MTV Executives Worried Skins May Violate Child Pornography Laws

[Unrulyhandbag]

Why does sex have to be pornography?

If it's being used as part of the narrative then it's got some artistic merit, I'm fucking sick of people getting up in arms over sex, which (between consenting parties, of course) is a harmless act, yet shoot someone dead in a movie and nobody raises an eyebrow.

It's a pointless double-standard and I honestly never take the "think of the children" argument seriously, if people are willing to imitate something they saw on T.V.,game or movie then, even if you completely ban it, they would've done it eventually anyway so either step in and educate them on the risks or leave them to it; it's inevitable for stupid people to do stupid things.

Depictions of sex do not equate to pornography and the British laws surrounding acting reflect that pretty well*; which is how dross like skins ever got made in the first place.
If it's going to be an issue in America then you have to wonder why they are 'localising' it at all just show the original version and write it off, when pressed, as a weird social kink of the British.

Quite why anyone would think children would imitate skins is beyond me. There is nothing glamorous about it, which is kind of the point. Stupid teens doing stupid (and exaggerated) teen shit and continually getting their comeuppance is hardly something to emulate.



* You can televise limited material that has to pass a test of social decency before the watershed hour and after that anything that isn't in of itself illegal.

In this case: The Protection of Children Act 1978 makes it a criminal offence to involve a minor under the age of 18 in a photograph or television image that is itself indecent. This means that in drama, any actors that are required to be filmed in scenes of an explicit sexual nature must be at least 18 years old, regardless of the age of the character they are playing. Further, while portrayal of adult-adult sex and minor-minor sex is considered fine within narrative, adult-minor sex is illegal to film.

edit:

Almost no one I know goes through this, I dont go through this, and it's getting anyoing only seeing shows makeing teenagerhood look like a liveing hell.

Translation: Nobody I know has ever been through these experiences, so they must never happen, and thus the show is unrealistic!
.

Some people do go through this sort of life and if you don't know any then good for you. I know a lot of people my age for whom this is a fairly accurate description of their teens (if adjusted for the nineties) and how their insane lives coloured my own teen years.

Oh, and as stories go drug fuelled sexcapades and tragedies of slightly broken families is a way more interesting theme then a quiet lower-middle class family and their children's moderate social success.

 

[maddog015]

Anyone remember that movie KIDS? Is this basically the TV version of that? Because that's basically what I'm picking up on.

 

[hooblabla6262]

I loved the first two seasons of original Skins, and was a little disappointed that the US was going to try to make "their own version" because the US is the land of censorship, for the most part.

But hey, if you think that stopping your kids/teens from watching television will make them good wholesome adults who never have premarital sex and do drugs, then you keep huffing that paint thinner folks.

All I know is that the next season of UK skins is right around the corner, and if it is anything like the first two season, I will be pleased as punch.

Oh, and one more thing. The odds of any normal, boring, teenager relating to this show are probably pretty low, but some of us can. Just because these exact events didn't happen in your life, doesn't mean you can't relate to the emotions that are expressed. This is a video game forum, so most of us can just look to Sid (or whatever his american counterpart is).

 

[Jonci]

Some people are such fucking prudes. I doubt there's anything illegal even about the British version and the American version would never come close because there are too many puritan idiots everywhere. But, of course, there are always people that could put puritans to shame like the PTC that panicks the moment any part of them tingles from seeing another person. The concept sounds dull at best and probably won't get the ratings outside of the initial shock appeal being generated by the PTC and related "protection" groups.

 

[Buchichu]

I watched the UK version and it was pretty good - great acting anyway - but "realistic"? Not where I come from, anyway. Jesus, if the way those kids acted was in any way representative of the general teen population society would crumble in about 2 generations.

Come to edinburgh then, apart from the more dramatic plot points (the season one finale, cassies character ect) the drink, sex and drugs are all par for the course up here among some of my friends.

Well at least at my former school.

that's really creepy, then. or maybe I was just too naive in high school to notice all this supposed debauchery going on, but it's enough to make me want to home-school my kid if that's the case.

so gross.

 

[Woodsey]

Yeah we do, I actually live in Bristol so had to put up with all the cast and crew closing off streets I needed to walk down, bastards

Unlucky, I suppose you're looking forward to the next two years where the process shall be repeated ad (further) nauseam.

I'm pretty sure they weren't.

Kaya Scodelario (Effy) has a sex scene in the first episode of the third series and I'm pretty sure she was 17 then, and she'd already had scenes in the prior 2 series.

That would constitute photography/filmography involving a minor involved in sexually suggestive poses/movement. I'm fairly sure that that is illegal so she was probably over 18, at least in series 3 and 4.

Well, Wikipedia says she is only now 18. I'm pretty sure those aren't the rules - depicting someone having sex who is ever the consent age shouldn't make it bloody child porn.

 

[M0PHEAD]

Meh, the entire series is unnecessary anyway- from what I hear they pretty much copy pasted the script from English Skins season one, but set it in America. I liked English Skins (generation one anyway, before it all got so serious) but I can't see the need to remake something to this extent when it was done well enough the first time. Would it be so hard to come up with some original characters? Anybody with access to Wikipedia will already know the story.

