‘Skins’: Kiddie Porn Hits Cable Television

DAISY PROM
Opinions Editor
There is nothing new about the drug-abuse-party hardy-active teen sex-lives factors of American television; if that’s the case, then why are so many adults concerned with the new scripted MTV series “Skins”? The Parents’ Television Council (PTC) is saying that this particular depiction of high school sex is really pushing it.
The American series was a spin-off of the popular British version of the same title. “Skins” is actually a British slang for papers used to roll a joint, but with many (sexual) connotations going back to the word, it’s probably safe to assume it’s along the lines of some mythical triple entendre.
Although the British original was considered a hit since its debut in 2007, the American audience has received it in a less accepting manner. The pilot first aired in early January with a comfortable 3.3 million viewers, in comparison to a continually popular MTV reality show “Jersey Shore” with 1.4 million viewers in 2009. It is complete with under-aged sex, drug abuse, grand theft auto and something about disobeying parents.
Shocking. But the main focus should be the breach of child pornography laws.
Most of the actors are actual teens in real life, many of them under the age of 18–hence, not legal adults. According to the Justice Department, child pornography is defined as “a picture of a naked child… if it is sufficiently sexually suggestive,” and in “Skins,” the 15- and 16-year-olds having sex qualifies as “sexually suggestive.”
President of the PTC remarks that this is the “most dangerous show for children that we have ever seen,” because most kids’ shows we’ve seen on MTV are easy on the sex and hold off on the marijuana.
Even Taco Bell withdrew its ads from the broadcast, as fiscal gains are not worth it in the face of this uproar. MTV is asking the producers of the show to tone it down–and something is serious when the same network that broadcasts shows like “The Real World” and “Jersey Shore” asks one of their shows to tone it down.
Family therapist Terry Real commented on the show, and was disturbed at how reckless the show was. Supposedly, these actors are sending the message to American teens is that if you don’t do any of the aforementioned “cool” things, then you’re not normal. Actual teens defended the show, saying that television doesn’t make teens do bad things–teens do. Though the series is considered to be the edgier part of the true-to-life genre, the PTC demands the parodied reality to stop airing.
Perception is one thing; however, the issue that these kid actors are, well, kids is something to change the focus to. With all of the ruckus of the possible corruption of our pure youth, people seem to forget that this show is child pornography in the making. In fact, MTV could be facing some charges, as they consented to the filming of nude, kid actors taking on the roles of nymphomaniacs. Child porn is a serious issue, and the rules don’t change just because it happens to be featured in an official television program. The actors do not mind the filming, but that is not to say it should be encouraged and popularly accepted.
In Britain, the actors were also under 18 when the series first aired, but it was more widely accepted than in the States. British TV critic Patrick Smith boasts that it is a proud Brit trait to appreciate the genuineness of a series that means to be accurate. Besides, the characters are “too complex to be considered role models,” and this is coming from an adult.
MTV has not pulled the show, and maybe this is good. The message of this overblown issue may teach us a lesson if we choose to learn from it: Child pornography is bad and appreciating the art of televised entertainment is good.