Larissa Lance

College Writing II Essay II

Ms. Brenneman
March 16, 2015

Glee:TeachingTeensSafeSex

Gleehasalwaysbeenknowntobecontroversialbyanyonewhohaseverwatched
anepisode,butinawaythatbringsattentiontosubjectsinapositivewayratherthan
negative.Theshowattemptstoshowteensthateveryonegoesthroughthesame
problemsinhighschoolandthatyoucan,andwill,getthroughit.Fromteenpregnancy,
comingoutasgay,textinganddriving,andmuchmore,Gleeeducatesitsviewerson
currentissuesournationfaces.Themostcontroversialofall,wouldbewhentheGlee
producersdecidedtomakeanepisodeaboutnotonlyteensex,butalsohomosexualteen
sex.
ThisepisodebeginswithArtie,aphysicallyhandicappedmemberofgleeclub,
tellingRachelandFinn,themaleandfemaleleadsoftheclubwhoarealsoina
relationship,thatthembeingvirginsmightnegativelyimpacttheirduetfromWestSide
Story.FinntellsRachelthathisparentswillbeoutoftownthatnightsosheagreesto
comeover.Meanwhile,KurtandBlaine,twohomosexualmembersofthegleeclubwho
alsohappentobeinarelationship,begintodiscussgoingalltheway.Bothcouples
talktotheirfriendsandaskaboutwaystobesafewhilehavingsex.Aftermoreconflict
withinthetwocouplesandtwofailedattemptsattheirfirsttime,theepisodeendswith
bothcouplesinbedtogether,implyingthattheirfirsttimehavingsexisgoingtohappen
orhashappened.

Larissa Lance
College Writing II Essay II
Ms. Brenneman
March 16, 2015
Thethemeofthisepisodeisteensex.Theshowisattemptingtoarguethatteens
arehavingsexandthereisnothinganyonecandoaboutit,butaslongastheyaredoingit
safely,thereisntmuchmoresocietycanteachthem.Therealityofthematteristhat
moreandmoreteensarehavingsexandallwe,asasociety,candoaboutthatiseducate
teensonhowtobesafewhiledoingso.AccordingtoastudydonebytheGuttmacher
Institute,16%ofteenshavehadsexbyagefifteen,33%byagesixteen,48%byage
seventeen,61%byeighteen,and71%bynineteen.Ontopofthat,3%ofmalesand8%
offemaleswhowerebetweeneighteenandnineteenyearsoldreportedbeinghomosexual
orbisexual.Intermsofbeingsafeandusingcontraceptives,78%offemalesand85%of
malesreportedusingcontraceptivesthefirsttimetheyhadsex.(GuttmacherInstitute).
Gleeportraystheissueofteensexasonethatishappeningeverywherebetween
allkindsofcouplesbutforthemostpart,itishappeningsafely.Now,theykeptit
realisticintermsthatwhenFinnasksoneofhisteammatesforacondom,Pucksaysthat
heneverusesthem.BasedonthesamestudybytheGuttmacherInstitute,15%ofmales
and22%offemalesdonotusecontraceptives.
Thetargetaudiencesofthisshowareteensandyoungadults.Byreachingoutto
thesetwogroupsofpeople,Gleeisshowingyoungpeoplethattheyarewellawareteens
arehavingsex,andtheyarenottryingtostopthisfromhappening,butrathershowhow
itcanbedonesafely.Whenyouwereyoungerandsomeonetoldyounottodo
something,didntthatmakeyouwanttodoitmore?Thatistheoppositeapproachof
whatthisshowistellingteensandyoungadults.Theyaredefinitelynotencouraging

Larissa Lance
College Writing II Essay II
Ms. Brenneman
March 16, 2015
teensex,butratherencouragingtheuseofcontraceptivesduringteensex.Byaddressing
thisissue,Gleeistellingyoungpeoplethattheyknowitishappeningandthemostthey
candoistoteachtheiraudiencetherisksthatcomewiththispermanentdecision.
Gleeaddressesthisissuewaybackinthebeginningoftheshowwithanother
episodewhereQuinn,theheadcheerleaderandamemberofthegleeclub,findsoutshe
ispregnant.Forawhile,shetriestotelleveryoneitisFinnsbecausetheyweredatingat
thetime,butherstorydoesnotaddupbecauseFinnisavirginanditeventuallycomes
outthatthebabyisPucks;aresultofnotonlyherfirsttime,butherfirsttimewiththe
sameguywhosaysthatheneverusescondoms.Thisepisodebringstolightoneofthe
majorconsequencesofteensex:teenpregnancy.EveryyearinAmerica,about615,000
womenbetweentheagesoffifteenandnineteenbecomepregnantaccordingtothesame
studydonebytheGuttmacherInstitute.Althoughthisnumberisslowlydeclining,the
UnitedStatescontinuestohaveoneofthehighestteenpregnancyratesintheworld.
Thewayofapproachingthisissueisthebestwaythatitcanbeaddressed.As
statedbefore,whentoldnottodosomething,doesntthatmakeyouwanttodoitmore?
Byshowingteensandyoungadultsthesafewayofhavingsexasteens,theyarenot
condoningteensex,butratherencouragingthemeansofavoidinganypermanent
consequencessuchaspregnancyand/orsexuallytransmitteddiseases.
Themediahasaverystrongimpactonwhatwe,associety,choosetodoinour
ownlives.Byshowingteenshavingsafesex,thehopeisthatwhenandifteenschoose
tohavesex,theywillrememberthisepisodeandmakesmarterdecisionsonusing

