Parents' Group Calls 'Glee' GQ Shoot Pedophilic, GQ RESPONDS

A parents' group has taken issue with the racy GQ shoot that shows 'Glee' stars Lea Michelle and Dianna Agron (both 24) stripping in the halls of a high school.

The Parents Television Council released a statement slamming 'Glee' producers, TMZ reports:

"It is disturbing that GQ, which is explicitly written for adult men, is sexualizing the actresses who play high school-aged characters on 'Glee' in this way. It borders on pedophilia. By authorizing this kind of near-pornographic display, the creators of the program have established their intentions on the show's direction. And it isn't good for families."

GQ fired back, releasing a statement to 'The Insider':

"The Parents Television Council must not be watching much TV these days and should learn to divide reality from fantasy," Jim Nelson, editor-in-chief of GQ, said. "As often happens in Hollywood, these 'kids' are in their twenties. Cory Montieth's almost 30! I think they're old enough to do what they want."

See the controversial photos here.

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Comments

[CATNIP1]

09:33 AM on 11/13/2010

The editor-in-chief was sarcastic in his response. They might be over 20, but most of the shows viewers don't know that. Maybe if people stop supporting the show, he'll get the message. A lot of stuff on the morality network is, in poor taste.

[ItAintNoRocketScience]

04:35 PM on 10/26/2010

Women being sexualized in a men's magazine? GASP!

[CWatkins]

08:39 PM on 10/25/2010

I love that people are making this into an issue and clutching their pearls while making claims of pedophilia. How many movies have shown adult women naked while portraying a high school age character? American Pie, Fast Times at Ridgemont High and many other movies have done this in the past.

The truth is that these are 24 year old women that are wearing more clothing than any of the models in an average Victoria's Secret display you will see facing out of the store when you visit your local mall.

[CATNIP1]

09:34 AM on 11/13/2010

The Victoria Secret models are clearly over 18.

[molonlabe]

10:52 AM on 11/17/2010

Um, so are the Glee actresses.

[dermguru]

04:41 PM on 10/25/2010

tell the Parents Televison Council to get to a gym, get laid (but PLEASE use protection we don't need any more right-wing bigots in the world) and quit hatin! and GET A LIFE !

[sabelmouse]

10:55 AM on 10/25/2010

my daughter tells me they play 17 year olds. that is hardly paedaphelia. that used to be a step away from old maid.

[pinkeyelemonade]

12:17 AM on 10/25/2010

Don't like your kids watching 'Glee?'
Turn it off.

Don't want them reading GQ?
Don't let them.

Stop advocating that I stop reading a magazine I never read just because you disagree with it. And then I'll let you read whatever you deem as safe.

[auramac]

01:24 AM on 10/25/2010

Most of them are like Palin and don't read.

[learnsomething]

09:35 PM on 10/24/2010

That is the most vulgar pose. I don't care if she is over 18. Vulgar is vulgar.

[Joel Mendez]

03:40 AM on 10/25/2010

then don't read GQ. Get your friends not to read GQ. Don't leave it laying around your house. Just don't advocate the govt ban something you don't like. It was legal, so tasteless or not, no one was hurt any more than religion hurts people every day--which if you want to argue someone was hurt, would be the people you should be aiming at.

[CATNIP1]

09:38 AM on 11/13/2010

You don't have to read GQ to see the photos, just look at the top of the page. If you produce a show for teens and then produce a "spread" sheet of racy photos, yea, that's in poor taste.

[Justin Anthony]

04:44 PM on 10/24/2010

who cares about some sexy photos... no one is complaining about the gays and lesbians running around all on tv and out and about but a sexy girl ... people complain about this get your priorities straight

[Joel Mendez]

03:41 AM on 10/25/2010

you think gays are a problem? Seriously? unbe-friggin'-lievable.

[Justin Anthony]

10:18 PM on 10/25/2010

yeah when people complain about sexy women yeah gays are the problem

[AngryHarpy]

04:42 AM on 11/20/2010

Running all around? There are considerably few gays and lesbian characters on primetime TV. Give me a break.

[ProfWagstaff]

02:35 PM on 10/24/2010

The Parents Television Council (PTC) is a rightwing coservative advocacy group. I the past they have complained about Friends, the Gilmore Girls, and The Simpsons. They love getting their undies in a bundle over Glee. Good grief the show has an openly gay character.

I suspect that this complaint has more to do with garnering publicity for their conservative cause than the pictures taken of adults, in a magazine for adults.

[CATNIP1]

09:43 AM on 11/13/2010

I'm a liberal, and I think the photos are in poor taste. If you have young girls, under 18 or 20, in your family, would you like for them to be represented in this fashion. What's next for Glee ? A photo layout in Playboy? And, Friends and The Simpsons is produced for adults, not teenagers. I don't know about the Gilmore Girls.

[Buford]

01:05 PM on 10/24/2010

For those that want to whine about sexy teenagers, I have to wonder what is the more pressing concern - adults who pose as sexy teens, or real teens who pose as sexy adults (ala, fashion models)?

[gayleg]

11:55 AM on 10/24/2010

The parents group is 100% right and the shows producers should be held responsible.

