Skins

Finally, there's a legal angle so I can blog more about "Skins," MTV's infuriating new show that stakes out new territory in the realm of socially irresponsible programming for kids by portraying rampant drug use, casual sex, and general mayhem as hallmarks of the teenage experience.  It seems that network executives have just realized that the program may violate child pornography laws.  Funny how that happens when you aim for realistic depictions of teenage sex among actors who are, well, teenagers.  The network lauds the show as being 1) realistic and 2) aimed at an adult audience.  Point #2 is laughable, as evidenced by the fact that 1.2 million viewers of the first episode were under 18.  Point #1 is more diabolical.  Are there teenagers who use illegal drugs, engage in casual sex with multiple partners, and defy all sources of authority?  Of course.  The danger with this show, from what I understand, is that it normalizes the behavior.  The characters are not outliers -- they represent the teenage experience.  Television can reflect reality, but it also shapes reality.  Even writers at Salon -- hardly a culturally conservative outfit -- remarked that the characters engaged in rampant drug use, casual sex, and general defiance suffer no repercussions for their behavior.  There is no lesson to be learned.  The behavior itself marks the teenage experience.  Watch and learn, eighth graders!