MomsTalk Q&A: Is 'Glee' Appropriate for My 5th Grader?

Q: When the TV show, Glee, began its season last fall, I struggled with the dilemma of whether or not to allow my 5th grader to watch it due to its overt sexual content and racy story lines. She loves theater and is such a performer already, so in the end I decided to watch it with her so that I could be involved in what she was watching and answer any questions she had about it. When some of her classmates’ parents found out they basically accused me of being a bad parent. Was I wrong to let her watch this show at such a young age?

A:
As an unapologetic “Gleek”, I must say, this is a subject that is near and dear to my heart. Love it or hate it, Glee has sparked quite a lively dialog all over the nation. Controversies aside, I for one, appreciate how Glee has made the “big-hair” music of my generation so accessible to the youth of today. Despite my husband’s protests, at any given time, you can hear the Glee soundtrack echoing throughout the house and my kids just love it! My husband claims “its pure musical blasphemy,” but
I say, “Honey I can’t hear you, the music is too loud”!

Now back to your question. Were you wrong to let your 5th grader watch it? I’ll tell you that my 4th grade daughter would implore me to confirm that you are not wrong, that it is perfectly fine to let your 5th grader watch Glee. Sorry to disappoint you both, but I do have to side with the lynch mob at your school on this one. When one parent caves, it makes it that much harder for the rest of us to hold the line. Seriously, I’m surprised no one has keyed your car in the parking lot yet!

Almost daily my daughter badgers me, “Mom, when will I be old enough to watch Glee?” Or, “Mom, so-and-so’s mom lets them watch Glee, why can’t you let me also watch it?” I know how tough it can be to say no day after day. Actually, I do let her watch some of the less risqué music numbers (that I have previewed), but never the other scenes from the show. After all, I do understand why it is so darn appealing to her; it is one of my favorite shows. I don’t want it to become contraband of sorts,
so our compromise is that she can watch the musical numbers where the lyrics are clean and the girls are wearing appropriate-ish clothing. This has satiated her need thus far.

I have listened to various arguments recently on just this topic. Most people do agree that the content in Glee showcases adult themes; it’s racy and overtly sexual. Generally the disagreement comes in when agreeing upon what the appropriate age of the viewer should be. In my opinion, Glee is clearly written for older teens, like 16 and up, not anyone younger. I feel that way about many shows that a lot of kids are watching solo, iCarly for example, is right up there. That show has a ton of content that most people would agree is inappropriate for a 5th grader if they actually sat
down to watch it with their child.

For me, this has nothing to do with the range of topics that Glee taps into. Topics such as sex, politics, teen pregnancy, homosexuality, promiscuity, homophobia, bullying, religion, body image, etc. are fair game in my book. No matter where you stand on the given issue, these are all things parents should speak to their children about. I would welcome any questions on these topics from a child of any age and I would give them an age-appropriate response based on my personal values. Therein lays the rub with Glee. I do not believe it is an age-appropriate vehicle to use as a springboard to discuss any of these important issues with teens under the age of 16, maybe even older.

The story lines feature extremely nuanced mature and sexually charged scenarios. The same reasons that adult fans love it are exactly the reasons why a 5th grader should not watch it. Sexy content aside, and clever as the writing may be, sarcasm, satire and irony do not register properly with kids that age. Something is sure to get lost in translation, even with you by her side.

In closing, kudos to you for at least sitting down with your daughter to watch it together, but I think you need to put the kibosh on this. As you point out, she loves theater and loves to perform. These are interests that you can foster without the help of Glee until she is old enough to properly digest the whole picture. There is no need to rush her exposure to mature content like this. I’ll bet she is growing up faster than you can stand, as it is.

That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.