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Taco Bell Pulling Ads from Racy New MTV Series “Skins”
The cast of the new MTV series, "Skins."
MTV has begun airing a racy new teenage drama called “Skins,” inspired by the BBC series of the same name. The show premiered Monday and brought in 3.3 million viewers, but despite strong numbers, the series looks to be headed for trouble. The show’s graphic nature has upset not only the Parents Television Council, but also advertisers. Taco Bell decided yesterday to pull their ads from the show.
According to The New York Times, the Parents Television Council “called on Congress and the Justice Department to open an investigation regarding child pornography and exploitation. The group asserted in a letter on Thursday that the program may be in violation of federal statutes pertaining to portrayals of child sexual abuse and sexual behavior.”
Several actors in the cast of “Skins” are under 18, and execs at MTV are already frantically trying to tone down nudity and sexual content in upcoming epsides. The Wall Street Journal‘s Speakeasy blog recapped the first episode thusly: “A girl sneaks home after a debauched night of partying. A boy has decorated his bedroom with porno magazines (and not Playboy, the hardcore kind). Another girl is willing to trade sexual favors for drugs. Later, that same girl pops too many pills and has to be rushed to the hospital.”
MTV is particularly worried about the third installment of the series, to air January 31, wherein one of the male characters takes, uh, performance enhancing drugs and is left with a visible erection throughout the episode. The same character is filmed from behind running down the street naked, a la Will Ferrell in “Old School.”
Steven Kurutz of the WSJ writes, “Unlike typical teen shows, there’s seemingly no negative consequences to all this reckless behavior. At one point, the “Skins” gang drives a luxury SUV into a lake — and laughs about it.” I’ve got footage of that and other “reckless behavior” behavior below. Take a look and let me know what you think:
Sources:
A Racy Show With Teenagers Steps Back From a Boundary – NYT
Taco Bell Pulls Ads From MTV’s ‘Skins’ – NYT
MTV’s ‘Skins’ Made Me Wish More Teens Had Tiger Moms – WSJ
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Michele commented on Jan 23 11 at 12:40 amI think people need to relax, that’s what I think. I’m a long-time fan of the original SKINS, and the second I heard that it was being adapted for the American market, I KNEW people were going to get their panties in a bunch about it.
The first episode of this version is an almost exact replica of the British premiere, and where it DOES differ, it does so because MTV toned it DOWN.
Also, regarding the WSJ piece, regarding the lack of consequences: THAT’S THE WHOLE POINT. Almost every attempt at “teen drama” past and present ties the adolescent experience – particularly the negative aspects – up in a neat little bow, illustrating dire consequences immediately following socially unacceptable behavior, and resolving conflict in the space of 30 or 60 minutes.
Reality, however is quite different. For every teenager who engages in underage sex and gets pregnant (or worse), and every teenager who experiments with illicit drugs and meets tragedy, there are literally THOUSANDS who simply continue to live out their lives, with either minimal, non-existent, or delayed consequences. And you know what? That’s OK. It’s always been OK and will always be OK.
ALL of the content that this show explores – and how they explore it – is true to life. Not for all teenagers, of course, but for A LOT of them.
Leave it to the Parents Television Council to completely miss the point.
Amanda commented on Jan 24 11 at 9:41 amI’m glad that people are “getting their panties in a bunch” about this ridiculous show here in the US. At least some of us have some standards and do think that there are lines that shouldn’t be crossed on tv. If that makes us less cool than are friends across the pond, so be it.
brian commented on Jan 24 11 at 1:17 pm@Michelle Everyone has missed the point. What is the controversy? Everyone knows teenagers do drugs, have terrible sex and go through identity crises on a daily basis, but that seems to be all this show is. Each show seems to be tied up in a bow because their is nothing attractive about these kids (actors). Watching the premiere was like sitting at a traffic light with a spike strip waiting for the accidents. If you get your kicks out of watching mayhem thats fine but real quality content focuses on characters, not plot. They could show some kid shooting heroin, but if they cut to a commercial of bubble gum, where is the impact? If we are trying to portray these problems as realistic, we need to treat the real life problems that way too.
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