If you ask anyone who has known me since fifth grade, they'll either tell you about how I was obsessed with the Jonas Brothers and or "Glee." Today is not the day for the Jonas Brothers obsession story.
Today I want to talk about "Glee."
It was an American musical comedy-drama television series that aired on FOX in the United States from May 19, 2009, to March 20, 2015. (Cue my sobs, I still can't believe it's over.) I have lots of television shows that I love but when I am asked my most favorite, "Glee" always come to my mind.
At the time of its premiere, it was considered groundbreaking as it was one of the first "musical" TV shows, not to mention it touched on subjects that many Americans were still afraid to talk about, the main one being sexual orientation.
The show followed the New Directions, a high school glee club from Lima, Ohio, who compete in the competition circuit. "Glee" tackled many issues during its six season run and covered too many songs to count (550, if you cared to know). During its prime on cable TV (seasons 1-4), it won awards and broke records.
"Glee" means a lot to me because it's the first show that I really connected with, cried with, and wasn't on the Disney Channel. It also opened me up to a world of music I had not yet discovered. Here are just 10 of the countless reasons "Glee" will always be my answer when I am asked what my favorite TV show is.
1. The music
From Barbra Streisand to Journey, "Glee" covered just about every make, model, and genre of music. My iPod exclusively had covers from "Glee," the original versions of those songs, and lots of show tunes too. Before I watched, I had no idea about half of the artists that I love so much right now. Not to mention, "Glee" introduced me to musicals like "Wicked" and "Rent," both of which are still my favorites that I know every word to. Music has a way of bringing people together and "Glee" did, too.
2. Sue Sylvester
Jane Lynch was incredible as Sue Sylvester and no one can tell me otherwise. Sure, "Glee" fans everywhere openly despised Sue because she did everything she could to thwart the New Directions success. But on the opposite side of that, Sue eventually worked her way into our hearts with her dark humor, one-liners, general meanness, and occasional soft side.
3. Slushies to the face
If there's anything William McKinley High School was famous for, it was a slushie to the face... (Only if you were a New Directions member, that is.) The football team members were always throwing slushies on the "losers" of WMHS. And trust me, slushies hurt. I voluntarily experienced that once.
4. The time that this happened
Because on what other TV show would the football team do this as an actual play in a real game? (They did win that though, shoutout to Kurt Hummel for this and that win.)
5. The Christmas episodes!!
"Glee" Christmas episodes were the best! When Christmas rolls around, I seem to exclusively listen to the Christmas albums that were released and I always try to make time to rewatch the episodes because they never fail to get me in the Christmas mood! Also, they covered all of my favorite songs for the holiday season throughout the seasons, so bonus points.
6. Diva-Offs
Diva-offs basically consisted of someone getting upset that Rachel was getting all of the attention, so they decided to challenge her. While this isn't the iconic first diva-off between Kurt and Rachel in season one, my favorite is the season two battle between Rachel and Mercedes where they sang Take Me Or Leave Me from Broadway's "Rent." It's the perfect song for a diva-off, and their voices work together and against each other perfectly for this duet.
7. The Dalton Academy Warblers
This gif is such low quality, but the Warblers were the most high-quality edition to the "Glee" cast throughout the years. (Especially Blaine!)
8. The way "Glee" tackled social issues
When "Glee" came to our TV screens, gay marriage had not yet been legalized and was still often derogatory and a hidden thing. I feel like "Glee" opened its viewers and others up to things that they did not know much about, such as having a different sexual orientation than straight. Also throughout its seasons, "Glee" tackled many other issues and opened the minds of people everywhere.
9. The friendships
"Glee" had one of a kind friendships with all of the characters. At some points, they fought and argued. In the end, though, they all loved each other, got along, and warmed our hearts on Tuesday evenings.
10. The overall message
"Being a part of something special does not make you special, something is special because you are a part of it."
"Glee" taught us all that being different is okay and that everyone is important no matter what. Even with all of the other drama and things going on within the plot, the message of inclusivity, happiness, and love for others always shone through.
After all, "by its very definition, 'glee' is about opening yourself up to joy."
