Glee’s pro-LGBTQ+ vision captured 2010s hope. Can a reboot handle Trump’s America?

Disney+ and Hulu have ordered a revival of Glee, the musical series Ryan Murphy created, which aired from 2009 to 2015. Murphy said in September that he had finished a pilot and approached some cast members about returning. Guardian writer Alim Kheraj questions whether Murphy can bring the subtlety that today's political climate demands, according to The Guardian.

The original won six Emmys and four Golden Globes, launched stars such as Lea Michele, Jonathan Groff, Chris Colfer and Darren Criss, and still draws over 4 million monthly Spotify listeners. Its staying power online, including on TikTok and among Gen Z streamers, likely explains the comeback. Kheraj notes that the show embodied Obama-era optimism, using many LGBTQ+ characters to imagine a future without bullying or inequality.

Eleven years on, Kheraj argues, that vision looks naive. He points to a second Trump presidency, the pandemic, economic disparity, anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in the US and UK, and rising hate crimes reported by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue. The show's legacy has also soured through allegations of bullying and racism on set and the deaths of Cory Monteith, Mark Salling and Naya Rivera.

Summarized by PolitiKool from The Guardian’s reporting. Read the full story at The Guardian →