Bulimia on Glee

Marigenous

I was catching up on this season of Glee the other day (it's a guilty pleasure, ok?), and I'm starting to get really uncomfortable with how this season is going with its eating disorders arc.

They introduced some new characters this season including Kitty (the stereotypically beautiful and mean-spirited top cheerleader) and Marley (the really talented but insecure daughter of the school's obese lunch lady). In the episode about the school play, Kitty started altering Marley's costumes to make Marley think she was getting fat. Then, Kitty "helpfully" instructs Marley that the only way to keep her weight down and not become obese (like her mother), is to make herself throw up.

Since that episode, Marley has developed serious bulimia (she tells Kitty that she's throwing up every day) and Santana (a former McKinley student that is acting as Marley's singing mentor) finds laxatives in Marley's bag. The disorder has gotten bad enough that, a couple of episodes ago, Marley collapsed onstage and caused the Glee club to lose the singing competition.

Through all of this, none of the adults have showed concern for Marley's health. When Santana suspected that Marley was abusing laxatives she should have gone directly to Finn (the substitute coach) or Ms. Pillsbury (the guidance counsellor). Instead, however, she just got mad at Quinn (Kitty's singing mentor) and the two had an argument about whether or not Kitty was to blame. Regardless of Kitty's involvement in encouraging Marley's disorder, Marley needed help and she didn't get it.

Only one other character has expressed concern about Marley's bulimia was Marley's crush, Ryder. Ryder also doesn't do much though and basically ends up just telling Marley that he doesn't want to kiss a girl that tastes like barf. *slow sarcastic clap*

After her collapse onstage, Santana makes an open comment about Marley's bulimia being the cause. However, the teenagers don't care and are simply mad at Marley for causing them to drop out of the competition. This does not excuse the fact however that for the rest of the episode, none of the adults (Emma, Finn, Will, Marley's mum, etc) see this obvious sign of an eating disorder and do anything to help Marley address her problem.

I find this story arc troubling not only because the adult characters are failing to intervene, but also because, in many ways, the show is also glamorizing a serious disorder. Yes, they show that Marley's disorder is having consequences on her social life (the other Glee kids are mad at her for collapsing), but most of what they show other than that is positive in the eyes of young girls. Around the same time as Marley's eating disorder appeared, she's suddenly getting the lead role in the school musical, solos in performances, is "friends" with the popular girls, looks stunning in tight outfits, and two of the cutest boys in her grade both want to date her (Ryder and Jake).

While never having full-blown bulimia, in my teens there were times when I would make myself throw up because I felt bad about my weight and didn't want to become obese like my mother. I was struggling with undiagnosed depression and some really bad self-esteem issues when I was in high school, so I know how girls that age can think. As a healthy adult, most of us know that bulimia is really unhealthy, but to young girls it can seem like a solution. I've been finding this season kind of triggering and I shudder to think of what ideas it's giving impressionable young girls.

Thoughts?

jameseylefebure

Ugh - where the hell to start with this storyline on Glee!!

I'm with you btw, I'm a HUGE HUGE HUGE Gleek! (like I have a gleek tshirt and most of my phone music is glee. guilty pleasure or not I love it!)

I love Glee, but seriously this show should not try and tackle serious issue's. I mean Marleys eating disorder started because her costume for Grease didn't fit. YET all of the clothes in her wardrobe, you know the ones she wears EVERY day - they fit her fine. My issue is that this is a big issue for a lot of people and I think Glee are just trying to shoe-horn it in. (like Quinn being in a wheelchair for about a week, Karofsky trying to kill himself over the gay bullying etc etc).

I think that Glee just isn't the place to expect realistic portrayals of "serious" subjects. You watch, her bulima will be over in about 3 episodes, after a really sad episode where she sings her heart out and then wont be mentioned again