'Glee' 'Raised the Bar' For TV Inclusiveness With Gay Kiss

By John Mitchell Posted Mar 16th 2011 10:50PM

On last night's 'Glee,' the New Directions won regionals after hitting the stage with a pair of original songs -- a first for the series -- but that isn't what anyone is talking about this morning. After months of hints and winks, fans of FOX's hit musical finally got what they've been waiting for: The characters of Kurt (Chris Colfer) and Blaine (Darren Criss) kissed for the first time. And it wasn't a peck. It also wasn't overtly sexual or desperate, it wasn't rushed or clouded with turmoil, and it certainly wasn't played for laughs, the way many kisses between men are on TV. It was perfect.

"It's hard to overstate the significance of the kiss between Kurt and Blaine on 'Glee' last night," Michael Jensen, editor of Logo's AfterElton.com tells PopEater. "Even better, it wasn't the sort of kiss we saw back in the 1990s where the guys pecked each other on the lips -- or worse, the camera cutaway -- but this was a real kiss that hinted there is much more to come in this relationship. If we still needed proof how far gay characters have come on network TV, 'Glee' just gave it to us."

"'Glee' has raised the bar of what it means to be inclusive on TV, and viewers are tuning in by the millions, sending a clear message to networks that Americans not only accept gay and lesbian characters, but they are beginning to expect them," GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios tells PopEater. "It's stories like Kurt and Blaine's that continue to remind gay youth everywhere that there's nothing wrong with being who you are."

The characters portrayed by Colfer and Criss, who is nominated for Logo's annual NewNowNext Awards 2011, which honors what is up-and-coming in popular culture, in the Brink of Fame: Actor category, are arguably the highest-profile gay characters on television right now, and, as the LGBT community continues to recover from the wave of bullying-related suicides late last year, it is especially important that Kurt and Blaine represent a pair of openly gay teenagers comfortable with who they are and seemingly on the verge of a real romantic relationship grounded in mutual respect.

"The two most recent episodes have represented queer youth and coming of age in a way I've never seen on broadcast television before, let alone one of the most popular shows in the country, with a mostly young audience," AfterElton's Christie Keith wrote in her recap of 'Original Song.' Keith is also referring to last week's 'Sexy,' in which Santana (played by Naya Rivera) confessed her love for Heather Morris' character, Brittany. Also on last week's episode, Kurt's father Burt (Mike O'Malley) sat his son down for a straightforward discussion about sex, providing him pamphlets and telling him, "This is gonna suck for both of us, but we're going to get through it together, and we will both be better men because of it. ... Kurt, when you're ready, I want you to be able to do everything, but when you're ready I want you to use it as a way to connect to another person, don't throw yourself around like you don't matter."

Since its debut, 'Glee' has been lauded for its inclusiveness, with characters representing myriad ethnicities, religions and sexual orientations. Last year, GLAAD honored 'Glee' with the GLAAD Media Award in the Outstanding Comedy Series, and the show is again a nominee this year. Colfer is set to attend this year's GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles on April 10.

For how often the show delights in being over-the-top, these recent storylines have been grounded in a way that can only benefit 'Glee's' millions of young LGBT viewers, who rarely get to see themselves represented as fully formed, multi-dimensional characters and not stereotypes on prime-time network television. The show has been dealing with the issues they deal with daily directly and with great care, and it's heartening to know that in FOX's 'Glee,' a generation of young gay teens has been given something no generation of LGBT persons has had before them -- a group of peers to relate to.

Watch 'Original Song' here (kissing scene begins at 17:30):

Tags: chris colfer, glaad, Glee, logo

Comments

(164)

Wednesday 16 March

By Polar Patrol

Highest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

You're the one who is poor and pathetic. You likely a bitter, angry little man (or woman) who has decided to air their anger issues over the internet because you're deeply dissatisfied with your own sad existence. Quit concerning yourself with the lives of others and work on yourself.

By the way, plenty of heterosexuals practice sodomy. And, some homosexuals don't.

By Barry S.

Lowest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

Glee on Fox. Just like O'Reilly, Hannity & Beck. If you watch Fox this is the type of stuff you see. Fox is just another far left organization.

By Patty

I was appauled!!! Why is this okay? The world is going to Hell in a handbasket! If you liked that trash, ask yourself "Why"! And if you did like it, you're a lost soul!

By R

I'd rather be a "lost soul" than someone like you, a person who pretends to be "moral" but spews lies and prejudice.

I'm not gay myself, but I have plenty of friends who are, and I love them equally as much as I love my heterosexual friends. People are people, and you should start paying everyone with the same respect.

Friday 18 March

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You were "appauled"? What did Paul think about that?

By Dmoongo

Forget the kiss. Now, about the original songs . . . pay the royalties, dudes.

By Tex-Mex

Yawn...Next...

By Enough Already

We get it! Gay relationships on TV are the new "in" thing. Like every other topic or life style that is not always readily accepted, it must then be a topic that is over done, over dramatized and shown on every venue to prove a point. No one cares what kind of relationship you are in! But being in a hetrosexual relationship is also not a disease!

Thank You, Thank You. I totally agree with you.

By disgusting

fcukin gay b*st*rds. Glee can go fcuk themselves.

Thursday 17 March

By ronoct12

You know that they do. They want us to watch!

Even barn yard animals know better than that.

By Lola

I don't watch the show but saw the scene. Chris Colfer is an amazing actor - he shows incredible emotion. However, gay or straight, I just do not like watching mushy kissing scenes for anyone. Kudos for "Glee" for allowing the characters to show their true emotions!

By BIGOLDHORSE

I think that is lowering the bar. For all of the people that hate Fox, remember Glee is on Fox and Fox is owned by Rupert Murdock, Bad Bad Rupert!

By simpsonsimpmike

Just what this country needs a pair of high school homos sucking face on national TV. What a country!

By dtycom

This is suppose to be a family friendly show for all ages. Pushing acceptance down everyone's throat is not OK for a adult topic. Glee has great music and a good story line, but this is an adult topic and young children don't need to be exposed to this type of adult (sic) behavior. Sexually is a personal and mostly private issue. What's next? Bedroom or locker room.

This was in the producers mind the whole time. Slowly and then with accelerated speed push the gay agenda. I've never watched the show as it has this scurilous tone from the beginning.

By ocrose

Pushing acceptance? When has accepting people's differences ever been a bad thing? Intolerance is so unappealing. Sad to live in a country still so filled with hatred and bigotry.

By Mark

God is fiction. Love is real. Stop thumping your bibles and realize that gay is here is stay. I am straight and I support homosexuality. Conservative points of veiw will be extinct soon, very soon.

By Dale

Bravo!!! Glee is great!

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