Teens on MTV's 'Skins.' Teens, not adults. Photo: MTV
MTV loves to push the envelope. Recall Undressed, Real World and Beavis. But the network’s newest boundary smasher, Skins, crosses the line from distasteful to downright dirty.
Less than a week after the premiere, critics are wearing themselves out, crowing with moral outrage. Immorality, drugs, drinking, sex, gays, various states of undress. But my beef isn’t with the teen actors, greedy MTV execs or lapsed ethics.
I have two primary problems with Skins. Selfish stage parents. And gullible teen viewers.
JTT. Not Jersey Shore.
First, these parents. The actors are aged 15-19. That means some of the tots’ parental units had to sign contracts allowing their underage children to appear on international TV pretending to smoke weed, get crunk and simulate sex. One 17-year-old even runs around naked, showing his rear.
Excuse me…most halfway decent parents are worried about their kids having Facebook profiles and somehow ruining their futures! So many dangers: Untoward updates. Racy pictures. Run of the mill adolescent indiscretions. What about doing that…times 10….in front of 3 million viewers?
What happened to protecting your kids? How much of their paychecks are the parents cashing? What childhood dreams of stardom did the parents miss out on? What thought have they given to their teens’ future jobs, education, families…all of which won’t look kindly on illicit drug use and somewhat explicit on-screen sex.
Of course, the teen actors can’t look that far ahead. They can’t even get their ears pierced without permission!
My other concern is for young viewers. Just like the ill-advised actors, teens watching Skins not only think it could be their lives….they think it would be awesome. With all the pleasure and no consequences, hangovers, STDs or broken hearts not remedied by a line…what’s not to admire?
Spano. Not Showgirls. Choose wisely. Photo: NYDN
I remember (embarassingly) being a teenager, watching Passions (again, flooded by shame), knowing it wasn’t real, but thinking I’d spend winter days with friends ice skating and drinking coffee at bookstores. Of course, summers would require showing off my chiseled six pack, beach volleyball and drinking virgin Pina Coladas.
For some reason, teens think their TV counterparts are like them. Believe me. I thought I was Brandon Walsh, Zack Morris, Jonathan Taylor Thomas and Cory Matthews all rolled into one. I wasn’t. I was Samuel “Screech” Powers.
Thank goodness I didn’t think I was a drug addicted, sex crazed boozer.
Hopefully MTV’s teen viewers soon realize it’s way cooler to be Jess Spano than Nomi Malone (Showgirls, ladies and gents).
I’m guessing you didn’t mean the part about admitting that gays are undesireable.
Or did you…?
i actually know the kid in “skins” running around naked.. and its just acting… his parents are good people and hes a good kid… whats the saying??if you cant take the heat get outta the kitchen… there are REAL bad parents out there who actually let their 15 – 16 year old kids do drugs have sex and get “crunked” fo realss… thoes are the parents you should shed a light on.. not a child actors parents… thats just my opinion
Disclaimer: I haven’t seen Skins, so I’m not a great judge of its content. But the whole premise is upsetting. And it IS more upsetting that parents seem to be okay putting their children in these situations for international TV recognition. Okay, okay, it’s acting. But that underage kid is still running around naked and showing of his backside to anyone who “wants” to see it… Miss me some Saved by the Bell.