By Satvika Ananth
Staff Writer

I am not much of a television-watcher. I enjoy a few shows now and then, mostly of the criminal investigation variety, and I absolutely love a good “whodunit” movie.

But lately, I have found myself drawn to the new show “Glee,” week after week. It’s almost like an addiction – I know the show is generally a superficial song-and-dance medley, but within all the chaos of the show, I have found meanings deeper and more personal than one would expect.

Two weeks ago, I waited with bated breath for the show to begin, hoping the episode wouldn’t have any of the explosive factors of the second show of the season – the innuendo-filled “Push It” truly did push the limits of family-friendly television.

The show didn’t disappoint – between laughing so hard at Kurt’s football skills and gasping with shock at Quinn’s revelation to Finn, I realized “Glee” pushes the limits in a way most TV shows don’t even dare.

The show, categorized as a unique enterprise already because of its unusual topic (show choir) has managed to force viewers to deal with issues they would otherwise push to the side, or save for soap opera shows like “The Secret Life of the American Teenager.” While “Secret Life” makes clear the subject matter of teen pregnancies, “Glee” sneaks a teen pregnancy into the plot of the show without any warning.

And that’s not all the writers have snuck in. Besides Quinn’s pregnancy, the show also deals with a fake pregnancy, a loveless marriage, homosexuals, unrequited love, being a washed-out high school dropout, infidelity, alcohol addiction and drug abuse.

Just to name a few.

And then there is the cheerleading coach, Sue Sylvester. She is undoubtedly the epitome of bad parenting and teaching techniques. Her behind-the-back maneuvering and loudmouth proclamations make her the height of humor in each episode.

But besides being absolutely hilarious, her life lessons, which hinder more than they help, are supportive of all the inefficient, self-interested authority figures students and parents have to deal with daily. Her self-motivated intentions are the polar opposites of the eager aspirations of “Glee’s” younger characters.

In the pilot episode, the audience is introduced to a group of people who really want something. These are kids with goals, ambitions, and dreams. People like us. What we aren’t introduced to is their internal struggles, which we later discover throughout the season. As I watched the show, I realized I’m not that different from the students on screen.

Granted, I would never be able to walk onto a stage in front of my entire school at a pep rally and bust some moves to get across a point. I wouldn’t even do that in my own room. But the gumption that is required, I can see in every single student at Coppell High School who takes part in any activity, be it football or show choir.

Does this make kids at CHS as likely to fall into the bad situations the “Glee” kids get themselves into? In all honesty, there is nothing unique about the students in “Glee” making them any different than us. We should take then a message from the show about unintended consequences.

Because that’s what “Glee” is really about. A successful all-rounder like Quinn didn’t ever intend to become a baby mama and have to deal with the possibility of dropping out of high school. Rachel Berry never wanted to get involved with abusing over-the-counter drugs.

I find myself cheering for these television-manufactured characters more than I expected. Perhaps it’s because I know that this could happen to anyone, and quite frankly, I’m glad it’s being addressed.