Parents Television Council Calls MTV's 'Skins' Child Pornography
In a letter to the Department of Justice, the PTC says it found more than forty depictions and references to drugs and alcohol in the series premiere of the new teen show, which stars cast members as young as 15. "The episode included all manner of foul language, illegal drug use, illegal activity as well as thoroughly pervasive sexual content. Moreover, future episodes promise much more of the same," writes PTC President Tim Winter. "It is clear that Viacom has knowingly produced material that may well be in violation of several child pornography and exploitation laws." This after the New York Times confirmed earlier this week that executives at the cable channel were concerned that some scenes could be considered to violate federal child pornography statutes. They are particularly concerned about the third episode of the series, to be broadcast on January 31, in which a naked 17-year-old actor is shown from behind as he runs down a street. But, given the complaint, it remains to be seen whether that scene may be cut before the episode is aired. The scene is virtually identical to that from the British version of the series, which included simulated masturbation, sexual assault, and disrobing teenagers during its run. "Skins is a show that addresses real-world issues confronting teens in a frank way," MTV says in a statement. "We review all of our shows and work with all of our producers on an ongoing basis to ensure our shows comply with laws and community standards." "We are confident that the episodes of Skins will not only comply with all applicable legal requirements, but also with our responsibilities to our viewers." 'Skins' premiered to an audience of 3.3 million on Monday night to set a new first-episode record for the channel among viewers ages 12 to 34.
The Parents Television Council is calling for a federal investigation into whether MTV's 'Skins' could violate child pornography and exploitation laws.
January 21, 2011 | |