No way they didn't approve of this.

[Buford]

12:57 PM on 10/24/2010

Wrong. The shows producers are smart businesspeople who know that sexy pictures of their sexy adult stars will help lure people to the show... since many, many adults watch these shows specifically because the stars are physically attractive to them.

[Joel Mendez]

02:40 PM on 10/24/2010

this is about an opinion--'right' and 'wrong' are not ways to measure an opinion. And no one is ever 100% about anything, except blind zealots. It's just not even statistically possible to account for every single instance of a thing, so no 100%, maybe 99.99%, but the level of surety that you claim, is just childish. inflexibility=FAIL.

[Mindimil]

03:52 PM on 10/23/2010

I believe this is a brillant publicity stunt by the shows producers. Last week was a repeat leading up to the "Rocky Horror" episode. (which I'm sure we all would agree is a wholesome family oriented movie). More people have been talking about the show and the photo spread, then any of the political issues pertaining the to upcoming election. I asked my 15 year old daughter and her friend about this issue and the general consensus was who cares? They knew nothing about the photo shoot until their parents, The View, CBS new, and Entertainment brought it up. They just don't look at GQ magazine. And for all those who say this is a family show let's remember that in the first 3 episodes last season the head cheerleader, president of the celibacy club got pregnant by her boyfriend's best friend who got her drunk on wine coolers. Oh yeah their both 15. Doesn't sound like family fare to me.

[Anonymous17]

05:30 PM on 10/23/2010

Sounds like reality tv to me!

[gayleg]

11:56 AM on 10/24/2010

Glee is the one network TV show that doesn't need this type of publicity.

[ProfWagstaff]

01:37 PM on 10/24/2010

ALL publicity is good publicity.

[gevan]

03:46 PM on 10/23/2010

The PTC is a very disturbed group. If they think that GQ invented teen types looking sexy they haven't been around much in the last couple of centuries. I understand that some adolescents are actually having SEX. They should try and deal with that fact, rather than attack some print media outlet for showing sexy twenty-somthings.

[gayleg]

12:01 PM on 10/24/2010

You've hidden the gender differential from your comment. This isn't about "teen sex," it's about teenage girls being sexually fetizhized. (And yes, I get it that the actual actresses are older, it doesn't matter so much as they are playing their teenage characters here) You'll notice the boy in the shoot looks like his character on the show.

The girls images look nothing like their characters-- they are pornified in a school setting for the GQ audience. .

[Buford]

01:01 PM on 10/24/2010

Right... and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. People have sex in high school. People are physically/sexually attractive in high school. People who are out of high school like to look back on those days thru fantasies such as this.

We all do it... normal... healthy... no problem.

[ProfWagstaff]

01:31 PM on 10/24/2010

I suggest that you don't buy the magazine.

Case solved.

[FreedomFromReligion]

03:13 PM on 10/23/2010

I find it ironic that a show that opened with a gay teen being brutalized and making it a "funny" scene now wants to "come out" against bullying gay teens. Their own show perpetuates the myth that bullying gay teens is humorous by not addressing it as a bad thing but instead wrapping it in a fake funny wrapper and presenting it to America as something to laugh at.

[Joel Mendez]

02:46 PM on 10/24/2010

they did that? Have to say, never really been a fan of teen soaps.

[MarkBoston]

03:09 PM on 10/23/2010

It is a bit odd though ..... what enticed them to do such risque shot in the first place? The number 1 show on fox taking such risks seems not worth the feed back AND THEY knew it would... It does rather place a dull patina on such a clean cut show .... I am just saying :) Are the actors testing the limits of the producers already ? I am sure they signed a contract clause that stipulates doing such things ....

[gevan]

03:47 PM on 10/23/2010

Come on, the show is on FOX. Anyone remember Kelly Bundy?

[Joel Mendez]

04:37 PM on 10/24/2010

oh yes. I remember Kelly Bundy.

[wilray]

04:01 PM on 10/23/2010

Clean cut show. Donna Reed it ain't.

Story lines have included

1) An unwed pregnant teen who duped her virgin boyfriend that it was his kid rather than his best friends.

2) An unpregnant wife who tried to convince her husband that she was pregnant.

3) A husband who has basically fallen in love with the school counselor.

4) A school counselor who almost marries someone who she has no intention of loving.

5) A gay guy who has a crush on his new step brother.

6). A girl who is raised by two dads, who on meeting her mother decides that the mother/daughter thing doesn't really work.

7) The mother of the girl above decides to adopt the baby of the girl who cheated on gullible boyfriend. Originally the baby was going to go to the wife of gullible husband who thought she was pregnant.

8) Gullible boyfriend decides to pray to Jesus from a grilled cheese sandwich.

Clean cut describes 'Leave it to Beaver.' If this show is Leave it to Beaver then we have certainly come a long way, and I am certain beaver means something different.

[Anonymous17]

05:33 PM on 10/23/2010

If we're on clean cut shows, why not the Brady Bunch? Oh yeah.. because in reality Greg Brady was dinkin mom and Marsha behind the scenes. Oh and way, Dad Brady was in reality homosexual.