Why Gen Z Is Rewatching Glee—and Loving to Roast It

Why Gen Z Is Rewatching Glee—and Loving to Roast It

You thought Glee was gone? Think again. The musical teen drama that ran from 2009 to 2015 is having a full-on revival—but not in the way its creators probably imagined. Gen Z has cracked open the vault, hit “play” on streaming, and turned Glee into a chaotic, meme-worthy obsession.

It’s nostalgia. It’s cringe. It’s camp. And it’s everywhere on TikTok.

The Rise of the Hate-Watch Era

Let’s be real—Glee is not an objectively “good” show. The plotlines are absurd, the character arcs make zero sense by Season 3, and don’t even get us started on Will Schuester’s rapping. But that’s the point. Gen Z doesn’t binge-watch Glee expecting coherence. They watch it like they’d scroll through a chaotic group chat—because the mess is the magic.

“Glee is like watching a train derail in slow motion,” says Jordyn, 21, from Austin. “But it’s my train.”

There’s something deliciously fun about hate-watching—a term for watching something you dislike because it’s so bad it’s good. And few shows deliver the chaotic energy of Glee better.

The TikTok Takeover

If you’ve been on TikTok lately, you’ve probably seen Glee clips with captions like “Me trying to survive another day knowing Mr. Schue exists” or audios of Rachel Berry scream-singing “Don’t Rain on My Parade” layered over completely unrelated chaos.

There’s a whole universe of Gen Z creators turning Glee into punchlines—reenacting scenes, ranking unhinged moments, or turning Sue Sylvester quotes into viral soundbites. It’s part fan love, part digital roast.

And honestly? It’s kind of brilliant.

Cringe-Core and Comfort TV

For Gen Z, raised on ironic humor and layers of self-awareness, Glee hits the sweet spot between “iconic” and “problematic.” It’s a cultural artifact from the early 2010s—back when TV was still figuring out what “woke” meant.

Was Glee inclusive? Yes. It featured queer characters, tackled identity, and gave us storylines about disability, race, and body image—years before most mainstream shows.

Was it also wildly tone-deaf? Absolutely. Many of its “issue” episodes feel like they were written by aliens trying to understand teen culture from Tumblr posts.

Still, it’s comfort food for the anxious digital generation—familiar, chaotic, and just structured enough to feel like a TV hug (albeit a weird one).

The Glee Legacy: Iconic or Ironic?

The Glee revival isn’t just about nostalgia—it’s a cultural reappraisal. Gen Z is doing what they do best: analyzing the past with a side of sass. They’re unpacking Glee’s legacy, the good and the bad:

• Iconic Performances: Say what you want, but those musical numbers still slap.
• Meme Gold: From Finn’s emotional confusion to Sue Sylvester's villain era, Glee is a never-ending meme machine.
• Controversy Central: Behind the scenes and on-screen, Glee had major drama—racial insensitivity, cast conflicts, and some truly questionable writing decisions.

But that’s part of the allure. For a generation fluent in contradictions, Glee is the perfect storm: nostalgic, offensive, empowering, and endlessly entertaining.

Why Now?

In an age of hyper-curated streaming and prestige TV, Glee is refreshingly chaotic. It doesn’t try to be subtle. It throws glitter at every problem and breaks into song when the plot makes no sense.

And maybe that’s exactly why Gen Z can’t stop watching. It doesn’t ask to be taken seriously—it just exists in all its messy glory. And that authenticity, even if accidental, is something this generation vibes with.

I Laughed, I Cringed, I Subscribed

As someone who once thought Glee peaked at Season 1 and never looked back, I recently got peer-pressured into a rewatch. One episode in and I was hooked—again. But this time, I saw it through Gen Z eyes: as a relic of an era, a musical fever dream that’s both embarrassing and unforgettable.

And when Rachel Berry hit that final note in “Take a Bow,” I felt something… was it awe? Shame? Maybe both.

So whether you're watching it to relive your early Tumblr phase or to meme every awkward dance number, Glee is back—and it’s as unhinged as ever. Just don’t be surprised if you find yourself humming “Don’t Stop Believin’” in the shower. Again.

Stay tuned for more chaotic rewatches and cultural deep-dives at Woke Waves Magazine—where Gen Z nostalgia gets the full meme treatment.

#GleeRewatch #GenZTV #TikTokMemes #GleeHateWatch #WokeWavesEntertainment

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