Honors 2501H / English 3360H
Catawba College
Spring 2011
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
MTV Skins
I heard this on NPR today about the controversial new series on MTV called Skins. Plato, Aristotle, and the nature of popular art are all mentioned. Check it out.
I have mixed feelings about Skins. I think that it is the controversy of the show that draws audiences to tune in weekly. Maybe the show is beneficial because it portrays issues that SOME teenagers encounter, but not everyone lives that kind of intense lifestyle. I can understand why parents are concerned because in this link, the man says that kids as young as 12 are watching, and if I had a 12 year old then he or she would certainly not be allowed to watch. I think it was interesting how Plato was brought up in this current debate. It was also amusing when he mentions Jersey Shore! I really enjoyed this link. Thanks James!
Yeah, I agree, Anna. I can see both sides of the coin.
I took 40 minutes last night and watched it on Hulu. It was definitely compelling. I walked away sort of laughing at how ridiculous, at times cliche, and over the top parts of it were e.g. the car going in the lake.
My interpretation was that the writers were poking fun at this idea of the stereotypical lifestyle of troubled teens while still exposing the dangers associated with actions like that. Given what that MTV executive said about encouraging parents to show it to their teens and gauging their reaction, maybe that is the intended effect. However, as the NPR story pointed out, there are no negative consequences, so I see how it could have some parents worried.
I agree that the controversy surrounding the initial episode probably drew in a lot of viewers. It will be interesting to see if they stick with the show or if ratings drop. I think another aspect of the show's appeal might be that it offers teens and young people in this age group who don't partake in that kind of lifestyle the opportunity to live it vicariously.
Perhaps it would be more realistic if there were consequences to the troubling situations, and I never considered the point of view that maybe MTV is making fun of troubled teens. That could be exactly what they are trying to do. It should be interesting to see how the show turns out.
I researched Skins for a bit on the internet and found out that Skins has actually been tried out three times and is scheduled for six seasons. We will see if it makes it that far.
I have mixed feelings about Skins. I think that it is the controversy of the show that draws audiences to tune in weekly. Maybe the show is beneficial because it portrays issues that SOME teenagers encounter, but not everyone lives that kind of intense lifestyle. I can understand why parents are concerned because in this link, the man says that kids as young as 12 are watching, and if I had a 12 year old then he or she would certainly not be allowed to watch. I think it was interesting how Plato was brought up in this current debate.
ReplyDeleteIt was also amusing when he mentions Jersey Shore!
I really enjoyed this link. Thanks James!
Yeah, I agree, Anna. I can see both sides of the coin.
ReplyDeleteI took 40 minutes last night and watched it on Hulu. It was definitely compelling. I walked away sort of laughing at how ridiculous, at times cliche, and over the top parts of it were e.g. the car going in the lake.
My interpretation was that the writers were poking fun at this idea of the stereotypical lifestyle of troubled teens while still exposing the dangers associated with actions like that. Given what that MTV executive said about encouraging parents to show it to their teens and gauging their reaction, maybe that is the intended effect. However, as the NPR story pointed out, there are no negative consequences, so I see how it could have some parents worried.
I agree that the controversy surrounding the initial episode probably drew in a lot of viewers. It will be interesting to see if they stick with the show or if ratings drop. I think another aspect of the show's appeal might be that it offers teens and young people in this age group who don't partake in that kind of lifestyle the opportunity to live it vicariously.
Perhaps it would be more realistic if there were consequences to the troubling situations, and I never considered the point of view that maybe MTV is making fun of troubled teens. That could be exactly what they are trying to do. It should be interesting to see how the show turns out.
ReplyDeleteI researched Skins for a bit on the internet and found out that Skins has actually been tried out three times and is scheduled for six seasons. We will see if it makes it that far.