Finn Unfairly Maligned on Glee's Lady Gaga Episode

Much like Glee's other episodes, last night's Lady Gaga episode sought to send a message of self-acceptance, that it's okay to be different. However, while the show's intentions were in the right place, something did not sit right with me last night on Glee, namely the objectification and maligning of Finn.

I usually love Kurt as a character and understand that he just wants to be accepted. However, acceptance goes both ways. Kurt needs to accept Finn for who he is too.

Kurt's Manipulation of Finn on Glee

Kurt is understandably frustrated by his unrequited crush on Finn. Yet his actions in recent weeks are not above reproach. This is not because Kurt is gay. If Kurt had been female, the way he manipulated the parents in order to get closer to Finn would still be objectionable. He also showed questionable integrity by sabotaging Rachel's makeover to ruin her chances with Finn.

One writer at Remote Patrolled suggests that the "Kurt the Stalker" storyline hurts the gay community by portraying him in such a negative light. As he writes, "Having Kurt mooning over and manipulating Finn, probably the most heterosexual character on the show, isn't just sad - it's downright weird and kinda creepy. And worst of all it reinforces another key stereotype that's been used for decades now - that all gay men are out to 'turn' all straight men."

We saw shades of it in 'Home,' where Kurt's behavior bordered on sexual harassment. And he's unfairly playing with the emotions of two vulnerable parents. It would be one thing if he had been acting on behalf of his father's happiness, but that is clearly not the case.

Kurt is in an undeniably difficult position being picked on at school and not being able to be with the one he loves. Still, he needs to respect the fact that Finn is straight and will never reciprocate.

Burt's Maligning of Finn on Glee

Burt was justifiably angry at Finn for using a slur. Still, last night's episode of Glee seems to come down on Burt's side without any regard for Finn's situation. In order to send the message of "acceptance, Glee harshly condemns Finn through Burt's speech. Finn's stuck having to 'learn the lesson' while Burt and Kurt are given the moral high ground.

The real irony is that during his speech, Burt admitted that he himself used that word when he was young. So lashing out at Finn was also a way of expressing regret over his own past behavior.

A good parent would have rightfully called him out for using that word, but Burt should have made an effort to talk it out with Finn and to find out what was really going on before kicking him out.

I am not condoning Finn's words. However, it's unreasonable to automatically condemn Finn as a bigot. Sometimes people say things in the heat of the moment, but it's not a reflection of their true character. Finn has stood up for Kurt many times throughout Glee's run, even causing Kurt to call him his knight in shining armor.

Finn is not upset by the fact that Kurt is gay. He is upset that Kurt was using the parents as pawns and that Finn was uprooted from the life he's known and forced to share a room. And he's creeped out by the fact that Kurt oggles him in the locker room. On top of that, Finn is getting no support from his mom or Kurt's dad, as they made the decision to move without consulting or taking his feelings into consideration.

If Burt is going to come down on Finn, the sword needs to cut both ways. Somebody also needs to call Kurt out for manipulating so many people.

Quinn and Puck as a Slap in the Face for Finn

As if Kurt and Burt hadn't been giving Finn enough trouble on Glee, seeing Puck's soulful plea to Quinn must be an additional slap in the face. On top of being uprooted and sexually harassed, he has to be reminded of the fact that his best friend seduced his girlfriend and got her pregnant.

He's also stuck watching Rachel getting cozy with charming Jonathan Groff, knowing that he (temporarily) blew his chances with her. Save for possibly Will Schuester, Finn has nobody to lean on these days.

I'm not suggesting that Glee writers magically solve Finn's problems. Still, instead of automatically maligning him to create an 'after school special' teaching moment, Glee could have been a tad more sympathetic to his predicaments. Hopefully Finn will catch a break in the coming weeks.

Sources:

Does Kurt Hummel Help of Hurt the Gay Cause?, Remote Patrolled