The Gleek Club

A few weeks ago, my brother’s high school music teacher and glee club instructor left the school. I casually asked if his Spanish teacher was going to step in and take the club in a new direction. His blank stare told me that he did not get my reference at all.

My mother and father didn’t get it either. It frustrates me that no one in my family has paid any attention to my constant endorsements of one of the best shows on television these days.

Glee is a musical comedy series about a Spanish teacher who takes over his high school’s glee club hoping to restore the group’s former glory. His efforts are helped (or at times, hindered) by the club’s misfit members, a stingy high school principal, and an overly competitive cheerleading coach.

Think High School Musical — only nastier and much more amusing.

The show is so amusing and so addicting that fans who affectionately call themselves Gleeks, went into a panic when the program was not shown for a few weeks in order to make primetime space for the baseball World Series in the United States.

Some concerned fanatics who had no idea what was happening stateside flocked to social networking sites asking whether the show was cancelled. Other fans (my friends included) watched marathons of the previous seven episodes to tide themselves over until the show’s return this week.

So, what makes Gleeks just so fanatic?

The first and shallowest reason is that there are beautiful and handsome people onscreen almost all throughout the show. Mark Salling, Cory Monteith, Matthew Morrison — oh, was I mentioning only guys?

Well, for the dudes out there, there’s Dianna Argon, Lea Michele, Jayma Mays, and the entire cheerleading team. What’s not to love about that?

Second, these gorgeous people are dancing and singing — and not the cover-your-ears type of belting either! These artists are really talented. Besides, who wouldn’t want to see football players dancing Single Ladies?

Third, there is such an odd mix of characters, it is impossible not to find someone you can relate to. From the jocks and cheerleaders at the top of the social pyramid, to the geeks and wannabes at the bottom, they can all be found in the glee club.

Keeping these kids in line are a germ-fearing guidance councilor, a macho PE teacher and football coach, and of course, a well-meaning Spanish teacher who has problems of his own to deal with.

All of the characters on the show are a bit exaggerated, but that makes them easier to love or hate. And, although their personalities are a bit out of this world, the challenges that the characters must face in each episode of the show are very close to home.

Glee tackles issues that teenagers and adults face every day — things like chasing ambitions, compromise, homosexuality, friendship, marriage, love, sex, pregnancy and learning.

Hot and heavy topics are presented without the yelling matches, door-slamming, and hair-pulling that are the norm with TV dramas. However, even with the lighter treatment of complex emotions and problems, the impact of the lessons imparted is by no means lessened.

There hasn’t been a series so witty, or with such great comedic timing in a long time. Canned laughter isn’t needed — folks will laugh (or at the very least, marvel) at the lightning-quick jokes even without cues.

But don’t expect a lot of green one-liners to come your way. A few innuendos may slip in here and there, but fortunately (or unfortunately for big fans of True Blood and other similar series), the show is kept mostly PG. No nudity is shown, and though sexual matters are discussed, nothing is graphic or obscene.

Basically, no one is saying anything that grandma would be shocked to hear, which should make parents and other concerned grownups happy.

Glee is a wonderfully enjoyable show to watch. It’s so quaint, and perhaps that’s why it’s the answer to couch potatoes’ prayers for a show that doesn’t follow the Gossip Girl format, but still deals with hormonal teenagers and equally wacky adults.

But, of course, no mention of Glee would be complete without a few words about the music from the show.

With covers of songs spanning a cornucopia of genres, including Broadway, hip-hop, and even the golden oldies, the show’s soundtrack will undoubtedly be one of the best music collections to come out this year.

The first volume of Glee’s music was released on Nov. 3, but iTunes has already been making a pretty penny off digital downloads on the Internet of some of the program’s earlier musical pieces long before November.

 I know of many young people (myself included) and more than a few young-at-heart people who can’t wait to get their hands on this CD.

Some covers are better than others, but one thing is for sure — being featured on the show has helped revive interest in bands such as Journey and Queen, and Broadway musicals like Wicked.

After Kristin Chenoweth’s guesting on Glee, rumors over future guest appearances are already floating around in cyberspace. Adam Lambert from American Idol and Madonna are only some of the names supposedly set to appear on the show.

There are more than enough reasons to watch Glee. And to take a quote from the show, “By its very definition, glee is about opening yourself up to joy.”

Truly, Glee is a show that is sure to put smiles on faces for a long, long time.