Image Credit: Adam Rose/FoxAny straight lady or gay man in Glee‘s audience (i.e. the vast majority of Glee‘s audience) had to enjoy last night’s Rocky Horror Picture Show-themed episode, and not because they love “The Time Warp.” We were treated to not one, not even two, but three extensive shirtless-hunk scenes. And yes, I’m including Cory Monteith in that count, despite poor Finn’s insecurities about showing off his body. Finn, you looked darn good to me strutting down the hall in your underwear! Not only that, but you made the episode that perfect Glee balance between provocative and educational: The only thing better than three attractive men doffing their shirts is three attractive men doffing their shirts for a good cause, this one being a sweet lesson in male body issues.
Men are certainly objectified more than they used to be. (Still not nearly as much as women; see Glee‘s hotly debated GQ photo shoot for example.) These days, we see far more men with their shirts off just for the heck of it in magazine photo shoots and movies (we blame you, Matthew McConaughey!) and on TV (hi, True Blood!). Glee provided us with a smart, reasoned locker-room discussion on the issue, particularly from Artie: “I personally blame the Internet,” he said, curling a dumbbell from his wheelchair. “Once Internet porn was invented, girls could watch without having to make that embarrassing trip to the video store. Internet porn altered the female brain chemistry, making them more like men, and thus more concerned with our bodies.” I don’t know about the science behind that, and porn’s done at least as much damage to girls’ body images, but he’s got a great point. Six-packs are considered the new standard, and they’re almost as hard to get — especially for body types not predisposed to ripped muscles and zero body fat — as the super-skinny/big-breasted ideal presented for women.
Of course, it could be considered hypocritical to present an episode about body image featuring the exact ideals its skewering: Only a guy with Chord Overstreet’s super-human torso could rock those gold short-shorts, and good god, the image of Matt Morrison’s pecs is permanently seared on my cortex after that sexy Will-and-Emma number. And as I mentioned, even the “dough boy” in the episode, Monteith, has abs most regular guys would be thrilled to have. But I also think it made the point that even guys face impossible standards these days — maybe seeing Finn disrobe after all his talk of insecurity, and seeing how great he looked, helped some girls realize that parts of themselves that make them uncomfortable still look pretty hot to guys. And, hey, the episode certainly provided more teachable moments than your average egregious volleyball or locker room scene.
What did you think, PopWatchers? Shirtless Glee guys: Educational, hot, or both?
Read more:
Halloween 2010: TV Costume Gallery
SUPER hot, and also interesting timing that the guys were on display after the girls stripped down in GQ. Wonder if the Parent’s Council will make as big of a deal over this. Plus this was on TV, not just in a magazine!
And side note: the Will & Emma scene was beyond hot- loved it!!!
I’m surprised by all the surprise to Matthew Morrison’s bod. I mean, hadn’t everyone already done the google image search and downloaded those Broadway Bares pics to their hard drive and gone to Kinkos and had them blown up to poster size and hung them over their bed? Oh, so just me? (Teehee, I said “hard”)
Thanks so much for the laugh! Wish I could hang those posters too, but for some reason, my husband has no sense of humor when it comes to this kind of decorating.
They have those cardboard cutouts of Edwards Cullen at the store. We need one of Matthew Morrison in just his pants and tie.
There is a great picture in the CD book of the South Pacific revival of Matt Morrison as a shirtless (is there any other kind?) Lt. Cable. He has been shirtless and hot for many, many years. Just now it’s on TV!
Tee hee…you also said “hung”.
HAHAHA Awesome.
ho ho… you said “blown” :0
I enjoyed the message. And because Finn looked fine to everyone else but was still insecure, really drove home the point. Sometimes it’s not a matter of how you actually look and appear to people, but a matter of how you seem to yourself. These are the exact body image issues that a lot of people (especially teens) struggle with…thinking they’re ugly or fat or too skinny, when in fact, they’re perfectly average.
Has there ever been a more unlikable male character than Will Schuester? At this point, I hope he gets into a tragic accident so Uncle Jesse can replace him. I have never rooted so hard against someone in my life, but my god, he sucks.
This is exactly how I feel. I want Uncle Jesse and less Will.
Go Uncle Jesse!
