This past week I read news that Mark Salling, former star on
Glee, had passed away after taking his own life. It’s tragic news, but the
reaction to Salling’s death was extremely muted, undoubtedly due to his
conviction of child pornography. His crimes were obviously beyond repulsive,
but the reaction is intriguing considering the drama and turmoil considering
what has happened to the Glee cast since reaching their superstardom.
Re-watching Glee it’s almost eerie to see Salling as Puck.
He plays a bad-boy criminal who is known for being a sexual deviant and
repeatedly hooking up with younger women, a cringe-worthy parallel to his
predatory reality. It made me feel dirty as a fan of Glee to even watch. It
makes you cringe when you realize what had been going on behind the scenes
while the show was on air. The identity of Salling’s true colors puts a dark
stain on a show that made its cultural breakthrough with the teen demographic.
On a related note, it’s deflating to see how the Glee cast
has lived in the aftermath. Almost none of the original 12 kids from Season 1 have
been able to make their mark in Hollywood since the show ended, and now two,
Salling and Cory Monteith, have died. One, Naya Rivera, was arrested for
domestic battery. It appears as if the majority of the cast is going the way of
other child stars: Either off the grid or down a dark path.
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