Glee, GQ and the Sexualization of Young Girls

The recently released November issue of GQ has some highly sexualized photos of select members of the Glee cast. I weigh in on the impact that a photo shoot that takes actors who play high school students on a widely popular television show has on the sexual and gender identities of young people and their sexual lives. This is just one example of MANY images that infantalize adult women and fetishize young girls. Instead of sexualizing young people (and the imitation of young girls by adult women) for the (very disturbing) pleasure of adult men, we, as a society should be supporting and cultivating healthy sexual development and exploration in youth.

More info and links available at http://www.feministfrequency.com/2010/11/glee-gq-and-the-sexualization-of-you...

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Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• Glee
• Sexualization
• Sexuality
• Infantilization
• Young People
• GQ
• Men's Magazines
• Dianna Agron
• Lea Michele
• Cory Montieth

[kainedamo]

I have someone on my facebook calling this kiddie-porn. Adults with lolipops and little skirts isn't kiddie-porn. Kiddie-porn is kiddie-porn. Let's not diminish what a serious issue pedophelia is and what a horrible effect that has on children. I'm reminded of Jon Stewart talking about the misuse of the word Nazi. If you weren't in Nazi Germany and sending Jews to their death, you're not a nazi.

[feministfrequency]

@kainedamo No, it is not kiddie-porn (not the language I used in the video) but you are right pedophilia isn't the correct term either, other folks have pointed this out as well.

[PimpMyParadigm]

i feel like capitalism will keep pushing sexualization of everything to make a profit so do you all think that it would have been a teensy bit better if they sexually objectified the guy aswell. i see thayt as a strange equality and homoerotica would upset the heteronormativity of gq viewers.

[feministfrequency]

@PimpMyParadigm No, I don't think the temporary solution is to sexualize men as well.

[PimpMyParadigm]

@feministfrequency im defiitely mad that no one will man up and admit that it looks like teen porn and how that is a reflection of how normalized infantilization of women has become but i feel like they will always use sex to make a profit no? would u rather them not sexualize her at all or do you think they should have just sexualized her more tactfully ie not with a lollipop in a high school setting?

[feministfrequency]

@PimpMyParadigm I don't think anyone should be sexualized for any reason ever, I think that we should not accept the argument that they are making a profit and therefore we should just try to minimize the objectification.

[inflorire]

@kainedamo I's important to recognize that encouraging adult men to view adult women as sexy when they are acting and dressing like children.. Is not really helping the pedophilia thing. It's teaching men that being like a child is sexy.. And what's more like a child than a child? Saying Obama/Bush/person you don't agree with is a Nazi undermines the word, but saying that people who print pro human eugenics propaganda are like Nazis is not a stretch.

[MsArtisanKirei]

The thing that really annoys me about these pictures is that, yet again, it's 2 girls and 1 guy - the amount of men I''ve met who read these kind of things and are obsessed with the ideas of threesomes and orgies or cheating speaks for itself. If it was 2 guys and 1 girl though, the girl would be branded a slut. I hate the media.

[hnmarsh1]

@MizuTakishima3 That bothered me too. The entire point of the whole chastity thing is to prevent women from being viewed as objects to gratify men, by themselves or others.

Scripture tends to talks about women acting as strong, complex and complete people (Like Rahab or even Deborah the prophetess who defeated the Canaanite army commander). That doesn't mean they aren't often the victims of corrupt men, but they are shown acting like actual people in spite of that.

[hnmarsh1]

@ghostsandgravity Why would she give him any more publicity?

[koolguy1029]

Hey I love your videos, but if you are going to say things like 'both genders', could you at least specify that you mean 'both genders in the gender binary'?

[AudiGal09]

preach it sister!

[kindleblossom]

Thank you for making these videos.

[selphiexfairy]

@shmivv it's a lot more complicated than just oh "anime and japanese people are sexist." one thing i like about japanese media is that there are lots of female protagonists that aren't relegated to stereotypical or secondary roles. the japanese feminist movement is different from western ones because japanese women are looking for different things. "manly" is also different in Japan. it's a cultural thing. japanese society is still much more patriarchial than american society is though.

[MizuTakishima3]

I was enjoying this video right up until the Religious part. I'm a girl Christian and a Feminist. Sure, the bible doesn't necessarily promote exploring sexuality or whatever, but it doesn't condemn a healthy sexual relationship on a marital bed. Does that automatically create "sexualization" and turn people into objects? I should certainly hope not. Please don't bring up religion just to condemn it for being so gosh darn "evil". It's really hurtful.

[iradgray]

aside from the gender binarism and disregard for folks with non-binary gender identities, this was good commentary. very much appreciated.