Bullying, the topic of many classroom and school discussions, significantly impacts many people everyday worldwide. Everyone encounters bullying, no matter how big or small, even if they don't realize it. The character of Kurt Hummel, portrayed by Chris Colfer on the hit Fox TV show "Glee," is no stranger to bullying, and can teach us all a few lessons about bullying. Kurt has endured many challenges, but his loss is our gain. We can all learn from the challenges he faced, and the ways he dealt with them. Many people, whose lives have changed for the better, thank "Glee," more specifically Kurt, for helping them through their dark times.


Those of you who are "Glee" fans, AKA "Gleeks," know Kurt and the causes of his torture. However, others are most likely thinking "Who is Kurt Hummel and why the heck do I care that he was bullied.....Isn't everyone?" Kurt, a student at McKinley High School, religiously participated in the school's glee club/show choir for three years until he graduated at the end of the third season. He now interns for a fashion magazine in New York City. You care that he was bullied because it has had many effects on the world, and most likely your life whether directly or indirectly. Although yes, everyone gets bullied, but Kurt's extreme case got out of hand very quickly, even escalating to his life being threatened.


So now you're probably thinking "Well if it was so extreme, why was he bullied in the first place?" Well, because homophobic bullies and homosexual students don't get along well, as Kurt learned the hard way. Being gay put a target on Kurt's back, and being the only openly gay student in the whole school only made the situation worse. Not to mention, Kurt's dress selection, which could be described as feminine and usually consisted of tight, knee length sweaters and a hippopotamus broach. This was only the match that lit the fire.


Then, during the episode "Never Been Kissed" in season 2, we were informed that Kurt's tormentor, Dave Karofsky, only bullied Kurt to hide his own homosexuality. We learned this when Karofsky kissed Kurt in the locker room before threatening to kill Kurt if he were to tell anyone. The combination of the kiss and threat rendered Kurt both speechless and scared. This only fueled the fire. Heck! This was like throwing gun powder into the fire.


Kurt's involvement in the glee club also fueled the fire. At this point, you're probably thinking "Well he's just asking to be bullied." That's one of the things he has taught in his endeavors to never let other people stop you for doing what you want, and not to let them rule your life. Not to mention, teaching the bullies how "extraordinarily ordinary" (as Kurt put it) both bullies and victims are.


However, there was no TV show to help Kurt. He had to transfer schools in an attempt to put out the flames, before they burned his whole world down. You may think he want to extreme measures, but I assure you these necessary actions most likely saved Kurt's life, between suicide and Karofsky's death threats. Not to mention, the school board appealing Karofsky's expulsion, meaning the torture would've only continued and become even worse if not for Kurt's transfer between schools.

However, the effects of Kurt's transfer were not completely negative. After switching to Dalton Academy- an all boys school with a strict zero tolerance policy- he met the very attractive, and also openly gay, Blaine "Warbler" Anderson, played by Darren Criss. They began as "just friends," but as everyone knows, that doesn't last long. After a few months of secretly crushing on each other, they officially became "Klaine." When asked, they described each other as "the love of their life." The insane fan response for the coupe spread like a wild fire across the country and even the world. "Klaine" inspired many people to write fan fiction and some people to draw 'deviantART' to express their admiration for the couple. This significant relationship helped ease Kurt's mind off the harassment provided to him unwillingly in the past, while also helping distract fans from their own problems too.


Although the flames were extinguished, they had already done their damage. Kurt flinched every time he heard a locker slam shut, due to being slammed into lockers before, and braced himself for an attack every time he turned a corner. He lived in constant fear. Despite Kurt's brave front, his self-esteem and confidence are forever damaged. The worst part, these typical results or bullying are seen all over the world.


As mentioned before, we, like many kids already have, can learn from Kurt and Karofsky. For example, always act like yourself no matter what other people think of you or tell you. As well as, ways to fight the fire rather than letting it burn your whole world down. Plus, the lessons bullies can learn, like how much they truly affect people, or how quickly the flames spread and how difficult they are to extinguish, provided it doesn't kill someone first. All these lessons from one TV show.... just imagine how much you could do by putting these lessons to use and teaching others.