Glee’s Subversion towards the Institutionalized Heterosexuality in High School Society: A Character Development Analysis Wina Aprilia Tirtapradja, Dhita Hapsarani Program Studi Inggris, Fakultas Ilmu Pengetahuan Budaya, Universitas Indonesia Abstrak Skripsi ini membahas pengaruh institutionalized heterosexuality terhadap karakter-karakter termarjinalisasi di Glee, serta strategi-strategi yang digunakan oleh karakter-karakter tersebut untuk bertahan dan mensubversi nilai-nilai dan norma-norma institutionalized heterosexuality. Penelitian ini adalah penelitian kualitatif dengan analisis tekstual yang berfokus pada perkembangan karakter perempuan dan karakter non-heteroseksual. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa Glee menampilkan institutionalized heterosexuality sebagai nilai-nilai yang represif, kuat, dan kasar. Kemudian, Glee mempromosikan penerimaan dan penghargaan diri sebagai sebuah alternatif alih-alih mematuhi nilai-nilai institutionalized heterosexuality. Selain itu, Glee juga menampilkan citra-citra alternatif non-heteroseksual yang dapat menantang stereotip buruk mengenai kaum non-heterseksual. Melalui tiga poin tersebut, Glee mensubversi institutionalized heterosexuality Kata Kunci: Heterosexuality; Heteronormativity; tokoh; perkembangan tokoh; teori queer; Glee Abstract This mini thesis discussed the influence of institutionalized heterosexuality to the marginalized characters in Glee and the strategies used by the characters to survive and subvert the norms. This is a qualitative textual analysis research which focused on the character development of the female and the non-heterosexuals. This research found that Glee portrays institutionalized heterosexuality as repressive, powerful, and violent norms. Moreover, Glee promotes the self-acceptance and self- embracing as the alternative instead of conforming the institutionalized heterosexuality. Last but not least, Glee portrays the alternative images of the non-heterosexual that can challenge the bad stereotypes embedded to them. Through these three points Glee subverts the institutionalized heterosexuality. Keywords: Heterosexuality; Heteronormativity; character; character development; queer theory; Glee. Introduction This paper aims to make original contribution in popular culture studies and queer studies by analyzing and examining the marginalized characters’ development in the TV series, Glee, in order to find the subversions of the characters and the series towards the influences of institutionalized heterosexuality. For centuries, it is deeply believed that there are only two human sexes in the world, which are male and female. Moreover, it is also strongly believed that one sex will “naturally” fall for the opposite sex, romantically and sexually. This orientation which widely known as Glee’s subversion…, Wina Aprilia Tirtapradja, FIB UI, 2013 heterosexuality becomes a very common characteristic of human condition. It has been a general part of human interactions and relations that it becomes almost invisible and natural-seeming, appearing to be unquestionable (Overall, 1990). Although it is perceived to be natural, there is so much pressure towards the heterosexuality, ranging from the numerous images of relationships in the media to the rules and regulation regarding marriage and private law. This social pressure toward heterosexuality leads to the dominance of heterosexuality, culturally and statistically. Moreover, this social pressure also creates normative expectations for men and women. Men are always expected to be dominant, whereas women are expected to be submissive. Thus, these heterosexual expectations could “guarantee that some people will have more class, status, power, and privilege than others” (Ingraham qtd in Schilt and Westbrook, 2009: 443). Obviously, this gender system hierarchy values masculinity more than femininity, and privileges heterosexuality than homosexuality and bisexuality. Therefore, heterosexuality has evolved into institutionalized system that supports gender inequality, especially to women and the non-heterosexuals (Rich, 1980). This notion of heterosexuality is reiterated, articulated and consolidated in the popular culture, including popular television (Fiske qtd in Dhaenens, 2012). Consciously or unconsciously, the popular televisions have touched and circulated the issues of gender which is most likely related to the notion of heterosexuality. Moreover, it is also argued that television is able to defy normative assumptions about sexuality. Cultural studies’ perspective considers popular culture “a site that both embraces and resists hegemonic culture” (Fiske 1987, Hall 2005 qtd in Dhaenens, 2012: 2). Furthermore, the exposure of the non-normative characters itself can unsettle, criticize, or subvert