Attempted Humor Gone Awry: Did 'Glee' Go Too Far?

by Miriam Krule, NPR

Miriam Krule is an editorial projects research fellow at National Journal.

When Chris Colfer of Glee won a Golden Globe this year for his role as the gay teen Kurt Hummel, he made sure to acknowledge his fans during his acceptance speech. He ended by talking about "the amazing kids" who watch Glee, the kids the show "celebrates." These are the kids "who are constantly told 'no' by the people in their environments, by bullies at school that they can't be who they are or have what they want because of who they are."

Colfer was emphasizing what Glee does well. It advertises itself as a show for "Gleeks" and in doing so glorifies the misfits by finding a home for them. While this is done in a serious tone some weeks (Colfer's character is bullied and switches schools), other weeks it has a lighter air (a character in a wheelchair wants to play football). Not all of the scenes are centered on Colfer's character, and other issues arise, such as teen pregnancy and physical disabilities. But, while the show is great at addressing some of these plots, it often straddles the line on others. If Glee has nearly crossed the line a few times with its attempts at humor, during Tuesday night's episode, it definitely went too far.

In the opening scene of the episode, Emma (Jayma Mays) comes to tell Will (Matthew Morrison) that there's an emergency — Sue (Jane Lynch) has written in her diary "goodbye cruel world" and that she plans to commit "Sue-icide" (she is depressed because of a plot from the previous week's episode). Will and Emma rush to her home, ferociously push open the door and find her lying on her bed surrounded by what appear to be empty pill bottles. But it's all a joke. Sue hops up and everything is OK (her CIA training helps her stop her pulse). In fact, this is all part of an elaborate ruse she created to join Glee Club and sabotage it from within.

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