I got really into this show in high school when it first came out. I remember it being cheesy back then, but I genuinely felt inspired by the music and the (totally unrealistic) prospect of a high school glee club having unlimited access to an auditorium, a band and pianist on retainer, and all matching outfits for every number. Now that I have gained some emotional maturity and I work in schools, I can see how INSANE Glee is.
Almost every single character in this show exhibits horrible emotional regulation, frequently erupting into tirades of yelling or physical destruction from very small issues (like Mercedes throwing a brick through Kurt's window after he says he isn't interested. Woah). The school staff in this show cross boundaries that would get you fired in two seconds, while creating double standards for days (for example, a high school counselor tells a teacher she wants to do "the nasty" with him, like, in the middle of the hallway surrounded by kids. Yikes).
On top of the dysfunction of each character, the plot accelerates like crazy, with relationships forming and crashing to pieces in minutes. Pretty much everyone is deceptive and manipulative in their interactions, and infidelity is constant with pretty much no remorse.
Adding on to the absolute chaos that is the story line, the most cringe things about this show is the way that social issues are handled. The show frequently uses slurs and other stereotypes against a disabled character, Jewish characters,character, etc., with generally no justice given to the character who is targeted by hateful actions or words. Characters shame and manipulate each other constantly, with no respect for boundaries (such as Santana shaming Finn for being a virgin, everyone pressuring Kurt to pray/open up to religion, Sue body shaming basically everyone in one way or another, and more). In my opinion, literature, movies, shows, etc. can successfully send messages about social justice if there are consequences that the characters experience from the hate, but in Glee it's just normalized and accepted, and awkwardly tries to be part of the comedic relief. The message which (I think) was to help the "outcast" kids feel seen absolutely did not stick.
ALL THIS TO SAY - Glee is very entertaining to watch if you can accept how insane it is and just enjoy the ride. Many of the musical numbers are fun to watch, especially in how theatrically they are performed. The "musical" style of show was executed well and is fun to watch. Many of the songs did not land well as covers, but it's entertaining to watch anyway. Getting sucked into a high school fantasy world can be fun for 45 minutes.
TL;DR - Glee is a dumpster fire of hormones, manipulative and shallow characters, and rapid-fire plot that often makes no sense. If you're offended by slurs, this show isn't for you. That said, the show has many aspects that make it visually fun and entertaining, if you can take the whole thing with a grain of salt and realize how awful the writing is.
Almost every single character in this show exhibits horrible emotional regulation, frequently erupting into tirades of yelling or physical destruction from very small issues (like Mercedes throwing a brick through Kurt's window after he says he isn't interested. Woah). The school staff in this show cross boundaries that would get you fired in two seconds, while creating double standards for days (for example, a high school counselor tells a teacher she wants to do "the nasty" with him, like, in the middle of the hallway surrounded by kids. Yikes).
On top of the dysfunction of each character, the plot accelerates like crazy, with relationships forming and crashing to pieces in minutes. Pretty much everyone is deceptive and manipulative in their interactions, and infidelity is constant with pretty much no remorse.
Adding on to the absolute chaos that is the story line, the most cringe things about this show is the way that social issues are handled. The show frequently uses slurs and other stereotypes against a disabled character, Jewish characters,character, etc., with generally no justice given to the character who is targeted by hateful actions or words. Characters shame and manipulate each other constantly, with no respect for boundaries (such as Santana shaming Finn for being a virgin, everyone pressuring Kurt to pray/open up to religion, Sue body shaming basically everyone in one way or another, and more). In my opinion, literature, movies, shows, etc. can successfully send messages about social justice if there are consequences that the characters experience from the hate, but in Glee it's just normalized and accepted, and awkwardly tries to be part of the comedic relief. The message which (I think) was to help the "outcast" kids feel seen absolutely did not stick.
ALL THIS TO SAY - Glee is very entertaining to watch if you can accept how insane it is and just enjoy the ride. Many of the musical numbers are fun to watch, especially in how theatrically they are performed. The "musical" style of show was executed well and is fun to watch. Many of the songs did not land well as covers, but it's entertaining to watch anyway. Getting sucked into a high school fantasy world can be fun for 45 minutes.
TL;DR - Glee is a dumpster fire of hormones, manipulative and shallow characters, and rapid-fire plot that often makes no sense. If you're offended by slurs, this show isn't for you. That said, the show has many aspects that make it visually fun and entertaining, if you can take the whole thing with a grain of salt and realize how awful the writing is.