I haven't actually watched it, but I'm guessing it will be worse than the original. Did anybody see that terrible American remake of "Life on Mars"? The English version was brilliant, but got butchered in the States.

On topic... I can't really take this seriously as a seventeen year old British kid- 16 is legal and pretty universally accepted over here.


PS. Totally agree with everybody saying that Misfits is where it's at, you should really go and check that out of you've never seen it.

 

[ChocoFace]

Does such a thing like Pedobear Seal of Disapproval exist?
Seriously though, i couldn't care less about this show.

 

[dancinginfernal]

Nobody cares about it anyways. Most people stopped caring about MTV in general when it stopped actually having to do with music.

Oh, here's an idea.

Don't let your kids watch Skins. Or MTV. Or TV at all.

Better yet, duct tape their eyes shut.

But...Futurama...

The last two were sarcastic.

I was playing along with the joke.

 

[ph0b0s123]

Again, when did the Escapist start running stories about anything to do with pedos or child porn. I don't see the relation this story has to the normal subject matter of this website. The UK skins was a 'cool' show for 'cool people' and is the kind of 'cool' stuff I come here to get away from.

It suprises me that this has not come up before. Aren't there loads of shows out there that are about young people and their relationships and sex. Aren't their loads of examples of 'children' being portayed as sexual. Highschooler Buffy and Angel being intermate comes to mind. But no-one batted an eye-lid. Skins and inbetweeners (love this BTW) in the UK deals graphically with under 18's and sex. But that is also OK since the actors are over 18.

 

[BlackWidower]

Who would have thought reality would be illegal.

 

[Double A]

Nobody cares about it anyways. Most people stopped caring about MTV in general when it stopped actually having to do with music.

Oh, here's an idea.

Don't let your kids watch Skins. Or MTV. Or TV at all.

Better yet, duct tape their eyes shut.

But...Futurama...

The last two were sarcastic.

I was playing along with the joke.

But Futurama is awesome.

 

[The Stonker]

Who the hell wants to watch a bunch of dumb ass teenagers doing stupid crap, including drugs and underage sex (and actual underage nude persons, as this article states as well). This show should be pulled, honestly. We have enough crap like this on as is, but this is just trying to find some way to push the boundaries and be "cool" for it. Annoying!

EDIT:

As a teenager, I find shows like this to be rather rage-induceing. I know some teenagers get into really bad spots but these shows go rather over-board in trying to point out the bad stuff where it is. Almost no one I know goes through this, I dont go through this, and it's getting anyoing only seeing shows makeing teenagerhood look like a liveing hell. If you want to do something to help teens in a tight spot, then by all means, go for it. But keep your sweeping generalizations out of my television, thank you very much.

OT: Meh, whatever the show thinks it needs to do I guess, see reasons above for why I don't really care if it fails.

Agreed with this on all counts!

Americans! That's who!

 

[milkkart]

id say its more likely to violate laws against excessive shittyness.

 

[Wrists]

That would constitute photography/filmography involving a minor involved in sexually suggestive poses/movement. I'm fairly sure that that is illegal so she was probably over 18, at least in series 3 and 4.

Well, Wikipedia says she is only now 18. I'm pretty sure those aren't the rules - depicting someone having sex who is ever the consent age shouldn't make it bloody child porn.

Whether they're over age of consent or not, I remain fairly sure that that's how it works. Not entirely logical perhaps, but true as far as I know.

 

[Woodsey]

That would constitute photography/filmography involving a minor involved in sexually suggestive poses/movement. I'm fairly sure that that is illegal so she was probably over 18, at least in series 3 and 4.

Well, Wikipedia says she is only now 18. I'm pretty sure those aren't the rules - depicting someone having sex who is ever the consent age shouldn't make it bloody child porn.

Whether they're over age of consent or not, I remain fairly sure that that's how it works. Not entirely logical perhaps, but true as far as I know.

Well, from what I know, she was under 18 when they filmed that.

This is like that sex at 16, porn at 18 thing though.

 

[Wrists]

This is like that sex at 16, porn at 18 thing though.

Yeah, it makes about as much sense as that. If you choose to act as a career, why would you have to wait for an arbitrary age before pretending to do something they can actually have done for two years, legally that is. Ah well.

 

[Leg End]

Umm... but it sucks.(No offense to those that like it)
Admittedly,I didn't watch it but my sister did. It doesn't live up to the standard that you would expect for "quality programming". Plus, I doubt that any future episodes would have had anything even remotely CLOSE to CP.

[sub]And FYI, 15 isn't Pedophilia, that's Ephebophilia. Please learn the difference.[/sub]

 

[dancinginfernal]

Nobody cares about it anyways. Most people stopped caring about MTV in general when it stopped actually having to do with music.

Oh, here's an idea.

Don't let your kids watch Skins. Or MTV. Or TV at all.

Better yet, duct tape their eyes shut.

But...Futurama...

The last two were sarcastic.

I was playing along with the joke.

But Futurama is awesome.

Exactly.