Nicholas Wolf was used to being invisible. He wasn't a proud jock, he wasn't a peppy cheerleader. By high school standards he was nothing. Last summer, however, he made a promise to his best friend that he would get out of his comfort zone and try o...
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Just when Nicholas thought things couldn't get any weirder at McKinley High, they did. For some unknown reason Madonna's Greatest Hits were played over the P.A. system. Quite loudly. Throughout the entire school day. It was almost impossible to concentrate during class and while he walked down the hallway towards his next class all he wanted to do was to dance to her music. Something that he didn't do...because that would be embarrassing....
It came to no surprise to him when at the next glee club meeting, the first thing Mr. Schuster did write 'Madonna' on the whiteboard.
"What comes to mind when you see that name?" Mr. Schuester wondered as he turned around to face them.
"Genius." Rachel said immediately.
"Icon." Kurt added with a bright smile, barely containing his excitement.
"Hall of Fame MILF." Puck replied with a nod, earning him an unimpressed glare by Quinn.
"So, we're all aware of Madonna's musical and cultural significance," Mr. Schue said, leaning his back against the piano. "Which is why this week, your assignment is to come up with a Madonna number."
The girls gasped and squealed with delight. Rachel applauded, for once happy with their teacher's assignment. Mercedes and Tina high-fived. Nick shared a look with Matt and Mike, unsure of how he felt about the whole thing.
Uh, Mr. Schue? As a dude, Madonna makes me kind of uncomfortable." Puck admitted, ready to voice his complaint.
"Yeah, she's smokin' and everything, but can't some of us do something else?" Finn supported his friend. "Like the guy version of Madonna? Like, you know, Pantera?"
"Guys!" Mr. Schuester called out, looking very serious, which made them somber up. "You know, it's come to my attention that many of you haven't been treating the young ladies of our group very nicely lately. You're disrespectful, bullying, sexist, and I hate to say it, misogynistic."
"I have no idea what that means." Finn muttered.
"When I pulled my hamstring, I went to a misogynist." Brittany told them, trying to be helpful.
Nick rolled his eyes at both of them, crossing his arms over his chest. "Misogynist is a person who dislikes, despises, or is strongly prejudiced against women."
"What it means is, put yourself in their shoes for a change." Their Spanish teacher spoke, explaining Nick's words in a much simpler way. "Culturally, Madonna's legacy transcends her music, because by and large, the subtext of her songs are about being strong, independent and-and confident, no matter what your sex is. But more than anything, Madonna's musical message is about equality. And that is something I think you guys need to work on."
If he was honest with himself, the conversation was making him uncomfortable. Not because he didn't want to do the assignment, but rather the thought that he hadn't been treating his female classmates right troubled him. To respect a woman had been one of the lessons his mother had managed to engrain deeply into his mind before she left him and he liked to think that he lived up to her words. Had he failed his mother? Quinn? Santana? All these women in his life he cared about? Had he unknowingly hurt them with his words, his actions?
