GQ cover shoot of Glee stars Monteith, Michele and Agron slammed by Parents Television Council
The GQ cover spread of Glee stars Cory Monteith, Dianna Agron and Leah Michele was slammed anew, this time by the Hollywood watchdog Parents Television Council (PTC). The Council called the GQ's photographs as bordering on pedophilia.
In a statement, PTC President Tim Winter said: "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. Sadly, this is just the latest example of the overt sexualization of young girls in entertainment"
"Many children who flocked to 'High School Musical' have grown into 'Glee' fans. They are now being treated to seductive, in-your-face poses of the underwear-clad female characters posing in front of school lockers, one of them opting for a full-frontal crotch shot. 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. "
"While this photo shoot and the direction of the show in its second season have caught many parents off guard, we were concerned this might be coming. 'Glee' creator Ryan Murphy has declared that it is his goal in life to remove every barrier to the depiction of explicit sex on TV. On Bravo's 'Sex in the Box' Murphy said, 'It's tough to get that sexual point of view across on television. Hopefully I have made it possible for somebody on broadcast television to do a rear-entry scene in three years. Maybe that will be my legacy.'
"With a demonstrated market of eager fans for an entertaining, musical-themed program like 'Glee,' we wonder why the show's creators feel the need for such graphic sexualization of women. Interestingly, the photos of the male character showed him wearing a shirt, tie and vest.
"Parents need to be on guard as we expect the show to push the envelope even further. Unfortunately, it seems 'Glee' is only masquerading as a family show and is far from appropriate for young viewers."
Glee's Monteith, Michele and Agron posed in a provocative cover for the November issue of GQ. The Glee stars were photographed in their High School get up as in Glee's McKingley High but with a sexier and edgier twist. (See full report here: Glee stars Monteith, Michele and Agron naughty cover shoot for GQ's Novermber issues slammed.)
In their Web site, the PTC described itself as "a non-partisan education organization advocating responsible entertainment" which provides information free of charge "so parents can make informed viewing choices for their own families."
The Parents Television Council aims to ensure that children are not constantly assaulted by sex, violence and profanity on television and in other media. They claim to have more than 1.3 million-strong membership across the United States.