Glee’s Rachel Berry Was A Pioneer For More Strong Female Leads, Deal With It
Maybe, that’s the only thing Glee did right.
Since Glee ended, many fans have begun to reflect on the show's journey and how many things were actually wrong with it. From sloppily written dialogue to storylines that should have landed someone in jail, Glee was about as unrealistic as it gets on television. However, there is one thing they did get right.
Back in 2009, when the show first hit our screens, you'd be hard-pressed to find a female lead who was anything but cute. Girls were already doing some pretty badass things, like fighting demons like Buffy or investigating murder like Veronica Mars, but they were all far from being pushy and assertive about things they felt were important.
Rachel Berry, on the other hand, was considered annoying from the very first episode of the show, but for all the wrong reasons.
She recognized a huge talent in herself, and that's why she knew she deserved nothing but the best. Was the star after the name thing a bit much? Probably, but considering she was supposed to be 15 or 16 at the time, it's something you can get over.
If she wasn't treated fairly, or if she felt like it, she wasn't afraid to speak up. While many characters sat back and let their resentments build up, Rachel Berry stood up for herself. Most of the time this put her at odds with the rest of the group, but she wasn't afraid to face it when necessary.
If there is one thing that can be said for sure about Rachel Berry, it is that if she were a male character and a dream of being on stage was changed to a dream of making the most popular soccer team, that character would be lauded.
But even working hard toward your dream and having certain standards for what you do with your life can be laughed at if you're a woman. A lesson that Glee taught its young audience much more subtly and unknowingly is the lesson of misogyny in the media, and Rachel Berry was at the center of that study.
If you want to go back and rewatch Glee, you can do so by streaming the show on Hulu or Disney Plus.