Skins+-+TV+Show

Megan McKenna ** Skins – TV Show (MTV)  ** ** // Skins  // ****  Overview  ** Started as a television show in the United Kingdom, // Skins // made its way onto American television premiering on MTV in January 2011. // Skins // is a look into the lives of nine teenage friends as they attempt to make it through high school and all of its challenges. Although the names are changed in the US version, the majority of the plot stays the same from the original British version (// Skins // Wikipedia). Addressing issues like sex, drugs, and relationships, the TV show has gotten a lot of mixed reviewed from critics after its airing. ** Characters  ** Tony Snyder (played by James Newman) is the leader of the pack along with his girlfriend Michelle Richardson (played by Rachel Thevenard). After Tony is caught having an affair with Tea Marvelli (played by Sofia Black D’Elia), the friendships in the circle begin to crumble. Stanley Lucerne (played by Daniel Flaherty) has feelings for Cadie Campbell (played by Britne Oldford) at the beginning of the season, and eventually ends up with Michelle after she ends things with Tony. Other characters the show focuses on are Abbud Siddiqui (played by Ron Mustafaa), Chris Collins (played by  Jesse Carere), and Daisy Valero (played by Camille Cresencia-Mills) (// Skins // Wikipedia). A unique aspect to the television show is that each episode in the season focuses on the current life of one of the characters. The first episode, titled “Tony,” showed all of the characters in the series but the plot revolves around the troubles that Tony is going through at that time. Throughout the ten episodes that MTV created and aired, ten different characters are featured in each episode. ** Content  ** The content of the US version of // Skins // is focused around sex, relationships, and a lot of drugs and alcohol. In the first episode titled, “Tony,” the main character Tony has a goal of getting his best friend Stanley to lose his virginity (// Skins //: Episode Guide). Not only does this episode focus on the portrayal of a high school boy being peer pressured to have sexual intercourse for the first time, but the characters in the episode also steal a car and possess illegal and unpaid-for drugs. Some of the other content in the show deals with lesbian relationships and hookups, a cheating boyfriend, STDs, one student’s sexual relationship with a schoolteacher, and excessive partying by high school students (// Skins //: Episode Guide). ** Controversy  **  Even though the show is rated TV-MA for Mature Audiences only, there has been extensive controversy over the content of // Skins // since its premiere in January 2011. MTV hired Bryan Elsley, who created the British version with his then 19-year-old son Jamie Brittain, to adapt it for the United States (Poniewozik, 2011). The Parents Television Council fated the series for its overall "harmful, irresponsible, illegal, and adult-themed behavior." "Skins," the president of the council proclaimed, "may well be the most dangerous show for children that we have ever seen” (Bennett, 2011). Masturbation, porn, references to "girl-on-girl,” parties, vomit, and a whole lot of prescription drugs are just some of the content seen throughout the first ten minutes of the first episode (Bennett, 2011). Besides the concern over what content is being shown, there have also been controversies about whether or not the series is considered child pornography. According to New York Times reporters, “executives at the cable channel (MTV) became concerned that some scenes from the provocative new show 'Skins' may violate federal child pornography statutes” (Sharp, 2011). The Parents Television Council reportedly sent a letter to the Department of Justice and the US Senate and House Judiciary Committees which reads in part: "It is clear that Viacom has knowingly produced material that may well be in violation of [several anti-child pornography laws]” (Martinez, 2011). After this movement from the council, MTV tuned down some of the content so the remaining episodes for the series could be aired, but there is still no word whether or not // Skins // will return for a second season (// Skins // Wikipedia).   Many argue that the content of the show is not what has become the center of controversy, but rather how the series addresses the issues it presents. // Time //magazine online makes this important point: “On //Skins//, the characters do drugs and have sex and have a deep core of sadness. But they don't have a core of sadness //because// they do drugs and have sex. Nor, necessarily, is it the other way around” (Poniewozik, 2011). In comparison to other shows targeted towards teenagers on television today, there are oftentimes no consequences to the actions the high school students participate in. The only time audiences see a character getting punished by the law is in Episode 109, titled “Tina.” In this episode, the schoolteacher Tina ends up getting arrested after her student-teacher sexual relationship gets reported by her “boyfriend,” Chris, after Tina breaks things off with him (// Skins //: Episode Guide). ** Teen Response  **  Besides parents or press response, it’s also important to note how teenage viewers are responding to // Skins //. Many of the responses to articles and on blogs surrounding the discussion of // Skins // is from viewers that are still enrolled in high school. One comment from an article on CBSNews.com reviewing whether or not // Skins // was depicting child pornography stated this: “The show does show the life of a teenager and parents just get mad but it actually is what’s going on in your child’s life you just don’t know about it” (Martinez, 2011). Besides “positive” responses to the program like these, there have also been teenagers that oppose the show and view it as a ridiculous portrayal of teenagers today. Whether or not viewers can relate to the content of the show depends on the group of friends they are surrounded by, but // Skins // will always have controversy hovering overhead, whether its from adults or teenagers.  ** Media Controversy over // Skins // **  Since there are many stories and controversies about // Skins // in the media, many companies decided to pull its advertising from program. Taco Bell, Mars, General Motors, Subway, and Foot Locker are just a few of the companies that decided to withdraw from advertising during // Skins // airing time (FoxNews.com). With content and the issue of child pornography in question, many companies decided that advertising their products might send the wrong message about their brand to young viewers of the show.  ** References  ** Bennett, J. (2011, January 14). The Most Dangerous Show on Television. []  FoxNews.com (2011, January 20). Taco Bell Pulls Ads From Controversial MTV Show 'Skins'  Amid Child Porn Accusations. []  Martinez, E. (2011, January 21). MTV’s “Skins”: Group Calls for Federal Child Porn Probe.  [] Poniewozik, J. (2011, January 18). Generation XXX: MTV Tries to Get Real with //Skins//. [] Sharp, R. (2011, January 20). New MTV Series 'Skins' Faces Controversy Over Racy Content. [] // Skins  // : Episode Guide. (n.d.). Retrieved April 5, 2011, from  [] // Skins  // (North American TV Series). (n.d.). In // Wikipedia //. Retrieved April 5, 2011, from  [] ).