THN’s Guilty Pleasures: Glee (TV Series)

What’s camper than ABBA’s worldwide hit single ‘Dancing Queen’? The GLEE version. That’s right folks, my first guilty pleasure admission is that I enjoy watching GLEE (it sounds like such a dirty secret, and in a way I guess it is). Now before you close your browser window, start laughing or furiously type out abuse, hear me out.

I should state that I am only applying this admission to the first and second seasons of the triumphant American TV show (see how I’m already trying to justify my choice…) as Sky bought up the third season and I couldn’t deal with having to scour the Internet to try and find a catch-up version.
I vaguely remember seeing GLEE being advertised on E4, shortly after it started making waves over in the US. The fast editing, the snappy, sarcastic humour, the ‘makes the hair stand up on your arms’ voices – it had everything you’d want from a stage/screen musical. But what made it even more exciting was that it was going to be on every single week. That meant that the girls in my classes had something else to talk about than each other. It meant that I had something else is common with my gay best friend (other than boys). It meant that every Monday evening, from 9 until 10, I had the TV to myself for an entire hour. My parents enjoyed bringing up the fact that GLEE didn’t really fit my image. I like rock music, going to gigs and indie films – so where does GLEE fit in? Well, inside of me there is a theatre diva waiting to jump out. I shall explain…
When I was around 10, I featured as Audrey in a rather grown-up stage play version of LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS. This role meant I had to act, sing and dance in front of an audience of around 400 people (excluding six year groups of kids and staff members). Apparently, 10 year-old me was fearless. I haven’t set foot on a stage since. I suppose that’s where GLEE came in. The show tunes, the sassy attitudes and the musical-like feel of the show filled Diva Jaz with such happiness that she had to download the soundtrack to the programme (the shame) and buy the first half of season one on DVD. And although MANY people slate the show, I think there are some genuinely good reasons as to why it should be given a chance.

Before I started watching, I had never heard of Journey or their single “Don’t Stop Believin’”. Now (not only do I have it on my iPod) but the original version is being played on radio stations up and down the country, at least once a day. According to iTunes, when the song was released in 1981 it didn’t even touch the UK Top 40. Once being used on GLEE, it made it to number 9 and has been named the best-selling catalogue track in the entire history of iTunes. Consequently, the name of that early 80s rock group is now ingrained into everyone’s memories, and the use of that single song has widened the listening habits of thousands of pre-teens. Also before watching, I wouldn’t have been able to pick Jane Lynch out of a crowd, but now recognise that she’s starred in CRIMINAL MINDS, ROLE MODELS and THE 40 YEAR-OLD VIRGIN (thanks to GLEE, she won a Golden Globe award in 2010).The programme has also helped launch the careers of some brilliant up-and-coming actors and actresses, including Dianna Agron and Chris Colfer.

But amongst the many other solid reasons why GLEE is a guilty pleasure, I think the most personal is that is has helped me discover a love of lip-syncing to soft-rock classics at parties.

To see our other guilty pleasures, click here