Mechanic Media

Glee is an extremely popular television show that is currently airing its second season on Fox. You could consider Glee to be my favorite scripted show/drama at the current time. My mom even loves the show, and that’s saying a lot. We try to never miss an episode, and if we do, we just watch it online to catch up for the next week. I have always been aware of the diversity of the cast between both men and women. However, I never knew how different the show could be just because of the women in the cast.

In the main cast of Glee, there are seven women. Opposite the seven women, there are five main male characters. The youngest actor, Chris Colfer (who plays Kurt), is 19. The oldest actor, Jane Lynch (who plays Sue), is 49. While we know that it is rare to see a majority of women in the cast, it is also so rare to see different characters portraying diversity in a good way.

Mercedes, played by Amber Riley, is an overweight character and the previously mentioned Sue, played by Jane Lynch, is over 40. While Mercedes fits in with the stereotype of a comic relief sometimes, she also goes through the typical self esteem issues sometimes. However, her character usually has very high self esteem and refers to herself as beautiful, also being told by other characters. Sue is one of the most original characters I have ever seen on television, not fitting into hardly any roles for women. She is single, has a large personality, and is also very dominating. Even though she is a tough woman, she is also shown to have a sensitive side.

Glee is also a different show in that there is no single leading role. The biggest roles go to Rachel, played by Lea Michele, and Will, played by Matthew Morrison. In a typical Glee episode, there are other characters that are featured, but Rachel and Will are featured the most.

There is also a diversity of clothing and behavior displayed by the women of Glee. There are cheerleaders who wear their uniforms, women in athletic clothing, sweater vests, wearing all black, and curve hugging clothes. Each character has a distinct wardrobe based on their personalities and they are all different, ranging from modest to slightly racy. Depending on the character, the women of Glee are either annoying, icy, strong, beautiful, loners, popular, or many other types. There is a strong sense of diversity based on the character. Some fit into gender roles, while others shatter them. There are a few women who are minorities (specifically Asian, African-American, and Hispanic). None of the female characters are homosexual, but one of the male characters is.

I believe that Glee is targeted for all age groups and all genders. There are story lines that are appealing to just women, and others that are appealing to just men. The show deals with issues for teenagers and issues for adults as well. I believe that there is so much diversity in this show and so much positive light shed on women in Glee, that it is a definite portrayal of women. It sheds light on the fact that women come in all shapes and sizes, dress differently, look differently, and act differently. But it is always stressed that women are human and are beautiful no matter who they are. There needs to be more television shows like this, so the next generation can learn to love themselves for who they are.