Walters Defends Risqué Glee/GQ Photo Shoot

October 21st, 2010 12:00 AM

The highly popular television show 'Glee,' which airs during the 8:00 p.m. family hour of prime time television, is known for stirring up controversy. Their most recent controversial stunt is a very revealing photo shoot of three main characters in GQ Magazine.


The media have been generous with their praise of 'Glee,' applauding the show for its portrayal of “real-life” issues. It should come as no surprise that as 'Glee' is being criticized for the GQ shoot that media mogul Barbara Walters would come to their aid.


On the Oct. 21 broadcast of “The View,” Walters glossed over such issues as whether cast members of a prime time family show – who play teenagers on screen – should be posing for racy photos or participating in the increased sexualization of women in the media. Instead she argued, “These girls wanted to do it. They don't have to pose like this … Unless you're taking your kid and showing the inside of the magazine – Most young kids who might be affected, 8 years old, 10 years old, they're not going through it."


In 'Glee's' defense Walters continued, “These are young women. It is not the magazine. If they want to pose that way, that's their decision. If a 10-year-old or 12-year-old is smart enough and curious enough to turn to page 70 – When you're old enough to do this, then this is not the first time they have seen a picture.”


Yet Walters undercut her own argument by telling viewers that, “There are much more explicit pictures that we can't even show.” Hardly family-fiendly.


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