Why is Glee so mean? On paper, Glee sounds like just the kind of show I would be going out of my way to praise.  After all, a show about a group of outcast kids who gain self esteem by coming together and excelling on their high school glee club could have — and should have — been downright inspirational. But, as we’ve seen time and time again, it’s all in the execution.

I’ve tried to watch the show but its underlying nasty tone has kept me from sticking with it through an entire episode.  But what makes Glee so insufferable is its hypocritical pretense of being about tolerance when, in fact, it’s about stigmatizing and ridiculing those with whom creator/producer Ryan Murphy apparently disagrees.

A real show about tolerance would stress kindness and growing understanding between people of differing perspectives. The humor would be more gentle and the laughs more universal and less degrading. It wouldn’t condone (much less practice) nastiness toward anyone.

But nastiness, division and ugly stereotyping is exactly what the show trades in. Hence, Exhibit A, Exhibit B and Exhibit C.  I could no doubt go on for the entire alphabet and then some but these are three readily accessible examples from a show with a decided mean streak.

The irony is that if the show were kinder and gentler toward those Murphy views as intolerant (and apparently deserving of fierce ridicule), he actually might soften their hearts toward those he sees them as being intolerant of.  As it is, his approach is totally counterproductive toward any sort of actual bridge building.

Of course, Ryan Murphy is a man with an unfortunate history of producing, frankly, terrible television. Witness this scene of unbelievable misogyny that aired on Nip/Tuck, his previous FX Network series. I warn you, the clip is truly disgusting and I only link to it as an example of the literal depravity this guy has spewed into the culture.  That this could even get on the air is an example of what’s wrong with modern-era television.

Back to Glee though, there’s one other thing I find striking about it — namely, it’s lack of joy. What should be a feel-good show about people coming together to support, help and love each other instead leaves a bitter taste. Admittedly, I’ve not watched an entire episode — but the reason I haven’t isn’t because I didn’t want to. Indeed, I really wanted to like this show and was more than open to it.  It’s just that it’s nasty tone is too much to take for an entire hour. Time is too precious.

So come on, Ryan. You’re a talented guy and you probably really are for tolerance. So, use your talent to produce a truly tolerant show. You’ll feel better for it.

Encourage one another and build each other up – 1 Thessalonians 5:11