By now, you’ve all heard of the controversy surrounding MTV’s newest show, “Skins”. No, not that it’s another remake of a UK show. You’ve heard the hoopla that the Parents Television Council have stirred up. They’ve labeled it the most dangerous show for teens, stating the teenage characters partaking in drugs, sex and alcohol as the reason(s).
The lack of Rock & Roll is the true crime here!
Though their heads might be in the right place, their agenda isn’t. By labeling “Skins” the most dangerous show for teens, it’s giving the program the much needed publicity it wants and needs. If the PTC doesn’t want teenagers viewing the program, they should have kept their traps shut. By doing so, there’s a good chance a lot of teenagers would have passed on the show or possibly haven’t heard of it. Once you tell them they can’t watch it, they’ll do so, even if the show is crap.
Why do you think this show is so popular?
If you need even more proof to this theory, this review should do the trick. I wouldn’t have given this show the time of day if it weren’t for the controversy surrounding it. Curiosity got the best of me, so I actually allowed MTV to enter my life for once. Thankfully, it was only for forty-five minutes (which was still too long). So, take off your shirt and bare your skin, because that’s the best pun I can come up with.
That warning is to shy you away from watching a terrible show.
The show starts off with what looks to be a drugged-up teenager walking barefoot in the road. Sounds like the opening of a slasher flick, not a teen dramedy. She signals for her brother, Tony, to cause a distraction so she can sneak into her house. He does so, but not before taking a peek at the next door neighbor’s hooters (she was flaunting it, though).
Once he’s finished, he blasts his music, causing his father to storm into his room. In the midst of the two arguing over the music (which is still blaring), his sister (whose name I never caught, not that it matters) sneaks into her room, with her parents being none the wiser. Tony’s dad storms off, while he sports a shit-eating grin. Speaking of shit, he then prevents his father from doing so by locking the bathroom door and sneaking out the window. This sounds like the beginning of an 80’s high school comedy.
“Bastards are stealing my material!”
After he ditches his house, he calls up all of his buddies to set up a party. This isn’t your average party, though. They’ll be booze, drugs and scantily clad women. Scratch that, this is a normal party. The reason he’s throwing this shindig is to get his friend, Stanley, laid. Why? He’s turning 17 and it’s a crime he’s not laid yet. Oh, peer pressure, how I miss you! By the way, here’s Stanley:
The pure definition of sex appeal.
Though he’s no catch, I could see him easily getting laid. Give him a stoner gimmick and he’s good to go. Not that I’m promoting this, just pointing out a character possibility. It’s not as if Tony is a catch, either.
It’s as if they took Penn Badgley, stripped him of his good looks and made him an idiot.
Of course, he’s designated as the hottest guy in school, which makes me fear for what the football team looks like. He’s also not appealing or funny in the least. He’s a crude and annoying teenager who spouts off swear words and sexual innuendo as if it makes him cool. I may do so as well, but I know I’m not cool (that and I do it out of mere habit). He has the personality of a brick.
Not that Brick, though he does deserve his own show.
He has a hot girlfriend named Michelle, who Stanley has a crush on. Bet you didn’t see that coming. He teases his friend that he’s hooking him up with her, but is actually lining him up with Cadie. She’s addicted to drugs and is certifiably insane. And I’m not saying that for the hell of it. The show does it’s best to drive it into our brain that she’s insane. She plays with knives, for crying out loud!
That, or she has a fetish for them.
We get a glimpse of character development in both Stanley and Cadie when the two meet. But, the show shoves that under the rug for the sake of more sexual innuendo. Hooray, innuendo! We quickly shuffle towards the party, but are greeted to Stanley buying drugs from a crazy drug dealer named La Dong. If that’s not bad enough, he has a PHD; pretty huge dick. I’m convinced this show was written by a 13 year-old.
Once he buys the drugs (well, he’s loaned them), he sets sail to the party. Once there, we’re greeted to the standard teenage party fare that has been present in most high school/college comedies since the dawn of time. Drugs, alcohol, sex, loud music, lesbians, horny teens and a brawl for all.
Looks like filming has begun for the direct-to-video sequel to “Superbad”.
Cadie gets whacked out of her mind, which is what Tony and Stanley had planned all along. Neither she nor Stanley can go through with the act, though, because he’s in love with Michelle. Even if he weren’t, Cadie passes out, preventing any snu snu from occurring. Well, it could have actually happened, but the show thankfully has some decency. Worried about her, Stanley and the gang steal a car and head for the hospital.
So much for decency.
Just as they get to the hospital, Cadie wakes up out of her drug-induced stupor. They park the stolen vehicle behind the hospital, let Cadie take a piss and light up some blunts. Like an idiot, Tony puts the car in drive and sends the gang into the river, sans Cadie. They somehow survive, prompting Cadie to state, “You’re alive. That’s cool… I guess.” You guess? When was there any doubt that your friends (as terrible as they are) being alive was a bad thing?
This is what happens when you let Nick Nolte drive.
The show closes with the gang all returning home to safety, presumably setting up for another episode of wacky shenanigans. Though I can see some alarming subject matter in the show, I don’t think there’s anything for the PTC to get up in arms about. After all, most of this has been done countless times in movies and television in the past. Even the High School aspect has been done before, leaving “Skins” to feel like a limp carbon copy. The only thing offensive about the show is it’s poor quality.
However, if there are any parents out there objecting to this show, here’s a simple solution: prevent your children from watching it! As a parent, it is your job to dictate what is right and wrong for your child to watch. If you feel “Skins” will ruin their minds, then simply slap the parental lock onto it. That’s what it’s there for.
As for you teens out there, I recommend you watch “Degrassi” and/or “The Inbetweeners” as opposed to this. Both deal with the same subject matter, but handle it much better. “Degrassi” actually has talent on board and handles the dilemmas well. The acting is good, the writing is superb and there are lessons to be learned. “The Inbetweeners” is “Skins” if it were funny and had characters that are likable. Since it’s a UK show, though, I have a feeling you’ll skip it. Oh well, your loss!
Oh, and before I finish, I’d like to leave you all with this image:
I can hear the fan-fiction being written already!
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