Glee: Those promoting abstinence are prudes, whackos, or hypocrites …

By: American Decency Staff

With all the publicity surrounding MTV's "Skins" and its explicit portrayal of teenage sex and drugs, the innocuously-titled “Gleeâ€Â on FOX could easily be considered the far greater threat to the teens and preteens that make up the show’s target audience. While the content of “Skinsâ€Â is far more shocking, the danger with “Gleeâ€Â is found within its huge popularity with young viewers and the subtle and sometimes not so subtle indoctrinating themes of the show. An article in the Yale Herald, not a publication, one would think, known for its conservative viewpoints, stated about Glee:  “This show does more for establishing stereotypes and ingraining them into our culture than perhaps any other show of our time. Instead of breaking down social norms, it does the exact opposite effect of that and quite possibly has gone about establishing new social stereotypes …â€Â And that is exactly the concern with Glee.  With its massive following among young viewers, Glee is in the business of instilling values and forming stereotypes –just not the ones you may want your children to learn. While FOX pushes hard for the advancement of homosexuality and lesbianism in Glee, one of the network's most popular shows, they apparently have a vendetta against high school students who choose to wait to have sex.   The message throughout this latest episode of Glee, entitled “Sexy,â€Â ridicules the notion that any teen could or should wait to have sex.  Not only does that message foster physical and emotional damage, it is flatly wrong.  Actually, a recent report by the Centers for Disease Control stated that more teens and young adults nationwide are practicing abstinence.  However, on Glee, virginity is a dirty word. The “Sexyâ€Â episode of Glee opens with the calling to order of the high school's "celibacy club," which consists of three members: a married teacher (who, has not had sex with her new husband because she’s, as she states, “terrified of the hose monsterâ€Â); the ex-girlfriend of the character known best for sleeping around; and a girl who became pregnant last year and is now having sex with her current boyfriend Finn. Later on, several other students join – a couple that was planning on making a sex tape until they realized that they could be prosecuted for child pornography and two girls – one of which decides in the process of the episode that she's a lesbian, and the girl she's in love with who is bisexual. Indoctrinating Message #1:  Those promoting abstinence are prudes, whackos, or hypocrites. Of course, waiting to have sex until marriage is barely even mentioned.  And the only time when celibacy is mention in good terms is when the teacher who leads the glee club tells the teacher who leads the celibacy club he'll help her make "celibacy a viable option for these kids," which is almost a step in the right direction until the guest star, Gwyneth Paltrow, who plays the substitute Health and Wellness teacher pipes up and says, "I don't know… Sounds pretty lame." She goes on to patronizingly say chastity is a "valid option," but just unrealistic, stating: "It's like saying vegetarianism is an option for lions."  In essence, the message is that teens are incapable of exhibiting any self-control or making a moral choice to abstain. She suggests that the teachers "have to educate these kids!" The prudishly-portrayed celibate teacher replies, "I strongly disagree. I don't think that we should barrage these kids with graphic information. They're kids. I don't want to steal their innocence. " To which Gwyneth Paltrow's character, the “coolâ€Â teacher, replies, "Are you some kind of crazy Pope lady?" Indoctrinating Message # 2:  Only “religious freaksâ€Â would hold such a “ridiculous notionâ€Â that innocence is worth protecting and sex is meant for the boundaries of marriage. Another main story line of this episode, which I mentioned before, is the two girls who have boyfriends, but fool around together as well. By the end of the episode, one decides she's a lesbian and in love with the other girl.  The other girl tells her she loves her too, and if she ever broke up with her boyfriend, her friend would be next on the list to date. And while this lifestyle choice is depicted positively, the Health teacher tells a female student who is choosing abstinence, “I admire you – although I think you’re naïve and possibly frigid…â€Â Indoctrinating Message # 3:  LGBT (lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender) are normal and acceptable choices – but abstinence before marriage isn’t.  