal with Sue Sylvester... The character of coach Sue Sylvester is interesting, if not entirely original. Fellow English major may rake me over the coals for this comparison, but I've been fighting this battle since college. Sue Sylvester reminds me of Don John in Shakespeare's play Much Ado About Nothing. Both characters are bitter, scheming, and mean for no apparent reason. I have yet to figure out why she hates the glee club so much and constantly plots their destruction. But, daily we encounter this person at school, at work, even at church. They are mean for no reason, and on the surface at least, have absolutely no reason to act in such a way.

4....but outward appearances aren't everything. Despite her own narcissism and her seemingly unending rage at a extremely talented and unrealistic high school choir, there are other facets to Sue. She has a soft spot in her heart for the mentally challenged. She has a sister with Down's syndrome whom she sees regularly, as well as a cheerleader on the squad in the same condition. She is capable of love and care, even if no one else sees it.

There are other issues to be explored. These are just some thoughts and reactions to the show I wanted to explore.

Where does this fit into ministry? First, pastors, if the show is as popular as it's reported to be, there's a good chance that our parishioners are watching. It's good to be at least a little familiar. I also think that, like me, even if you don't end up liking the show, there's at least something in there to which you can relate. Even on the most basic level, you can always glean a fresh sermon illustration from it.

What about you? Are you a regular watcher of Glee? Are you a fan? What other issues can be explored that I overlooked?