There is no doubt that most of the news-watching world has seen the ruckus stirred by GQ’s most recent spread.

“Glee” stars Lea Michele, Dianna Agron and Cory Monteith were most recently photographed in GQ’s November issue. In case you haven’t seen it, Agron and Michele are photographed wearing skimpy clothes, clinging to Monteith like desperate hussies, and otherwise engaging in shenanigans that The Parents Television Council called, “near-pornographic pedophilia.”

I have to say I agree with them, but not for the same reasons.

Parents everywhere are up in arms about the sexy ‘Glee’ photos because all three stars play high school students on a popular television show. That’s how they earn their living, and that’s how much of America sees them. Most supporters of the photo shoot say the stars are in their twenties and have the right to take sexy pictures if they want.

The problem with the photos isn’t that Monteith, Agron and Michele play high school kids on television. The problem is that they portray childlike innocence in a sexual way in the photo shoot.

One photo published in GQ’s latest issue displays a picture of Michele in a baseball-style t-shirt and panties sucking on a lollipop. GQ’s website features more photos of Agron and Michele scantily clad, while Monteith is pictured fully clothed. One of the pictures featuring Michele and Agron depict Agron in a sexy-yet-sweet outfit, giving even more fodder to an otherwise sexual depiction of childhood.

The difference between how Monteith is portrayed and how Agron and Michele are portrayed brings to light a key issue: that Monteith is made to look like a stud, while Agron and Michele look like they are dependent on him. The cover photo alone says that. He’s got a handful of each of them, and they cling to him like weak, pathetic creatures.

In response to the criticism, Agron apologized for the racy pictures and said on her blog, “Nobody is perfect, and these photos do not represent who I am.” Be that as it may, the decision to pose for this photo shoot without thinking about the repercussions makes her look like the mindless floozy she’s portrayed as in these pictures.

Agron and Michele are both adults, and if they want to pose for sexy photo shoots for the fun of it, they should be allowed to. Sexy pictures, for some women, are simply a part of adult life. But sexualizing something that should be regarded as innocent isn’t cool to a lot of people, parents or not.

GQ is obviously a men’s magazine and will continue to publish racy pictures of almost naked women as long as there are women willing to take their clothes off. And as long as publications like GQ want to feature pictures sexualizing something that should be innocent, there will be women as dumb as Agron and Michele to supply the demand.