Advertisers have been pulling out of the MTV series “Skins” (above) since it debuted last Monday night and came under attack from the Parents Television Council.
The PTC has been calling this American remake of an award-winning BBC series “child porn” because the show dramatizes sexual activity by characters who are under the age of consent.
Taco Bell announced last week that it would not be one of the sponsors of tonight’s episode and the Wrigley gum company — which ran a commercial on the first episode — has also suspended its advertising on “Skins.”
The fast-food chain Subway has dropped its plans to advertise on tonight’s episode, according to today’s Hollywood Reporter.
The Los Angeles Times reported today that H&R Block has issued a statement claiming that their ad on last week’s show was a “mistake.”
The controversy demonstrates once again the problems that surround any depiction of teen sexuality under the current very loosely defined child pornography laws.
The newest laws are so broad that some teen girls have been brought up on child porn charges for texting racy pictures of themselves to their friends.
If convicted, these girls would be on ‘sex offender’ registries for the rest of their lives.
Rather than target underground hard-core pornography that exploits children and underage teens — documentation of illegal sexual activity — the laws make it possible to threaten those who produce any stories that dramatize the sex lives of underage characters.
Applied liberally, the current child porn laws could be used to prosecute the Vladimir Nabokov novel “Lolita” and the two film versions of the book.
For many years, those of us who monitor the Motion Picture Association of America’s rating system have noted that films about teens containing explicit content have often been given an R rating, putting young performers in the awkward position of not being able to get into their own films without a parent or adult guardian.
Jodie Foster was Oscar-nominated for her performance as a New York City prostitute in the R-rated “Taxi Driver” (below) when she 14 and Gary Grimes (above, left) was only 15 when he played the boy who lost his virginity to a World War II widow in the R-rated “Summer of ’42” (which years later was cut and re-rated PG).
If either of those two award-winning pictures turned up on MTV tonight, they would be just as open to the child porn charges of the Parents Television Council as “Skins.”
Leave it alone ! IF ANYONE FINDS IT OFFENSIVE, THEY JUST SHOULDN’T WATCH IT!! How stupid can they all be? Just press the button & change the channel !! They have NO RIGHT at ALL to decide what everyone else SHOULD or SHOULDN’T watch.
This show hasn’t got a strong purpose. just trying to get a rise from an audience, with a bunch of pre-pubescent actors! In today’s society with all the corruption,violence,lack of morals,etc,etc. Do we really need to welcome this into our home?
Yes we can block it from our children to view. But why would we even have to do that as an option? MTV has gone too far !!
Marena, I think you missed the point of the question poised: “Does Skins qualify as “Child Porn”. Unless the producers are passing off adult actors as teenagers, it appears that it is illegal child porn, for which MTV should be held accountable. Just because it is pseudo reality TV does not mean it can skirt the laws. MTV has always had a habit of pushing the envelope to then establish the norm. That’s fine when it comes to adults. Don’t exploit kids just so some adults can get their jollies..
Why are British viewers able to handle things maturely and Americans are a bunch of puritanical prudes? Can someone explain?
I love sex, drugs and rock & roll and MTV has crossed the line here. Kids are growing up too fast, we don’t need to help them.
This show is absolutely hideous, masogenistic and disrespectful. Parents, please take a stand and pressure its advertisers to remove this distasteful show from their line up.
The problem is NOT what is being shown, its the fact that they give it the publicity for one. If the parents don’t want their kids to watch it block it. It doesn’t take a brain surgeon on how to figure that out right now. Really worried about it, then pull the plug and hand your kid a book. SOCIETY is at fault for putting blame on every where, but where it should be. Morals, discipline, and discussions should start at home! Watch it first, then watch it with your kids then have a talk with them see how much they want to watch it then when you want to discuss each episode with them. Lets put the time, energy, and efforts on educating the kids, and worrying about real world matters not what the flock they put on tv!
The advertisers will simply dry up in disgust and MTV will have no other choice but to pull the show and halt production of any further episodes. They really crossed the line here.
I watched the 1st episode online and all I can say is DISGUSTING!Don’t any of these people have morals!
I think the PTC needs something better to do. Amazing what people do when they have too much time on their hands.
Just take it off the air.