Is MTV's 'Skins' Child Porn?

This was the headline of an article on AOL this morning. Jean Bentley of “TV Squad” reported that the show’s executives had an emergency meeting to discuss “toning down” some of the future episodes that could be considered child pornography under Federal law. One episode, set to air on January 31st, purportedly shows the buttocks of a 17 year old boy running naked down the street. This may seem tame compared to some of the things we see on TV on other shows during prime time but a 17 year old, naked, on national television? Really?

The first question that comes to my mind when I read about this show is “Why?” Why is it necessary to make a television show that depicts “hard-partying, drug-taking, sexually active teenagers” and why is it necessary to show one of them naked? I realize it may be a reality show of sorts, or at least it depicts reality for some. But when did it become OK to show naked, minor age teenagers on television? For that matter – when did it become OK to film naked teenagers? Isn’t that, in itself, against Federal child pornography laws? The producers may take that scene out of the show for the 31st but based on the information in this article, shouldn’t the FBI be moving in to investigate what’s already been filmed?

So that’s my second question: Is the FBI investigating this show, its producers, its director and the crew that films naked 17 year old kids? I’ve never seen the show and won’t watch it but I have to wonder if they’ve already crossed the nudity line for kids what must the sex scenes be like? I’m sure teenagers all over the country love the show and watch it every week. That would be normal teenage behavior. And they wouldn’t see anything wrong with it because for many of them it is reality. But the parent in me, and simply the adult in me, screams “How are these people getting away with this kind of garbage??”

Have we sunk so low as a society that putting naked 17 year old kids on TV is acceptable? Some will say “It’s only his butt” to which I say “Why is that acceptable? Would it be OK for someone to film your son or daughter naked and put it on TV? And remember – the scene shows a kid’s naked butt but the kid had to be naked in front of a lot of adults for the scene to be filmed. What’s next?”

I truly hope adults, parents, all over the country will contact Federal authorities and demand an investigation into this television show and those who make it. Our kids today have enough problems without TV producers exploiting them even worse than they are already. The fact that “a flurry of meetings took place during which executives discussed the possibility of facing criminal charges if especially racy episodes were shown without editing” proves they know what they’re doing but were trying to push the envelope of decency. I’m disgusted by it and hope others are as well.