Last year my daughters weakened my husband’s protests and watched most of a full season of GLEE.
Besides explaining why the one boy was dancing to a song by Beyonce and coming up with an excuse to cover the outfits on the Lady GaGa episode, I was left floundering at the one question I was hoping they wouldn’t ask.
“Why is that girl going to have a baby?”
This pretty much went against my plan to teach them planned parenthood in a safe and secure environment.
You know? The plan?
The one where I L.I.E.?
The one that starts with exploding puppies and ends with Jesus weeping.
Anyway.
I was left with the character of Quinn with a bun in her very cheerleader oven.
Who spent the final episode having that bun in her Cheerio/Chorus style.
Which left my daughters fairly shocked that Quinn could have baby and her head wouldn’t pop off leaving a scab and scar. (Not that I told them that would happen, they heard that somewhere else.) (Did I tell you my girls are six and nine?) (Lies work.)
But THIS season, my daughters are all, “Where is Quinn’s baby?”
The baby she gave up for adoption, so she could go on with the next season of the show. That we never heard about again. Then Quinn went back to her cheerleader outfit.
And I’m left questioning.
Would it be better to show what it’s like if Quinn decided to keep the baby, or just pretending like it didn’t happen?
What’s the lesson to learn here?
About Anissa Mayhew
As an adopted child myself, I was excited the way the season ended last spring (less the Rachel’s Mom adopting baby issue) but I have been totally SHOCKED they have said NOTHING of this so far. Until last night basically when Quinn talked about needing this year to be about her. I guess I expected there to be some lingering issues with Quinn and Puck that they would deal with in terms of having given birth and placing the baby for adoption. But, nothing? Although this season so far hasn’t been very character-centric.
It seemed like last season was all about the baby and pregnancy and then *bwoop* GONE. The baby. The bode. The storyline. Everything. I’m a little disappointed.
Twitter Name: Anissa Mayhew
I feel like that’s sort of how Glee has been this season though. There isn’t any continuity to the episodes, and I felt last night’s episode was really the first attempt of the season to develop at least SOMETHING of a storyline (though not much). Each episode has a theme, it seems, and that’s all well and good, but everything is resolved in 40 minutes and then it’s essentially on to the next topic next episode (and sometimes it’s a bit of a recycled topic). I’m hoping more Quinn stuff will come up eventually, but it seems like while pregnancies are all the rage, but no one wants to deal with actual babies. It’s disappointing that everyone is acting like it didn’t happen though. Who, really, is more emotional than teenage girls? Surely she feels something. Last night was a decent start, at least. There are just too many characters on the show to give them all adequate screen time, which is unfortunate.
I also feel like Glee is pretty much a cultural phenomenon now. I can’t think of any other show currently or in the past that has a fan base that ranges from young kids and up. And I feel like that’s changed the nature of the show, because now it seems like it’s all about appeasing the mass following and making the episodes more of a music entertainment event rather than young kids trying to find their way and using music as an outlet. I’m all for awesome guest stars, but I’d like it to be done in a way that actually allows story lines to move along. The Britney/Brittany episode (and don’t get me wrong, I love Britney Spears) for example, was an hour of nonsense.
/long comment.
Twitter Name: stickypearls
This is typical TV. Writers LOVE pregnancies, but hate babies. They want to deal with the cravings and birthing classes, but the reality of parenting babies is just no fun. I’m annoyed that we’re not seeing any residual emotional stuff, especially for Quinn. You don’t just give up a baby and never think about it again.
Apparently, in hollywood you do. But I think it just sends a terrible message.
Twitter Name: Anissa Mayhew
Yeah, I have decided to give up on Glee, despite being a diehard fan (I have the sountracks and everything) in Season One.
The Quin thing sent a terrible message, as far as I’m concerned, the whole thing was waaay to ‘easy come, easy go’, if you’ll pardon the hideous pun. There’s been no emotional fallout from the adoption, save for her Daddy disowning her, and she’s now some holy-rolling god lover.
If a tv show, which is watched by many generations, wants to use these tough issues, they should at least deal with them in a responsible way. I dunno, maybe I’m taking it all a bit seriously, but I don’t want my daughter to know “Hey, it’s fine, go and get knocked up at 16, you might get people giving you dirty looks, but the second the baby pops out, a perfect person will come along and relieve your burden. Oh, and the real bonus is, you’ll be back to standing on peoples shoulders in a short skirt within a couple of weeks.”