Larissa Lance
College Writing II Essay II
Ms. Brenneman
March 16, 2015
contraceptives.Whenwewatchtelevisionormovies,orevenreadbooksandmagazines,
wearesubconsciouslybeinginfluencedtoactacertainway.Whatmediacandoto
encouragepositiveinfluencesinourlivesistodothesamethingthatGlee,andmany
othershowsaredoing,whichistoaddressissuesrealisticallyandencouragerealistic
solutionstotheseissues.
Lookingattheflipsideofthings,noteveryoneseesGleeasbeinghelpfulin
relayingimportantmessagestoteensandyoungadults.AnarticlebyAlyssaRosenberg
onthinkprogress.comstatesGleeasbeingimmoral,exploitive,andmanipulative.
Rosenberggoesontosaythatpeoplesreallifestrugglesandpainareexploitedand
dramatizedjustsotheshowcanmakeapoint.Sheseestheshowasbeingpoorlywritten
andpoorlycommunicated.Rosenbergalsopointsoutthatissuesarepresentedandthen
forgottenaboutinlaterepisodeswhetherornottheissueswereresolvedornot.Shesees
thehandlingoftheserealissuesasunrealisticapproachestoteachingteensandyoung
peoplehowtoovercomethestrugglestheyfaceduringtheseyears.(Rosenberg).
WhilenoteveryoneagreeswithGleeandthemessagestheshowportrays,many
peoplehavethesamebeliefthattheshowisattemptingtoaddresstheseissues
realistically.JacksonBarnett,fromtheHuffingtonPost,wroteanarticlein2013onwhy
hebelievesGleeisashowtowatchandlove.HisfirstreasoningisthatGleeisso
unrealistically,realistic.Rachelsdreamschooldoesnotactuallyexist,thecheerleaders,
knownastheCheerios,competewithmusicalnumbersandexoticperformancesrather
thanthetypicaldanceandjumpcompetitionsthatcheerleadergroupsfaceinreality.He

Larissa Lance
College Writing II Essay II
Ms. Brenneman
March 16, 2015
goesontostatethatothershows,suchasGossipGirl,provideyoungpeoplewith
unrealisticexpectationswhereasGleeisnotashowtorelatetointhissense.Another
pointhemakesisthattheshowteachesacceptance.HepointsoutthatGleeapproaches
acceptancebyshowingthepeoplewhoneedtodotheacceptingratherthanthepeople
whowanttobeaccepted.Forexample,Kurtisgayandheisproudandcomfortablewith
whoheis,butaftercomingouttohisdad,Gleeshowsthathisdadistheonewhohasto
cometotermswiththefactsandaccepthissonforwhoheis.ThelastlineofBarnetts
articleiswhatimpactedmethemost;hesays,Gleehastaughtmetoseethebestin
peopleandunderstandthatafalldoesntdefinethem.(Barnett).
ThisarticlealoneisaperfectexampleofthepositiveimpactGleecanhaveon
theirtargetaudienceofteensandyoungadults.Writtenbyayoungadult,thisarticle
showsonlyoneoutofthousandsofteensandyoungadultsimpactedbythemessagesthis
showsendstoitsviewers.WhilenoteveryonemayagreewithGlee,thereisnodenying
howmuchithaspositivelyimpactedpeoplewhohaveevertunedintoseewhatitisall
about.
ThelastpointofthearticlefromtheHuffingtonPostistheonethatmostdirectly
relatestothepointofthisessay:acceptance.Americansocietyneedstoacceptthatteen
sexishappeningandoverall,wehave.Thenextstep,andthestepthatiscurrentlybeing
takenthroughmultipleoutlets,istoteachthesafetyandresponsibilitythatcomeswith
thedecisiontohavesexasateenager.Byteachingteensandyoungadultsaboutthe
variousconsequencesandthecontraceptivesthatcanhelptoavoidtheseconsequences,

Larissa Lance
College Writing II Essay II
Ms. Brenneman
March 16, 2015
societycanattempttodecreasetheoddsagainstteensexandpossiblyevensteerteens
awayfromitbyseeingwhatcanhappenaftermakingthisdecision.

WordCount:1,523

WorksCited

"AmericanTeens'SexualandReproductiveHealth."AmericanTeens'Sexualand
ReproductiveHealth.GuttmacherInstitute,May2014.Web.11Mar.2015.
Barnett,Jackson."WhyGleeIstheBestShowforTeenagers."TheHuffingtonPost.
TheHuffingtonPost.com,17Nov.2013.Web.9Mar.2015.
TheFirstTime.Glee.Fox,WFXTCenturyCity,8November2011.Television.
Rosenberg,Alyssa."GleeIsanImmoralTelevisionShowandItsTimetoStop
WatchingIt."ThinkProgressRSS.N.p.,02May2012.Web.15Mar.2015.