Glee explores various problems faced by high school children and encourages viewers to accept their true selves. It’s a roller coaster ride of emotions, making them laugh and cry, but what stands the test of time are its characters. They are unapologetic about the decisions they make, they are diverse and spirited personalities who make choices in their stride because in the end, there is only one life, and they would rather make the most out of it than live with regret.
One of the main tenets of Glee is that bullying is bad, yet surprisingly, there are certain instances in the show where it fails to uphold this belief. It overlooks the issue of “slut-shaming” by justifying that in most cases the characters deserved to be bullied as they themselves were mean and nasty. But this kind of double standard is wrong, so unless the show treats “slut-shaming” at par with other forms of bullying, it is genuinely concerning.
Quinn gets slut-shamed by Santana
Although fans of Glee might refuse to consider this exclusive incident as slut-shaming, it is apparent that Quinn gets shamed for being intimate with Puck by Santana in the episode “Furt”. It raises the question as to why shaming someone for their sexual activity is considered justified when they chose to have an affair with someone.
Sure, adultery is unpardonable, but it doesn’t necessarily make bullying anyone for that same reason as acceptable. Perhaps, the makers of this show didn’t give this scene enough attention and let this loophole exist, however, it is significant to observe that such loopholes throw light on bigger issues that go otherwise unnoticed and in turn spread the wrong message to the audience.
Artie gets slut-shamed by Sam
One would assume only women get slut-shamed, but here they are proven wrong. Often there are men who call out others as sluts for having sex with more than one person simultaneously. It isn’t the fact that Artie was sleeping with two people at the same time that he gets criticized for, in fact, it’s when he its to having an STD, chlamydia, that his friend, Sam starts calling him a slut.
He paces around the room screaming, “I’m slut-shaming you Artie” as if the very idea of shaming a person is equivalent to punishing them. That assumption is disturbing because it seems to justify slut-shaming as a practice for reprimanding people who indulge in sexual encounters.
Mercedes does not slut-shame Sam for having sex with Santana
Perhaps the only incident where one notices that a possible slut-shaming situation doesn’t take place. Instead, it is quite reassuring to see that Mercedes restrains from calling Sam a slut or shaming him for sleeping with Santana.
Cheating is despicable behavior, but it is worth appreciating that for once a character of Glee did not call Sam a slut like most other characters keep doing repeatedly throughout the series.
Rachel gets slut-shamed over the video “Run Joey Run”
Glee is well-known for its outstanding songs and musical performances, yet when Rachel is involved in a promiscuous video that features the song, “Run Joey Run”, the backlash she faces due to it is unprecedented.
Soon she becomes termed as the musical slut, which exposes the shallowness of the other characters. Sexuality is often considered taboo, but one expects that in a show of such popularity and iration for its anti-bullying stance, this matter would be taken seriously and give Rachel the justice she deserves.
Teacher Sue gets slut-shamed about her past nudity
Sue had posed nude for a magazine and unfortunately, when word gets around about it on campus, she faces slut-shaming. The very fact that this is used as a tool to threaten her reputation as a teacher is very unsettling.
Not to mention, it jeopardizes her status in the school which is politically incorrect because one’s choice to take part in nudity or not is a personal choice and it should not be counted as a measure to judge her personality.
Rachel is slut-shamed for wanting to act topless in a play
It is ridiculous to watch the extent to which Rachel gets morally policed by her so-called friends when all she wanted to do was act in a play. Her role consisted of an old woman who remains topless in one of the scenes, but it was essentially a non-sexual scene.
Yet her friends kept warning her and try to dissuade her from taking part in it. Their justification was - “you’re not a porn star- even though your hair and make up make you look like one”. This specific remark that comes off as friendly advice is actually steeped deep in prejudice and is hence extremely jarring.
Sue attempts to impose a state-wide ban on twerking
Disgusted after seeing a twerking video, Sue attempts to ban it in the whole state. What could have urged her to take such a drastic step against it? Perhaps, the discrimination she had faced when her nudity got exposed and talked about resulted in her internalizing that and make her react in the same way that others had reacted against her. She might have absorbed the hate and prejudice.
Unfortunately, even if one understands where she is coming from, it’s not enough to clear her of the charge that she is also just as guilty of slut-shaming others at her own school.
Marley slut-shames the cheerleader
Although a cheerleader was merely exercising her freedom to express her natural sexuality, Marley calls her a slut and she does that under the false impression that exhibiting one’s sexuality is something one should be ashamed of. The fact that she isn’t reproachful or intimidated by this accusation only makes him more eager to put her in her place.
Why is the bad person always portrayed as a slut? Whether it’s Sue or like here, the cheerleader, this type of stereotyping leads to the reinforcement of the false belief that people who are comfortable with their sexuality are inherently bad or evil.
Brody gets slut-shamed for being a sex-worker
Sex-working is a profession just like any other, but the stigma around it is so strong in society that it clouds the judgment of the other characters even in such a progressive TV show such as Glee. If Brody didn’t earn his own money, he wouldn’t be able to pay his tuition fees.
It is his choice as to how he wishes to earn the money he clearly requires. Specifically, in such a situation where he gathered enough courage to be financially independent, one would expect his friends to provide him with unconditional and mutual understanding. But unfortunately, he gets slut-shamed.
Quinn gets slut-shamed by Biff
Time and again, throughout the entire show, people have accused one another of being a slut over their sexual activities. What is beyond comprehension is why there is such a prevalent lack of trust among partners or the need to be condescending towards people who have been sexually active in the past.
Without further discussion, it just proves that slut-shaming is something so common that one fails to even notice the injustice of it. In one instance, Biff slut-shames Quinn about her past by calling her a “dirty slut bag”. Such ing comments may not seem very obvious at a first glance, but these prejudices have the power to influence viewers into unknowingly acquiring a similar mindset that must be stopped.