Every once in a while, in the midst of all the drama and singing and gay propaganda, “Glee” has a moment of remarkable insight into modern American culture – an epiphany, of sorts.
In the most recent episode, after McKinley High loses power and the Glee club has to strip down to a simple acoustic guitar, Sam goes on a little rant about our dependence on technology. We’re so focused on being plugged in to the “twitterverse and the blogosphere,” he says, that we miss what’s happening right in front of us. The moment happens so quickly it hardly leaves room for reflection.
Sam has a point. We seem to be losing the ability to give our full, undivided attention to something. “I think that that’s just sad and lame,” he concludes.
Sometimes it is. However, there’s an irony to it as well. Notice the hashtag “#glee” in the bottom right corner of the screen, encouraging viewers to tweet as they watch the show. For that matter, “Glee” only exists because there’s technology to create and consume it.
Perhaps more people, like Sam, are waking up to the shallowness that these new methods of communication cultivate. But the internet and cell phones are here to stay. And you can bet the major TV networks are doing their best to capitalize on it.
