Glee's first time: slightly less than controversial

Entertainment Weekly

The controversy surrounding Glee's "First Time" episode in which three of its characters lose their virginity -- Rachel (with Finn, whom I think was deflowered last season by Santana), and couple Blaine and Kurt --  never really materialized. Oh, there were the complaints from right wing parent's groups for its implications of gay sex, or teen sex in general, but the protests seemed relatively tame, which fell right in line with the show itself: relatively tame.

(I'm ill-equipped at writing recaps, so let me direct you here  or here for a play-by-play of the full episode.)

Don't get me wrong, I thought the episode was quite sweet, and it's undeniably huge to have an out, young character on a big prime-time show show who's not completely desexualized. (This has been a frequent criticism of Kurt's character for some time now.) Although in a very different league, Showtime managed to produce two young gay characters who are allowed to be sexual, at least with the parameters of TV: Shameless's Ian , and the now-defunct United States of Tara's Marshall. Both are far more nuanced and interesting characters, but Glee being the juggernaut that it is, showing -- or rather implying -- that two gay kids had sex is still a pretty big deal.