So noted model-molester and general skeeze-ball Terry Richardson shot the cast of Glee for GQ. Or at least, the young white members of the cast who don’t play gay teens or teens with disabilities. That’s cool. Very edgy. Very cool.
Richardson, as usual, was highly original in his concept: Mostly-naked chicks. Or, more specifically, have all the men fully clothed, but make sure the girls are in their underwear (and when they aren’t in their underwear, make it clear that they aren’t wearing panties). And make sure everyone in the photos is nice and white and young and thin.
Now, look: I’m not outraged because there are OMGSexyLadies in a magazine (I’m not really outraged at all, actually). This is just some tiresome shit. These actresses are lovely and talented ladies, and if they want some sexy photos of themselves in magazines — photos which will hopefully also boost their ratings and get them new projects — more power to ’em. But there are other actors and actresses on that show, too, who are just as talented (in the case of Amber Riley, I would say significantly more talented), but because they don’t fit the Terry Richardson aesthetic (or the Hollywood aesthetic generally) they’re left out of these kinds of features. (They’re also left out of a lot of the show, and not as fully developed as characters, but that’s another post). Not that I think all would be well in the world if Amber Riley were also sucking on a lollipop on the pages of GQ; the point is that exposure, generally, is good for actors, but the exposure available for female actors skews towards the Sexy. And while there’s nothing wrong with the Sexy, it’s limiting — for the Sexy actresses themselves, who may have other talents (and whose Sexiness is not going to last forever), and for actresses who don’t fit the current model of Sexiness and are therefore ignored in the pages of magazines. Unless it’s a lady-magazine writing a feature about Loving Your Curves.
It’s also the concept behind the photo shoot that’s just exhausting. More thin white girls in underwear! Except we’re edgy, so let’s make it American Apparel underwear and throw in some high socks! And then let’s put a fully clothed dude in the scene with his hand on each girl’s ass, because that sends a clear visual message that (a) he’s powerful, and (b) that, dear GQ gentleman, could be you.
Oh Terry Richardson, you are such a groundbreaking new titty photographer artist. At least no one got a carnation stuck in their vagina this time (and yes, that link goes to a photo of exactly what it sounds like, which is definitely NSFW).