Glee cast on "Oprah"

This was a question from the audience that didn't air on the show:

Q: "For me it's refreshing to see someone who's not able-bodied, as it were, on TV. I'm curious about the reaction you've gotten from viewers in terms of your character [Artie]."

Kevin McHale (Artie): "I'll reference a story that happened last weekend. A woman came up to me and she was saying her 16-year-old son is in a wheelchair, and he became obsessed with the show. She's like, 'I started reading books after the 10th time [he watched] the pilot episode, because I was over it. ... Me being the mom, I couldn't figure out why he liked the show so much.' It was the first time that her 16-year-old son had seen somebody in a wheelchair, representing his people, on TV. He'd watch the show and be like: 'That's my boy. That's my boy.' That right there, that's what it's all about. We are all playing somebody that somebody can relate to, and it's great. I'm so honored and proud to play that part. And they do an incredible job writing it, and it's just fun to sit back and do what they say."

I am very proud to say I am a "Gleek." I have been a fan of the show since I saw the first commercial for it. I love everything about it...the humor, the fun, the singing, the dancing, the heart, and of course the message...that its okay to be different, that everyone is different in their own way, and when we celebrate our differences, we often find our commonalities. I think just about everyone who watches the show can find a character they relate to, and that's one reason why the show is beloved by people ages seven to seventy.

I think all the characters are great, I have a very healthy crush on Mr. Shu, but my favorites are Artie and Kurt. Even though I did not start using a mobility device until I was in college, and even then I didn't use it all the time, I still feel such a connection to Artie. I am so proud of the show every time I see Artie front and center in the choreography, moving around the stage like everyone else in the choir, including participating in partner dancing. I love the fact even though he's not considered one of the "hunks" of the show, he is arguably one of the strongest male singers in the cast, and receives more than his share of the solos. It is so important having a major character with a disability in such a popular show. Its important for people with disabilties to see someone they can relate to, and its important for able-bodied people to see a portrayal of a healthy, active, intelligent, creative, talented person with a disability. No, the actor who plays Artie does not have a disability, and yes, I wish the show would have hired an actor with a disability. But Kevin McHale does a terrific job.

The character of Kurt, played by the talented Chris Colfer, is another important character to have on this popular show. Kurt is a proud, strong, confident gay young man, and arguably the most popular student in the choir. He steals every scene he's in, whether it be with a wink, a snappy one liner, or his incredible voice. The scenes with his widowed father are groundbreaking, whether his father is fighting for his son to have the opportunity to sing the usually female solo in a performance, or Kurt is saying he needs to remove his designer sweater before he lends a hand at his dad's auto repair shop. Kurt even joined the football team for a short time as the kicker.

Its important for 16 year olds and 42 year olds, and everyone in between, with and without a disability, to see someone like Artie on their tv screens. And its important for 16 year olds and 42 year olds, and everyone in between, gay and straight, to see someone like Kurt on their tv screens.

None of these characters are stereotypical. They have been created and are portrayed week after week in the way that reminds me of the famous quote from the movie "The Breakfast Club": "But what we found out is that each one of us is a brain...and an athlete...and a basket case...a princess...and a criminal."

librarianintx