If I wasn’t already on the ‘Glee’ bandwagon, Wednesday night’s ‘The Power of Madonna’ episode convinced me to climb aboard.

‘Glee’ has done everything right in terms of integrating progressive ideas into mainstream media. I am very comfortable with the thought of young men and women watching this TV program and being influenced by what they see. It projects positive ideas to the ‘Glee’ target audience in terms of sexuality, race and gender.

The television series is a widespread phenomenon that has swept the nation and used its popularity to inform viewers of important messages. Every episode I’ve seen is filled with significant themes and crucial subject matters, but this week’s ‘Madge’ extravaganza definitely takes the cake.

‘The Power of Madonna’ episode embraced hit singles by the Queen of Pop and garnered 13.5 million viewers. Not only were classics such as ‘Vogue’ and ‘Express Yourself’ performed in an entertaining manner, but there was an overarching theme of sexism and gender equality as well.

Sue Sylvester kicks off ‘The Power of Madonna’ episode by reflecting in her diary entry that Madonna represents every sense of strength and independence. Sylvester is the arch enemy of the glee club and coach of the varsity cheerleading squad, and while she is easy to hate she represents female empowerment in its strongest sense. Nothing can stop Sylvester from getting in the way of her goals, and she will stop at nothing to ensure perfection in her ultimate plans.  

‘Glee’ doesn’t waste any time when trying to spread its innovative agenda. Within the first five minutes, the female Glee club members all complain about how their boyfriends are being jerks and treating them as inferiors. Quinn, one of the girls, tells her chorus instructor, ‘The fact is women still earn 70 cents to every dollar a man does for doing the same job. That attitude starts in high school.’

This is a very powerful statement to promote on a mainstream TV show of which most young people are currently obsessed. That scary statistic quoted from Quinn’s mouth is true, and it’s an important fact for young people to be aware of. Talking about ‘girl culture’ in high school settings and personal mistreatment in their relationships is also a huge step toward addressing these problems in real life.  

Mr. Schuester then lectures his students on gender equality and uses the words ‘sexist’ and ‘misogynistic’ while doing so. He tells his refusing male glee club members to ‘put yourselves in their shoes for a change’ when referring to their foul treatments toward their female counterparts and the decision to sing Madonna songs for their next set. Emma Pillsbury, the school’s guidance counselor, even acknowledged some flawed role models for young women in popular culture like Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan and Ann Coulter — informative examples for impressionable female viewers.  

Each character also dealt with issues relating to the ownership of their own bodies. Three individuals handle the situation of the infamous ‘first time’ milestone — sex. Finn, Rachel and even Ms. Pillsbury, explore the idea of losing their virginities and whether or not they’re each individually ready to do so.  

The best message ‘Glee’ sends to its young viewers is that having sex isn’t necessary a good or bad thing, rather it’s important to take control of your own body and making your own decisions. So long as you do not feel pressured or forced into anything, sex isn’t bad, but it’s also appropriate to wait when you don’t feel ready. Sexual empowerment gives people authority physically and emotionally, and the ‘Glee’ cast members provide quality examples of this in their most recent episode.  

Overall, the show rocks and ‘The Power of Madonna’ is especially fantastic. The combined cast is representative of different backgrounds and therefore different experiences — gender, race and sexuality are all encompassed within the singing super stars. I strongly recommend starting to ‘gleek out’ every Wednesday at 9 p.m.

Krystie Yandoli is a sophomore women’s studies major. Her column appears weekly and she can be reached at klyandol@syr.edu.