He started as a likable character… now i don’t know
Uncle Jesse is SOOOOO much better than Will!!!
I couldn’t even watch him with Emma, I had to do the peek between my fingers thing. The character is entirely too pervy, nothing against the actor.
Ya’ll are kidding right? You prefer the dentist over Will? That’s just crazy. Also U.J.’s singing part in the episode was horrible. Not just the singing but the way he performed it. MORE shirtless Will Schuster!
Uncle Jessie ROCKED Hot Patootie!
Well I think that’s the point at this stage, which was the point of last nights episode, the beginning of Will’s redemption. I like that.
I agree, Will has gotten douchier as the series progresses. Though I do like Matthew Morrison, he and his pecs which were on full display in Vogue a few months ago.
Give me “dough boy” anyday over ridiculous looking abs. They’re just not the “norm”.
He is becoming increasingly awful, isn’t he?
I agree! Six packs actually look strange to me.
I’m offended. This borderlines on pedophilia.
You’re aware that all of these actors are in their twenties, right? They aren’t ACTUALLY in high school.
Well that didn’t seem to matter when there was such an outrage because of the pics of some of the Glee actors in GQ
Plus I was being facetious. I know they are in their 20s.
Rolo is joking. He is mimicking the Parent TV Council copy. Don’t be so gullible.
Somebody who gets it. There is hope afterall
This cracks me up especially after all the uproar of those pics in GQ.
Answer to your question: Both.
This is why the uproar over GQ was so absurd. Just make it the men showing skin & the women/gay patrol is just fine with it.
Except throughout the episode they kept talking about how age-inappropriate it was for the guys to expose themselves, and in the end they did not perform for an audience. While the GQ spread featured actresses in their 20s, they are heavily associated with their characters, and the young women were presented as provocative school girls. There is a difference.
Are you joking? I’d say the guys presented IN THE SHOW are “heavily associated with their characters.” And the heavy breathing EW recap and many posts about how “hot” the boys were illustrate that “talking about” age-inappropriateness is just so much hoo-haw when they’re showing the skin anyway. C’mon, now.
The major issue with the GQ pictures is not that the girls are in their underwear, but they are very suggestive. I’m sure you’ve seen women in less on the beach. There are many magazines were you see people with less clothes on. I think comparing bare-chested guys to the GQ pictures is like apples and oranges. When you see pictures of the guys pulling their boxers and as if almost revealing their crotch in a sexual manner, then that would be on the GQ level.
Gay patrol? I never take offense but I will on this. I really don’t care about the GQ pics. Actually I thought the girls looked hot. They are adults so if they want to do that more power to them. Just because it may not be my preference to see scantily clad girls doesn’t mean I am going to make a commotion over it. What I am happy about is guys are starting to show their stuff. Good let’s even this stuff up. I can look at a muff for “artistic” value but give me some “artistic” penis shots too. Skarsgard I am looking at you!
“Of course, it could be considered hypocritical….” Gee, ya think?
Definitely educational AND super hot. As a girl who doesn’t live up to today’s Barbie-doll body type standard, I always wondered if guys had the same issues, worrying about how they look.
twinks do nothing for me… i prefered mr. shue’s fuzz… now that was hot…
Cory Montieth is hardly a twink.
I think there’s only a two- or three-year age difference between Cory and Matthew Morrison. Morrison’s just, um… fuzzier.
i was referring to the blond, brian.
Watching last night’s ep made me think that the entire GQ shoot and controversy was planned. The debate was all these talking heads yammering about the girls and then Glee cleverly threw in an ep centered around male body issues. It almost felt like a planned response. I loved it regardless.
well said, armstrong.
I really liked the fact that Glee addressed male body-image issues, as it is more common than one might think. And it wasn’t just Finn that was part of that arc. Did you notice how obsessive Chord’s character was about his body. It was to the point I might think he has body dysmorphia. I hope the episode made people think a bit more about the subject of body-image in general.
“I mean, sure, if I skip a workout or eat a hot dog, I hate myself for a few days, but…”
This is SO common among women that I was glad to hear it come out of a male character’s mouth. Mostly because it seems, in our society, that guys don’t have to TRY like we do.
Well believe me… we do.
Hardly any straight men care about their body to the degree it was represented on the show.