TABLE OF CONTENTS -- INTRODUCTION: Changing the World through a TV Series (Dan's Story) -- The Journey -- "Loser Like Me" -- "Don't Stop Believin'" -- ESSAYS IN THIS BOOK -- SECTION 1: THE FRAMEWORK -- 1. USING THE "NEW DIRECTIONS" TO MOVE MEDIA VIEWERS IN THE RIGHT DIRECTIONS: Examining the Effects of Glee Narratives on Attitudes and Behavioral Intentions towards Stigmatized Groups -- THE EFFECTS OF ELEVATION AND MUSIC ON ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIORAL INTENTIONS -- METHOD -- Study Design and Participants -- Experimental Conditions -- Stimulus Material -- RESULTS -- GENERAL DISCUSSION -- STUDY LIMITATIONS -- IMPLICATIONS AND CONCLUSION -- REFERENCES -- SECTION 2: BULLYING -- 2. A GLEEK PERSPECTIVE ON SLUSHIE FACIALS: Fan Forum Posts about Portrayals of Bullying on Glee -- ISSUES IN THE LITERATURE -- FANDOM IN THE DIGITAL AGE -- STUDIES OF ONLINE FANDOM -- Trends across Fan Communities -- STUDIES OF TEEN ONLINE FANDOM -- FAN POSTS AS INSTANCES OF OVERFLOW AND RECEPTION -- A TEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF GLEE FORUM POSTS -- GLEEK RESPONSES TO BULLYING PORTRAYALS -- THE CONTEXT OF BULLYING -- Is Bullying Ever Justified? -- Bullying Is No Joke -- No Free Passes -- Implications of Gleeks' References to the Context of Bullying -- LEARNING HOW TO RESPOND TO BULLYING -- When to Step In -- When to Back Down -- Implications of Gleeks' Acknowledgment of Characters as Role Models -- CATEGORIZING BULLYING -- Types and Forms of Bullying -- Anti-gay Bullying vs. "Regular" Bullying -- Implications of Gleeks' Categorization of Bullying -- FEELINGS TOWARD BULLY AND VICTIM CHARACTERS -- Favoritism Affecting Reactions to Bullying -- Implications of Gleeks' Feelings toward Characters -- DISCUSSION: GLEE'S ROLE IN PROMOTING SOCIAL CHANGE -- NOTES -- REFERENCES -- APPENDIX -- Summary of Major Bullying Plots in Glee Episodes.

3. I'LL STAND BY YOU: Glee Characters' Multiple Identities and Bystander Intervention on Bullying -- DEFINING BULLYING -- SOCIAL IDENTITIES & BULLYING -- Sexuality -- SUICIDE AND BULLYING -- Adults Behaving Badly -- Social Identity and Bystander Intervention -- CONCLUSION -- REFERENCES -- SECTION 3: LGBTQ (MIS)REPRESENTATIONS -- 4. GLEE GOES GAGA: Queering Concepts of High School Identity Formation -- REFERENCES -- 5. SOMETHING OLD & BORROWED: Homonormativity and Marriage in Glee -- NORMAL NARRATIVES -- TYPICAL TEENS -- LOVE IS ALL YOU NEED -- CONCLUSION -- NOTES -- REFERENCES -- 6. KURT AND BLAINE: New Sexual Scripts for Gay Youth -- SEXUALITY AS A SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION -- MEDIA PORTRAYALS -- GLEE FOLLOWS THIS NEW SEXUAL SCRIPT -- GLEE AS AN EXAMPLE OF SOCIAL CHANGE -- THE FUTURE OF GLEE -- NOTES -- REFERENCES -- 7. SUE SYLVESTER, COACH BEISTE, SANTANA LOPEZ, AND UNIQUE ADAMS: Exploring Queer Representations of Femininity on Glee -- QUEER THEORY -- GENDER, FEMINIST THEORY, AND FEMININITY -- SUE SYLVESTER -- COACH BIESTE -- SANTANA LOPEZ -- WADE/UNIQUE ADAMS -- IMPLICATIONS -- CONCLUSIONS -- REFERENCES -- SECTION 4: IDENTITY POLITICS -- 8. GLEE AND "BORN THIS WAY": Therapeutic and Postracial Rhetoric -- POSTIDENTITY AND POSTRACE DISCOURSES -- THERAPEUTIC RHETORIC -- GLEE AS TEXT -- TRACING TRAJECTORIES OF THERAPY -- Making Difference Equal -- Therapy and Reducing Hurdles -- Emphasizing Postracial Identity through Absence -- CONCLUSION -- REFERENCES -- 9. 'LOSER LIKE ME': Unicorns, Romeos, and Ethical Failure -- 'I AM UNICORN': STREISAND, SHAKESPEARE, AND FEMININITY -- 'IT'S GOT BETTE MIDLER': FAILURE REDEFINED -- PASS AND FAIL: IN CONCLUSION -- REFERENCES -- 10. "HANDI-CAPABLE"? An Analysis of How Disability is Represented on Glee -- BULLYING AND STEREOTYPES -- THE ROLE OF EDUCATION/EDUCATORS -- BUILDING TOWARDS INCLUSION.

ACCEPTANCE, TOLERANCE, INCLUSION -- BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS -- MISUSING DISABILITY FOR THE PURPOSES OF GAINING -- REAL VS. HYPER-REAL -- LIMITATIONS OF PARTICULARIZING A STUDY -- CONCLUSION -- REFERENCES -- SECTION 5: DEATH AND THE SEARCH FOR MEANING -- 11. FROM "GRILLED CHEESUS" TO "THE QUARTERBACK": The New Directions' Search for Meaning -- FAITH -- BELIEF -- SPIRITUALITY -- RELIGIOUSNESS -- SPIRITUAL FORMATION -- FAITH DEVELOPMENT THEORY -- THE 6 STAGES OF FAITH -- SPIRITUAL FORMATION AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT -- CONCLUSION -- REFERENCES -- 12. "ON MY OUR WAY": Gay Suicidal Logics and Queer Survival -- REFERENCES -- 13. THE ASTEROID AND THE SHOOTER: Lessons Learned from "Shooting Star" -- INTRODUCTION -- SAY -- CONCLUSION - MORE THAN WORDS -- REFERENCES -- 14. SWAN SONG: The Art of Letting Go in Glee -- NOTES -- REFERENCES -- SECTION 6: SOCIAL JUSTICE PERSPECTIVES -- 15. DEFYING GRAVITY: Are Glee's Fat-Bottomed Girls Helping Us Rise above Fat Stereotypes? -- REFERENCES -- 16. DO I HAVE A PAMPHLET FOR THAT?: Miss Pillsbury's Lack of Social Justice Mentoring -- REFERENCES -- ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTORS -- EDITORS -- AUTHORS.