Glee's 'touching' sex episode

Two teen couples — one of them gay — lose their virginity on the hit Fox series. Was it as controversial as advance hype led us to believe?

"Glee"'s Blaine and Rachel
(Image credit: Adam Rose/FOX)

Was it good for you? On Tuesday's episode of Glee, two of the series' most popular couples — Finn and Rachel, and Kurt and Blaine — had sex for the first time. Before what's become known as the "sex episode" even aired, it sparked controversy. The Parents Television Council weighed in predictably, calling the show's decision to "celebrate children having sex... reprehensible." Others focused on the fact that Glee's writing staff gave equal weight to both teen couples — gay and straight — as they grappled with the prospect of losing their virginity. Now that the episode aired and critics are post-coital, the question is: Was the controversy overblown?

What was so scandalous? "Unless you're homophobic or believe everyone should be totally chaste until marriage," Glee's sex episode was relatively tame, says Margaret Hartmann at Jezebel. It actually celebrated teens who wait until they're 17 and 18 to have protected sex with a loving partner with whom they're in a committed relationship — something you'd imagine parents groups would support. "If anything, the sex [was] too romantic and unrealistic, but that's probably smart" considering Glee wants to assert that "there's nothing scary or uncomfortable about gay teens in love."

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Kevin Fallon is a reporter for The Daily Beast. Previously, he was the entertainment editor at TheWeek.com and a writer and producer for TheAtlantic.com's entertainment vertical. He is only mildly embarrassed by the fact that he still watches Glee.