GLEE

1 : exultant high-spirited joy : merriment
also: the funniest show on television right now


Tuesday nights bring a bit of a dilemma - Lost or Glee? These two, very different shows are my favorites on television so, of course, they are also on at the same time. I normally watch Lost live (or close to live after getting the girls in bed at 8ish), then save Glee for Wednesdays. The absence of a new Lost episode this week wasn't too heart wrenching because it allowed me to watch Glee on a Tuesday night. In case you don't watch Glee or (heaven forbid!) don't like Glee, here's why I think it's a fabulous show:

The Music: Given that I love this show, it may surprise you to hear that I hate musicals. People breaking into song all over the place? I mean, seriously. I just can't bear it. I can suspend my disbelief for a sci-fi movie far more easily than sit through My Fair Lady, West Side Story or any other musical I've ever seen, with the exception of Grease. But Glee is different. I think it's partly because they somewhat alleviate my suspension of disbelief issue by making singing an actual part of the plot. It also helps Glee's case that the music is good music - I find myself singing along to at least one number on nearly every episode and buying the soundtrack has turned my girls on to classics like Don't Stop Believin'. (You should hear our family belt that song out as we drive along!) Still, this can only take you so far - Glee has dance numbers in a mattress store, at the dinner table, in the hallways or, last night, in a roller rink. But I even enjoy those numbers because of one key factor...

The Snarkiness: A few saccharine musical numbers are well-balanced by Glee's snarky take on high school life. This show takes jabs at teenage pregnancy, counselors with no real life experience but loads of their own issues, high school crushes (of both the hetero- and homo- sexual variety), parents who push their kids with no real emotional investment in their lives, and many other topics. But it does all of this with...

A Shred of Truth: What makes all of the laughable circumstances laugh worthy is the truths that are taken and magnified by the show. A pregnant cheerleader whose coach and mom turn a blind eye to her condition? Um, yes, happened at my own high school. A wife who thinks pretending to be pregnant will save her marriage? Doesn't make it into my own personal experience, but well within the realm of believability. These shreds of truth are made more apparent by...

Great Characters: Sue Sylvester is one of a kind. While there have been other characters on TV that I love to hate, Sue is in a class all her own. She blackmails her boss, pressures her cheerleading squad, sabotages her colleagues and is generally despicable. But she also has a special needs sister and picked Becky to be on the squad. Quinn is classic - the head of the chastity club who gets pregnant, as is Kurt - the gay guy with a crush on the quarterback. But each and every character on this show is more than a stereotype. They have hidden sides that peek through and keep you watching, keep you guessing. And it doesn't hurt my love for this show any that Puck is on it. (I'll admit to a small crush, just between you and me.)

So if you're looking for a bit more merriment in your life, I'd like to humbly and enthusiastically recommend Glee.