Sunday, May 8, 2011

Glee

I've only seen one episode but I get the premise - "Nerds are people too".
I don't sing (I was even kicked out of the children's choir at church as a kid), I don't dance (I got served by Geraldo and his crew back in the day and haven't danced since.) and I don't act (Well... not in movies or plays anyway.) so I can't relate to the show.

The thing that shows like Freaks and Geeks, The Big Bang Theory and Glee attempt to show is that there is more life outside of the popular circle than most people care to realize.
That everyone has his own life to live and that most problems and concerns are almost universal.
If Gossip Girl is a show about the way most people would like to be, Glee is a show about the way people actually are.

Even as adults, many people still strive to become a member of the 'in crowd'.
This is most easily seen on reality television shows.
The Real Housewives are all aspirational and acquisitive social climbers.
Even though most are financially better off than many others in their immediate surroundings, each group still has it's 'in group' and each has a group to which they still aspire.
"Status' seems to be the most desired of all social traits and many will do anything to gain it.

Clubland is even worse.
I'm not even sure if the patrons actually like me as much as they are concerned that I like them.
It's funny to listen to and watch established adults vying for preferential treatment.
Most people only care that they are given what others cannot have.
Most are concerned with getting attention where others are ignored.
Most are still living by the rules established back in high school.

But me, I'm not from here.
I don't know who it is that I'm supposed to be trying to impress.
I've heard that I have the right family pedigree but I've never been a part of that lifestyle.
I don't join groups because groups always end up emulating the oppressive group they displaced and they always end up oppressing others.

A widow described me to her group of friends as being "white people rich".
When I asked what that meant she told me that I give away more than most people have and that I am more concerned with helping others than I am with impressing them.
And this came from the Black widow of a well-to-do local lawyer.
"White people rich"?
Really?
Only white people are to the point (spiritually) where they can focus on what's really important instead of always trying to impress others?
Maybe in this town, which is why many Blacks here will always be the inferior group.

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