01x20: Theatricality

This scene broke me when I first watched it. I don’t know why I’m watching this now. I guess I just needed to recap on everything now that season 2 is almost over.

From Finn’s rage to Kurt’s hurtful look on his face to Burt rushing down to defend his son, his family, to Kurt’s tears, it broke me. Everything about this episode is just emotional and really addresses the issue of the ignorant attitude of the offensive terms, “That’s so gay” and “Fag” and “That’s so retarded.” Returning to the scene, if you’re not familiar, here’s what happened after Finn insulted the blanket and Kurt and Burt rushed downstairs:

Burt Hummel: Hey! What did you just call him?

Finn Hudson: Oh, no, I didn’t call him anything. I was just talking to the blanket.

Burt Hummel: You use that word, you’re talking about him.

Kurt Hummel: Relax, dad, I didn’t take it that way.

Burt Hummel: Yeah, that’s because you’re 16 and you still assume the best in people. You live a few years, you start seeing the hate in people’s hearts. Even the best people.

[to Finn]

Burt Hummel: You use the N word?

Finn Hudson: Of course not.

Burt Hummel: How about “retard”? You call that nice girl on the Cheerios with Kurt, you call her a retard?

Finn Hudson: Becky? No, she’s my friend. She’s got Down’s Syndrome. I’d never call her that, that’s cruel.

Burt Hummel: But you think it’s okay to come in my house and say “faggy”?

Finn Hudson: But that’s not what I meant.

Burt Hummel: I know what you meant! What, you think I didn’t use that word when I was your age? You know, some kid gets clocked in practice we tell him to stop being such a fag, shake it off. We meant it exactly the way you meant it. That being gay is wrong. That’s some kind of punishable offense. I really thought you were different, Finn. You know, I thought that being in Glee Club, and being raised by your mom, meant that you were some, you know, new generation of dude who saw things differently. Who just kinda, you know, came into the world knowing what it’s taken me years of struggling to figure out. I guess I was wrong. I’m sorry Finn, but you can’t, you can’t stay here.

Kurt Hummel: Dad.

Burt Hummel: I love your mom and maybe this is gonna cost me her, but my family comes first. I can’t have that kind of poison around.

[turns to Kurt]

Burt Hummel: This is our home, Kurt.

[turns back to Finn]

Burt Hummel: He is my son. Out in the world you do what you want; not under my roof.

So, what I’m getting at is that maybe you should rethink the next time you decide to say “Gay”, “Retard”, even “Nigger”, in the insulting way you usually go about. And to those who do refrain from using these offensive terms, thank you. And thanks for reading.