the institution and practices of heterosexuality (Dhaenens, 2012). Therefore, the researcher is interested to scrutiny one of the popular American TV series, Glee. (Murphy, Falchuk, Brennan, & Di Loreto, 2009-2010). Glee is a musical comedy TV series which depicts the story of high school students related to the issue of identity and fitting in. The story revolves around a show choir club in William McKinley High School, the Glee Club, which members are marginalized and bullied because they are considered as the “misfits” and the “freaks”. Having awarded in several categories and watched all over the world, Glee has been one of the influential teenage television drama which raises the awareness of the social issues embedded in the series. Glee’s subversion…, Wina Aprilia Tirtapradja, FIB UI, 2013 There are two reasons why the researcher is interested to choose Glee as the main data. First of all, Glee directly addresses the minority issues and the discrimination done towards the minorities in high school society. In particular, the main focus of these issues is the minorities by sexual preferences. It is shown by the number of non-heterosexual characters, consisting of four gay and lesbian characters, one transgender character, and characters with gender problem. Likewise, the issue of gender inequality towards women is also raised through the episodes. Undoubtedly, this theme is very much related to the issues of institutionalized heterosexuality. Secondly, Glee uses high school as the setting. High school as a gathering place has its own invisible rules regulating the interactions of the people inside it. Every high school student has the desire to be accepted by their peers, and normalness has a significant role in this process of accepting. The benchmark of the normalcy is the images of ideal male and female which are regulated by the standards and expectations of the heterosexual society. Therefore, the influences of institutionalized heterosexuality are very apparent in high school, making it easier to observe the relationship between the institutionalized heterosexuality and the marginalized characters. Therefore, based on these thoughts, the researcher is interested to investigate the reciprocal relationship between the institutionalized heterosexuality in high school and the marginalized characters. In particular, this research will focus on the influences of the institutionalized heterosexuality in high school society towards the female and non-heterosexual characters in Glee, and the strategies done by the marginalized to survive and subvert the institutionalized heterosexuality. Research Methodology In general, this research will examine the reciprocal relationship between the institutionalized heterosexuality and the subversion done by the marginalized characters in Glee episodes. This implies that the episodes of Glee will be seen as texts, which means that the episodes are considered as one entity of a product of culture that involves meaning. Therefore, the qualitative textual analysis will be used to dissect the characters and the characterization of the marginalized characters in Glee. Textual analysis is a critical approach which tries to understand a television text’s meanings by undertaking detailed analysis through its images and components (Bignell, 2004: 211). Therefore, in order to have a detailed analysis on the Glee’s subversion…, Wina Aprilia Tirtapradja, FIB UI, 2013 components of the film, the researcher needs film analysis to assist the observation of the film. This paper will scrutinize the literary aspects of film, especially the character development and the narrative, using the techniques of film analysis in order to reveal the meanings embedded in the episodes of Glee. Moreover, the episodes will be examined with the deconstructive approach, meaning that the analysis will be done from a non-hegemonic perspective. This would allow the researcher to dig deeper into the implied meanings and reveal ideas that cannot be seen by the naked eyes. Institutionalized Heterosexuality, Heterosexual Institution, and Heteronormativity Sexuality relates to the practices, identity, and beliefs that are related to the sexualized and eroticized body (Bucholtz and Hall, 2004). The hegemonic ideology that occupies the sexuality is heterosexuality, defined by Overall as a “romantic and sexual orientation toward person not of one’s own sex” (Overall, 1990). This means that women can only have a romantic and sexual relationship with men, and vice versa. Heterosexuality is perceived as the “natural” and the “right” one, as the other orientations, called as non-heterosexuals, (the gay, lesbian, and bisexuals) are considered as wrong, abnormal, and deviant. Adrienne Rich in her paper Compulsory Heterosexuality