My Reaction To Last Week's "Very Special Bi-Phobic" Episode Of 'Glee'

First of all, I apologize for posting this a little late.  I know that Glee came on Tuesday night, and it's now the following Monday.  I haven't been feeling well all week, and unfortunately, the Tumblr page has suffered.  That being said, moving on.....

When I read the rumor on After Elton that a "bisexual encounter" was going to be featured on an upcoming episode with a male character on 'Glee', I couldn't have been happier.  To think of the possibilities!  "Just imagine what the show could do for the bisexual community", I thought.  

After all, think about how much it has done for gay teens in the last year or so.  'Glee' has brought issues like anti-gay bullying to the forefront.  Gay teens have someone to look up to.  They have a role model.  His name is Kurt Hummel.  He's going through the same issues they are in school.  He feels alone.  He feels misunderstood, and, to make it worse, there's a guy on the football team that won't stop harassing him.

And now, with the second season, Kurt has a role model in Blaine Anderson.  He's doesn't show any signs of insecurity.  He's charismatic, cute, and charming as all hell.  And, as another role model to gay youth on television, is very secure in his sexual orientation.

So, I'm reading this article, and I'm thinking, "Who's it going to be?  Is it going to be Finn?  He's really lightened up in the last few episodes about his homophobia.  Maybe it's Sam.  You know, the rumor was going around at the beginning of the season that he was going to play a gay character.  When he first showed up on the show, the other characters thought he was gay.....so?  Or...best scenario.  You know Karofsky?  The football player that was bullying Kurt earlier this season?  What if he is bisexual?  Wouldn't that be great if he ended up coming out?" (OK...It's a little obvious that I follow the show closely.)

So, about a week later, another article came out on After Elton, stating that the "bisexual encounter" in question would be happening to none other than...Blaine.  FUCK!  I immediately knew that there was no way at all for this to end positively for the bisexual community.  It was much worse than I could have ever thought.

OK. Let's explain the scenario:  Rachel is having a party.  Everyone gets drunk, except Finn and Kurt.  They play "Spin the Bottle".  Rachel spins.  Bottle lands on Blaine.  They kiss.  Kiss becomes extended kiss.  Hint of some type of "spark".

The next day, Rachel works up the courage to call Blaine up and ask him out.  Blaine receives the call while having coffee with Kurt at a coffee shop.  The following conversation ensues:

Whoa..Whoa..WHOA!!  EXCUSE ME?!?!  "It felt good because you were drunk"?  "Bisexual is a term that gay guys in high school use when they wanna hold hands with girls and feel like a normal person for a change"?  My disgust was beyond words.


I must say, that although somewhat weak, it was nice to see some defense from the "accused" bisexual.  Unfortunately, this was the only discussion on the matter from Blaine until the end of the episode.  Kurt and Rachel make, for the lack of a better term, a bet, as to whether Blaine is gay or bi.


At the end of the episode, Rachel sneaks up on Blaine, and kisses him.  His reaction is along the lines of "Yep...I'm Gay."


So, by the end of the episode, the show that has supposedly been monumental in being influential and supportive to the young LGBT community, has taught us what?  It's taught us that 1. Bisexuals are "confused".  2. Bisexuality is a passing phase, and finally,  3. Bisexuality is encouraged, or brought on by alcohol.  And, to make things a hundred times worse, the name of the episode is "Blame It On The Alcohol".


The gay blogs had a fucking field day with this on Wednesday morning.  Of the three that I personally read that had a post regarding the episode, a total of 3 comments between them mentioned bi-phobia.  More than a third of the comments were upset at the way Kurt snapped at his dad after his dad found Blaine in Kurt's bed.  About another third were upset with how gays were portrayed as being "two drinks away from making out with a girl".  "But," as one commenter said, "that's how gay teenagers are these days."  The bi-phobia's so thick you can almost taste it.


My first same sex crush was George Michael.  I saw a music video of his when I was about 9 years old and instantly got butterflies.  At the time, I also had a crush on a red haired girl in my class.  That's confusing.  By the time I was 11, I was regularly attracted to people of both sexes.


In high school, I had my parents and my church convincing my I was straight.  During the day, I had guys at school calling me "faggot", because I didn't fit in to their mold.  As I got older, my gay and lesbian friends kept telling me, "Just come out of the closet already.  You're gay, man."


My point is, life is confusing enough.  We already have too many outside influences trying to shove us in one direction or another.  The last thing we need as bisexuals (especially male bisexuals), is a television show spewing bi-phobic propaganda.  It does nothing but keep bis in the closet, and gives people the assumption that their bi-phobic theories are correct.


From what I've read, starting with next week's episode, Brittany and Santana are supposed to enter into a long term bisexual relationship.  Based upon 'Glee's' previous assumptions that you either have to be "confused" or "drunk" to be bi, it's going to make for an interesting season.  Then again, I guess Brittany could be the confused one, if they can find a way to make Santana an alcoholic.  Wait, didn't I hear somewhere that "all bi girls are sluts"?


That's it.  That's the angle they'll take.

Just When 'Glee' Goes Fat Positive...

...They screw it up.  If you watched Tuesday night's episode of 'Glee', then you got to know Lauren Zizes better.  She kicks ass!  She's confident.  She's on the wrestling team.  She dresses cool, and she doesn't just jump into a relationship with someone.  She expects to be treated like a lady.  She wants to be wooed.

I'm watching the show, and I'm thinking, "This is great.  They're going to do a fat positive thing.  It's going to be awesome to see a positive fat teenage female character on television.  Maybe she'll be able to do what Kurt did for gay kids in America".  She's playing hard to get with Puck.  Puck's crushing hard on this girl.  Then Puck sings Queen's 'Fat Bottomed Girls':



She was insulted.  I know that if I sang that for my wife, she would be on me like white on rice.  At that point, the show, and the Lauren's character went downhill.  Number one, throughout the episode, Puck is continually telling her things like, "I usually don't go for girls like you", or "You're not my type".  The worst backhanded compliment of them all was something along the lines of, "You have to realize that I'm not into you because of what you look like, but because you're a cool person.  Like me."  I found that more of an insult than a compliment.  I think she's cute.

Secondly, and perhaps worst of all, the way they have her character written, she's always being tempted and wooed with food.  One of the jokes last night was she gave Puck his box of chocolates back because they sucked.  The box was empty.  When he asked why, she said "because I had to make sure every one of them sucked".  For fuck's sake, when he asked her out on Valentine's Day, he got down on one knee and proposed with a Ring Pop.  Really?  Food jokes for the fat chick?   I thought this show was better than that.

I've been fat all of my life.  I still am.  Even though I am over 6' 4" tall, I still weigh over 300 lbs.  Over the years, I have been able to accept the fact that I am fat and appreciate my body.  It wasn't until well into adulthood when that happened.  I am 35 now, and there are still times I look in the mirror and think, "My god, man.  Look at yourself.  You're so fat and ugly.  How could anyone ever find you attractive?"  Anyone reading this can tell you, life as a fat kid can be hell.  Personally, I was picked on and beat up more because I was fat, than because of my religion or my sexuality.

Overweight teenagers, especially teenage females, need someone on TV to look up to.  Someone empowered.  Someone confident about herself.  Someone fat positive.  Ryan Murphy, stop making fat jokes. You wouldn't subject Kurt or Blaine to gay jokes.  Don't humiliate Lauren either.  Young women need someone to look up to.  You introduced Kurt Hummel to America as a role model for our generation.  Give us Lauren Zizes.