In a blog post, actress says that controversial photos show her playing a 'very heightened' version of her character.
By Gil Kaufman
Dianna Agron, Cory Monteith and Lea Michele on the cover of <i>GQ</i>
Photo: GQ
Dianna Agron gets it. Some people are offended by her photo shoot in the November GQ, in which she poses suggestively with "Glee" castmates Cory Monteith and Lea Michele.
And if you're one of those people, she's sorry. As the controversy over the images continued to swirl on Wednesday, Agron, 24, posted an apology to those who might have found the images inappropriate on her blog.
Stressing that she was speaking only for herself — and not for her castmates, the show or Fox — Agron wrote, "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 went on to explain that she was very sheltered as a child and was not aware of anything "provocative or risqué in the media." When she was finally allowed to watch a more grown-up movie, "Grease," she said she had no idea "what on earth Rizzo was talking about!?
"I understand that in today's world of advanced technology, the internet, our kids can be subject to very adult material at the click of a button," she continued. "But there are parental locks, and ways to get around this. I am twenty-four years old. I have been a pretty tame and easy-going girl my whole life. Nobody is perfect, and these photos do not represent who I am. I am also not the girl who rolls out of bed with flawless makeup and couture clothing. I am most comfortable with my hair thrown on top of my head, in sweats, laughing with my friends."
On Wednesday, media watchdog group the Parents Television Council released a statement blasting the racy spread, which was shot by celebrity photographer Terry Richardson.
"It is disturbing that GQ, which is explicitly written for adult men, is sexualizing the actresses who play high school-aged characters on 'Glee' in this way. It borders on pedophilia. Sadly, this is just the latest example of the overt sexualization of young girls in entertainment," PTC President Tim Winter said. The PTC also noted that the two women in the shots were wearing little clothing while Monteith was fully outfitted.
On the cover, Monteith is flanked by a pantsless Michele and a scantily clad Agron, his hands squarely on their bottoms. Inside, Michele is seen sucking on a lollipop while posing in tiny underwear in one shot and perched on a bench with her legs spread-eagle in another; Agron dons a thigh-grazing skirt and belly-baring T-shirt as she thrusts pom-poms in the air. In another photo, the girls hit the library in skimpy outfits.
Agron went on to write that "Glee" is a show about underdogs, a feeling she's embraced her whole life. And if the GQ shots don't give fellow underdogs that feeling, well, she gets it. "For GQ, they asked us to play very heightened versions of our school characters," she explained. "A 'Hit Me Baby One More Time' version. At the time, it wasn't my favorite idea, but I did not walk away.
"I must say, I am trying to live my life with a sharpie marker approach," she continued. "You can't erase the strokes you've made, but each step is much bolder and more deliberate. I'm moving forward from this one, and after today, putting it to rest. I am only myself, I can only be me. These aren't photos I am going to frame and put on my desk, but hey, nor are any of the photos I take for magazines. Those are all characters we've played for this crazy job, one that I love and am so fortunate to have, each and every day."
Agron also noted that in her ideal photo shoot, she'd be "in a treehouse, in a wild costume, war-paint and I'd be playing with my pet dragon."
Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1650488/20101021/story.jhtml
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