Glee is a musical comedy-drama television series on Fox. It is a story about a high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir compettion circuit, whose diversified members deal with relationship, sexuality and social issues. Since its debut on television in 2009, it became a pop-culture hit among millions of viewers in the US and gaining momentum worldwide.
There are many views regarding this photo shoot. There were those who said that Glee is not really a show for teens but it has always been an adult show. So its photo shoot for the November 2010 issue of GQ magazine is no big deal. The photos were catered for older audiences (men, in this case). On the other side of the spectrum, many people said (including TPTC) that the photos in this issue "is an example of overt sexualization of young girls in entertainment."
After I have read the news and glanced at a few photos, I cannot believe but be surprised. I have always viewed Glee as a top-rating show for teens and young adults, and since the concept of this show is set in high school, it is something for teenagers to watch. And mind you, young children as well watch this popular TV hit series since it aired on primetime television. My concern over this issue is this- even if the people responsible for this photo shoot said that the cast who appeared in this November issue are in their 20s or near their 30s and are already adults, a lot of the show’s younger audiences idolize these actors and view them as role models (unfortunately now). The branding set by the show made the cast an indispensable item in almost every American household; with millions of teens looking forward to watching every episode, every week. When you walk into a grocery store with your young child and see this issue, what would they think? Obviously, children and teenagers alike will recognize their Glee idols but shown in a different light. You may argue that GQ is a magazine for older men and that no teenager (I do hope so) in his right mind would buy it; but the issue here is, Glee has been exploited to the point that it’s bordering into this kind of sexual tolerance. Yes, sexuality is a thing that many teens face these days, but should you push it over to the limit that you're like saying, "Okay, it's alright to see my teenaged girl in scanty panty and doing a provocative pose with a lollipop in her mouth." The reason also on 'why' girls are viewed as sexual objects is because of the fact on how media depicts them; and an example of this are the photos shown on this issue. We all know that older men read GQ and when you have such photos of girls in teenage-like attire, you're already giving these men unfavourable ideas towards women (especially towards young girls). It's also like teaching and showing girls how to be promiscuous. In simple terms, it's like playing on deadly grounds. Overall, it’s not just appropriate. Glee is a brand well liked by many young people and there’s responsibility that goes with it. Whoever thought of this photo shoot never thought about the fact on how this will affect the show's younger audiences.
Glee would still continue to be a popular show (or may even get more popular after this issue), but what is your stand regarding this? Should Glee (including cast and the people behind the show) have considered thinking about this racy photo shoot in the first place? How do you think this will affect millions of its fans?... share your thoughts.
In all honesty, I never believed Glee to be a show for children. The show covers topics that range from homosexuality to teen pregnancy and abortion, to even something as simple as teenage sexuality. The show has always been displayed sexually, Santana and Brittney are shown in a luridly sexual pose (on top of one another making out) in last weeks episode and often talk about how they have sex, they makeout on camera, even the Celibacy Club motto is "It's all about the teasing, not about the pleasing", and talk about how short skirts are sent down by God himself. The show itself is so overtly sexual, I don't see anything really wrong with the photos from GQ.
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