Looking broadly at the beginning of the series, it is clear that when Kurt is caught dancing to the feminine song "Single Ladies " by his father, he quickly comes up and attempts to justify his actions with masculine qualities. He qualifies the dance as a football exercise; and qualifying the unitard he wears as "Jock-chic " and that all the "guys wear it nowadays to work out ". He tries to make his father believe that he is a ˜real' man by lie that he is a part of the football team. Just as the cheerleaders symbolize the ultimate standard for femininity, the football team serves as the ultimate standard for masculinity.
However, there present many scenarios where the idea of hegemonic masculinity is countered in this episode. Normally, men are considered to be "emotionally illiterate and shallow, they don't want intimate relationship or friendships " (Way 2013:1). Therefore, in the beginning of the show, by having the character, Will, being ultimately supportive and caring for his wife feminizes him a bit judging by society's standards. Society has a way of brainwashing young men into believing that they must be unfeeling manly machines in order for them to be considered as a normal heterosexual male in society (October 7). Finn counters that by breaking down emotionally in front of Will when he seeks for advice on Quinn's pregnancy. Indeed, boys want to "freely express their emotions, including their feelings of vulnerability ". "They want genuine friendships in which they are free to be themselves rather than conform to rigid masculine stereotypes " (Way 2013:2). Another example of this counter hegemonic masculinity would lie in the character named Sandy; a man who was the head of glee club before Will. His name, Sandy, obviously is considered to be feminine judging by all the iconic female actresses that go by that namesake. Secondly, there is a scene that shows lots of dolls lie on the shelf of Sandy's house when Sue comes to his house and asks him to be a new art director.
