Final Piece Pitch (revised)

My final piece will be slightly different from what I previously pitched. I still maintain that America loves stereotypes, and that stereotypes sell because it’s what the networks want. However, I will argue that we may be coming to an age where stereotypes on television are being shattered, and television shows, like “Glee”, are shattering those illusions that stereotypes exist.

My primary source will still be “Glee,” the show about a high school glee club. “Glee” is saturated with stereotypes of every sort: the football player, the cheerleader, the physically disabled, the homosexual, etc. However, instead of using "Glee" as my example in favor of the argument that America loves stereotypes, it will instead argue the opposite.

I decided to take on a different critical edge because I changed how I feel about this television show. “Glee” indeed uses stereotypes and they make the show entertaining to watch, but I don’t believe that “Glee” is perpetuating those stereotypes. Look at the case of the pregnant cheerleader, or the nerdy girl played by Lea Michele. Michele is actually a beautiful actress with a beautiful voice, and she hasn’t been made to look the part of the stereotypical geek. Kurt, the gay member of the club, receives all sorts of criticism but he is strong-willed, confident, and knows someday he will be better than all those people who put him down. And the football player, Fin, is a jock who decides to pursue his passion for singing (does this remind you of anything? High School Musical perhaps...).

There are more examples from the show, and I will still use my previously listed examples in favor of the America loves stereotypes argument. I will talk about how “Glee” is the most recent example of this new development in popular culture, but stereotypes have already begun to shatter with other television shows, like “Ugly Betty”, so maybe “Glee” will change the way we look at stereotypes for good.