Happy Days

I am sure that many people experienced the glory that was the latest Glee episode, "Duets." The show is so surprising because it can be offtrack (no more theme episodes, please) and then all of the sudden turn up a slam dunk like the past two episodes, "Grilled Cheezus" and "Duets." What makes them so inspiring and endearingly watchable is that Glee has become an important television show in terms of its message that it is okay to sing your heart out and praise who you are (read: follow your passions). Most people watch television and relate to what happens on the screen, so why not have a show to which kids and individuals struggling with their identity can relate?

As Entertainment Weekly's Tim Stack said, Kurt is the most important character on television right now because people can see him struggling against the prejudice and overcoming the bigotry and ignorance the sadly exists in our culture. Bullying is a huge topic in our national debate right now and rightly so. As a fellow victim of bullying, I know what it's like to feel completely wrong and worthless due to peer taunting. So I applaud the writers of Glee for taking on the topic of bullying and showing the triumphant resilience of Kurt (and to a lesser extent, the other characters in New Directions).

The good news is that darker times lead to light and when in the light, one appreciates it all the more for the knowledge of the dark. I must admit to tearing up with the last duet of the recent episode - the cover of Barbra Streisand and Judy Garland's rendition of Get Happy/Happy Days Are Here Again. I could not find the Glee version to post, but I did locate the original, which is pretty darn good. If you are struggling, happy days are around the corner, my friends. Take heart.