Bill O'Reilly called out "Glee" for encouraging teenagers to experiment with "alternative lifestyles" on Thursday night.
The Fox News host was discussing the show's message with guests Gretchen Carlson and Jeanine Pirro. He began by saying that "Glee" was a "good show" with "lots of talent" and "positive messages." However, he took issue with what he said was the program's "recurring theme that alternative lifestyles may be a big positive."
After watching a clip of one character cross-dressing, guest Gretchen Carlson heaved a huge sigh. "Here we go again, pandering to .3% of the American population that considers themselves transgender," she said. "Now I get to explain this to my 8-year-old, if i want her to see a nice family show with some nice music."
She also took issue with a storyline about two cheerleaders who are lesbians, and two seniors who are engaged to be married. "[The show seems] to have a positive message about hopes and dreams and taking risks," Carlson opined. "But why do they have to come up with these wild story lines to prove their point? I don’t get it."
O'Reilly said that the problem was that the storylines, like the one featuring two students making a sex tape, were unrealistic. Kids "might go out and experiment with this stuff," he warned.
Pirro was extremely skeptical. "Do you really think this kind of thing is contagious?" she asked incredulously.
Carlson interjected, saying that watching "Glee" wouldn't change someone's sexuality, but would encourage experimentation.
"I wholeheartedly believe in today's society that kids are experimenting with homosexuality," she stressed. "We see it in celebrities who maybe just do it on the side, and it may be drug-fueled."
Speaking to Pirro, O'Reilly maintained that "Glee" — which he said was "undeniably a good program" — made the issues dealt with on the show "glamorous."
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