Let’s define pedophilia, shall we? According to Dictionary.com, it’s “the condition of being sexually attracted to children.”
All that’s shown in GQ are unoriginal pictures of three consenting and very well-paid adults. The two women, Dianna Agron and Lea Michele, are both 24 years old, while Cory Monteith is 28. The Parents Television Council claimed to be concerned about the sexualization of young women, but where were they in April when the cover of Rolling Stone featured the “ass-ets” of both Agron and Michele? The girls rode a bicycle and roller skate in miniskirts, exposing plenty of skin as well as Michele’s underwear. Face it, “Glee’s” stars were selling us sex long before GQ came calling.
Besides, if you really look, the shots aren’t all that sexy. Lea Michele, who plays Rachel Berry, manages to look either confused or like she got caught mid-hump in every shot. And as long as we’re complaining about sex appeal, where’s the action for the ladies? Monteith stays fully clothed in every photo. As a society we should rise up and tell GQ that we won’t stand for this. There should be equal eye candy for all!
— Allison Gauss
Nothing New About a Racy Photo Shoot
We freaked when Britney wore red pleather. We were horrified when we saw too much of Vanessa Hudgens and we completely lost it when footage of Miley Cyrus working a pole at the Teen Choice Awards hit the air. Now the cast of “Glee” has joined the scandalous masses. This photo shoot allows the public to do just what they love best: Be outraged.
Quite frankly, I’m over it.
Doing a sexy photo shoot as a young actress is not out of the norm — it’s about as common as getting braces in middle school. But for some reason, people can’t help but call out young celebs for showing a little skin. Not only is it a normal part of pop culture, but these risqué shoots date back to the invention of the camera and thigh-high socks. Even Marilyn Monroe did a scandalous Playboy shoot when she was 23 — one year younger than Lea Michele and Dianna Agron.
In today’s world, we see young stars like Lindsay Lohan and Taylor Momsen turn from sweet to trashy before they have a chance to blow out the 18 candles. The attention the adoring or reproachful public gives them only fuels content like “Glee’s” GQ. Without the controversy, GQ wouldn’t be the first hit to come up every time a young fan Googles “Glee.” Throwing a fit over young actresses posing in their undies is so cliche, that working up all that mental outrage seems like a new way to burn calories.
— Madeline Mann
Button Up: Your Audience is Underage
GQ featured Dianna Agron, Lea Michele and male co-star Cory Monteith in an erotic photo shoot. While Monteith’s role in the shoot was fairly innocuous and fully clothed, his co-stars should have thought of their teen fans before stripping down to crop tops and underwear while posing provocatively with lollipops and gym benches.
Though the “Glee” stars are all well over 18, we can’t refute the fact that they were acting out sexualized situations as the underage high school characters they portray on the show. It is unacceptable that the cast of a show that centers on showing kids how to navigate tough high school problems like peer pressure and coming out would pose in such provocative shoots.
“Glee” isn’t just for kids; the show deals frankly with sex and body-image issues (just this season, one character got breast implants).
Some of the more mature themes in “Glee” mean that parents with young children should already be exercising caution. But we can’t ignore the fact that the cast is meant to be high school role models, and should present themselves accordingly. Every action they make has consequences for the hordes of teen “gleeks” that hang on their every word. The shoot dangerously reinforces the stereotype that while men need only pose for a camera to be lovable, women need to take off their clothes for attention.
— Bridgétt Rangel-Rexford