Although, having said all this, I’m not giving up because of Quin, it’s mainly because I hate the faces that Lea Michelle and Chris Culver pull when they sing, and if I have to see Matthew Morrison rap once more, I’m actually going to vomit.
Give Brittany S. Pearce her own show, that’d have me watching!
Twitter Name: jaynecrammond
I have to agree that “The Thong Song” might be an all-time low. Forget babies, and all that. I was embarrassed FOR him.
Twitter Name: Anissa Mayhew
This is the part of the love/hate relationship most thinking people have with this show. How could the same show have so much going for it and be so awful at the same time. Why do the writers give Sue such provocative material and great lines ( along with the principal & new coach) then get bogged down in the overly dramatic scenes with some of the students ( if I have to see Kurt tear up one more time I’ll puke).
I think they’re confused.
Twitter Name: sasstown
It’s like they’ve been warned at gunpoint to never acknowledge the baby.
There are points every time Kurt cries, only topped by when someone wears fringe on their clothing.
Twitter Name: Anissa Mayhew
Ooh, I’m going to start looking for fringe now! The first season I started realizing that everyone in that show was decked out from head to toe in bows (If I wasn’t pregnant, I would have made it a drinking game and been blitzed after 10 minutes!)
Twitter Name: Kenner82
I have a feeling that the baby will re-enter the plot at some point (after all, they established a character to have adopt the baby. If the baby was really out of the story, then we would have seen someone anonymous adopt it). So it probably doesn’t help you any NOW, but I’m putting my money on Quinn having to deal with delayed emotions about the adoption at some point down the road (they probably want the baby to be older so it can be more entertaining and adorable. A newborn probably wouldn’t make for very good TV. We have to think like they do!)
Twitter Name: Kenner82
I wonder when a baby can come back? If the show lasts long enough the kids will graduate won’t they?
Or they have the youngest Varsity team EVER.
Twitter Name: Anissa Mayhew
i for one liked the adoption story last year definitely a huge departure from the other options, which television tends to conclude with a rosy glow. regardlesss of the outcome of teen pregnancy there is always fallout and sometimes it takes a while for it to happen.
i don’t believe Quinn’s character is don e yet with the whole baby issue either. her character has definitely changed and so far seems buttoned up more with a little underlying sadness. i’m thinking we shall see her deal with her loss more later this year.
it’s nothing new that television does a poor job handling sex and teens and teen pregnancy very well or realistically. i believe that this is when the parent needs to be the parent and use this as an opportunity to converse with our children. find out what they think. share what we believe.
Twitter Name: nicurnmama
YES! You are right
As wrong as tv might handle the teen sex/pregnancy issues, it does open the chance to talk about it the right way.
With exploding puppies, right?
Twitter Name: Anissa Mayhew
I agree that it should have been more prominently mentioned at the beginning of this season, but I like that they portrayed adoption as a viable option for a teen. Seems like a good and responsible thing to do.
And yes, good in the way that it opens discussions.
Twitter Name: pgoodness
I’m glad that they had her go with adoption as her choice too.
Twitter Name: Anissa Mayhew
A coworker gave me a piece of advice once that really stuck with me.
When talking to your kids about tough issues, and if they are still to young to grasp it all, tell them the truth, but don’t tell them more than they need to know.
Like in this case, I would say that sometimes people who aren’t quite ready to have babies, end up with babies in their belly. So they think a lot about it, and decide that adoption is best for them. Then, adoptive parents, who are more prepared for a baby, take care of it, and raise it, and are the parents to the baby. But it’s a situation that is serious and difficult for the mom who gives up the baby, which is why it’s important that we always make responsible decision when we’re older.
And honestly, a lot of stuff, I use the old “I can’t explain everything. I’m not sure why God made the world this way” line.
That is such a good point. I have this way of over-explaining things til my kids’ eyes glaze over. It’s probably good they don’t know the right questions to ask.
Twitter Name: Anissa Mayhew
Let ‘em watch Teen Mom on MTV, that’ll explain a lot! “Teenagers have seriously attitude problems, boys lie, DON’T act like her or I’ll knock you on the ground, boys are bad, this is what happens when you get pregnant and keep the baby, stay away from boys, this is what happens when you choose adoption.” It could be a great educational tool!! ;)
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