Glee stars posed in a saucy photoshoot for GQ magazine, never expecting it would unleash a tide of fury from zealous parents who claim that the pictures “border on pornography”.

Lea Michele (Rachel), Dianna Agron (Quinn) and Cory Monteith (Finn) are pictured wrapped suggestively around each other on the cover of November’s GQ. The coverline reads “Glee Gone Wild”

Inside the mag the girls pose in their underwear licking lollies, throwing books around and sprawled on benches.  In one of the most controversial pictures, Michele has her legs spread-eagled.

However the Parents Television Council has slammed the Glee shoot, claiming that it’s inappropriate as many Glee viewers are children.

“It is disturbing that GQ, which is explicitly written for adult men, is sexualising the actresses who play high school-aged characters on ‘Glee’ in this way,” the group said.

“It borders on paedophilia. 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.”

Phew!

GQ’s editor in chief, Jim Nelson has hit back, pointing out that, although they play high-school students in Glee, Agron and Michele are 24, and Monteith is 28.

“I think they’re old enough to do what they want,” he said.

In an email to The Associated Press, Nelson elaborated: “I don’t think it will surprise anyone that we knew what we were doing. I think most people will take the pictures with the wink and spirit of fun in which they were made.”

Agron has also spoken out, posting by the actress on tumblr.com that the photos “do not represent who I am.”

“They asked us to play very heightened versions of our school characters,” wrote Agron. “At the time, it wasn’t my favourite idea, but I did not walk away.

“If you are hurt or these photos make you uncomfortable, it was never our intention,” she said. “And if your 8-year-old has a copy of our GQ cover in hand, again I am sorry. But I would have to ask, how on earth did it get there?”

Either way, GQ’s sales can’t have been hurt by the Glee furore. What do you think? Paedophilia, hot stuff or just plain boring?

 

 

– Frankie Mullin