Remember those sleazy/sexy GQ pictures of Glee cast members Lea Michele, Dianna Agron and Cory Monteith that hit the web this Tuesday? Well Agron has released a sort-of apology on her personal blog to everyone who shattered a monocle when they saw cheerleader Quinn Fabray’s thighs and dirty pillows.
In the land of Madonna, Britney, Miley, Gossip Girl, other public figures and shows that have pushed the envelope and challenged the levels of comfort in their viewers and fans…we are not the first. Now, in perpetuating the type of images that evoke these kind of emotions, I am sorry. If you are hurt or these photos make you uncomfortable, it was never our intention. And if your eight-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?
Agron goes on to say that photographer Terry Richardson “asked us to play very heightened versions of our school characters. A ‘Hit Me Baby One More Time’ version.” She ends the post musing about her “dream photo” shoot, which I guess she’s thought a lot about: “I’d be in a treehouse, in a wild costume, war-paint and I’d be playing with my pet dragon.”
My thoughts after the jump.
OK, first of all, the “controversy” of these photos is way overblown. Tim Winter, president of conservative watchdog group Parents Television Council released a statement saying the shoot “borders on pedophelia.” NO IT DOESN’T. Both Agron and Michele are twenty-four years old and Monteith is twenty-fucking-eight. If Winter thinks GQ magazine is the first to dress women up as sexualized high schoolers he is in for a rude awakening.
Second, maybe this is unfair, but can we all just agree to stop being shocked by Terry Richardson? Of course he made the Glee kids look like American Apparel ads. That’s what he does! Whether he’s shooting porn stars or Obama the dude’s work can all be placed on a pretty small spectrum. You know what you’re going to get.
Lastly, Dianna Agron should NOT be the one apologizing for pushing the envelope. She looks pretty uncomfortable here, like she’s mentally transporting herself to her happy place (tree house with a dragon, probably). And Monteith, charisma-challenged lump that he is, might as well not be in the pictures at all. Lea Michele is the one who looks like she’s trying to climb off the page and blow you. The same fevered commitment she gives every Streisand song she’s assigned is obviously being channeled here to SLUT. IT. UP. I’m so offended that I won’t be able to rest until Michele apologizes to me personally. Naked.
Is that a tattoo on her side? Does it say “SUCK IT, PRUDES”?
I really enjoy her calling out parents for letting their eight-year-olds read GQ. Everyone knows eight-year-olds should be reading Club International.
Whatever, Quinn! Own that shit!!
My eight-year-old won’t read anything but the Economist.
Ugh. I could give a shit about the sexy sex pics. I am just pissed about the sexy sexism of the pics.
Also I would very much like to see Quinn’s dream shoot come true. Very much.
Graham’s knowledge of trans-Atlantic pornography FTW!
I’d be happy if my 8-year-old took a break from playing Resident Evil 4 to ogle the Glee actors.