HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — The Parents Television Council has slammed the makers of Glee for a sexy GQ photo shoot in which the show's stars – Cory Monteith, Dianna Agron and Lea Michele – stripped down to barely nothing.
"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," PTC President Tim Winter said of the photos appearing in the magazine's November issue. "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."
The PTC also criticized Glee creator Ryan Murphy for pushing the envelope too far.
"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," Winter said. "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 family show and is far from appropriate for young viewers," Winter concluded.
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