Or, to put it more bluntly, perversion is good; purity is bad. Other lowlights of the episode are when Gwyneth Paltrow's character and the glee club members sing a version of Joan Jett's song "Do You Want to Touch Me" with a HIGHLY sexualized dance; a gay student’s dad gives him "the talk" about how not to get his emotions hurt when he has sex with other guys; and the celibacy club sings the song "Afternoon Delight" thinking it's about a dessert, which seals their image as “idiots.â€Â And then there is the condom and cucumber “safe sexâ€Â object lesson in class.  Later Paltrow’s character states:  “There were some parent complaints.  Apparently, my cucumber demonstration made it impossible to watch Veggie Tales the same way ever again.  I personally thought it made watching that show hilarious!â€Â (Indoctrination Message:  See # 1 and #2) The most ironic portion of the episode occurred when the teacher who leads the glee club asked the health and wellness teacher on a date.  She replies that he shouldn't date her because she's "damaged goods" because she's never had a relationship that’s lasted for more than 36 hours. If only that were the moral of the story, but instead, it's quickly skimmed over and we see how much she's "helped" the students who have discovered themselves sexually as she spends the episode basically telling them that anything goes as long as they're "informed." While Glee makes a point of ignoring the physical and emotional consequences of promiscuity, it instead becomes a catalyst to one of the worst social (and spiritual) problems of our day.   Mike Huckabee was targeted last week for mentioning an unwed pregnant actress when he spoke of the problem of the many single mothers in our nation. He made the point that, while Natalie Portman can take care of herself, women who don't make movies for a living have to rely on the government to meet their needs. This is at tremendous cost to the taxpayer, plus it subsidizes irresponsible sex. The solution that Glee puts forward is the all-powerful condom.  However, as acclaimed abstinence speaker Pam Stenzel will tell you, condoms do NOT always prevent sexually transmitted diseases or pregnancy – (and they certainly offer no emotional protection). Therefore, FOX is also responsible for the STDs and other consequences of teens who took Glee at its word and assumed they were protected when they used a condom. Glee has no problem attacking traditional morality while championing perversion like homosexuality and promiscuity. Yet, of the millions of people watching network television Tuesday night, the largest block of them was watching Glee. Glee had 12 million viewers just in the 18-49 age demographic.  I would guess that that includes quite a few people who would identify themselves as Christians. And what about the preteen/teen audience?  The Yale Herald article referenced above also states: “The main demographic for Glee is tween girls. A tween is anyone of the first wave of conscious consumers, anywhere from preteen to young teenagers. This group subconsciously absorbs the show and applies it to their own understanding of morality. While not a psychologist, I believe that this group is particularly vulnerable and susceptible to social pressures.â€Â And Glee creator Ryan Murphy certainly gets that.  He is blatantly targeting children with his propaganda.  Last year when the band Kings of Leon refused to allow Ryan Murphy use one of their songs on Glee, Murphy ranted:  “F— you, Kings of Leon. They’re self-centered a——-s, and they missed the big picture. They missed that a seven-year-old kid can see someone close to their age singing a Kings of Leon song, which will maybe make them want to join a glee club or pick up a musical instrument.â€Â Actually, those 7 year olds are more apt to pick up the immorality of Glee.  And each week as 7 to 77 year olds tune in, these viewers are absorbing those harmful messages of Glee.  And those viewers if Glee who also claim the name of Christ should ask themselves how Philippians 4:8 or Ephesians 5:11 would apply to their choice of entertainment. Take Action!  Below are two action steps we urge you to take: 1) Order a resource for your teens or the young people at your local church or school which gives them the Truth and the consequences regarding sexuality.  Order Pam Stenzel’s powerful DVD “Sex Has a Price Tagâ€Â today! – (faith-based and public school versions available) Place your order at:  https://secure4.afo.net/ada/store2/ Contact the advertisers who empower the false and harmful messages of Glee by clicking on the link below: https://americandecency.org/take_action_form.php?msg_id=90 ================================= Your support is important to our ability to make a difference. Donate online at: https://secure4.afo.net/ada/donate.php American Decency Association is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. American Decency Association Bill Johnson, President P.O. Box 202 Fremont, MI 49412 ph: 231-924-4050 www.americandecency.org http://www.twitter.com/billwjohnson

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