'Skins' Star Defends Show: 'It's What Teens Are Doing'

By Rob Shuter Posted Jan 21st 2011 03:16PM

While MTV's new show 'Skins' takes heat for being too hot (critics equate it to child pornography and advertisers are pulling out), one thing's for sure: It almost certainly makes a star out of Sofia Black-D'Elia, who plays a lesbian teen on the controversial series. Sofia defends 'Skins' on my HDNet show 'Naughty But Nice With Rob,' telling me people should watch before they judge.

"It's pushing the boundaries for teen drama because I think 'Skins' goes where other shows are afraid to," Sofia says, arguing that she believes most of the controversy is tied to the fact that the cast is comprised of actual teens whose characters are "doing these things," like having sex and doing drugs.

Sofia, 18, defends the show, saying, "It's what teens are doing. It's the way teenagers believe, I think, especially you know in certain situations when you come from home lives where your parents don't really support you or really listen to you. That's what most of these kids are going through."

She added, "And so, um, the drugs and the sex, they're vices, and that's what teenagers have."

'Skins' debuted Monday to 3.3 million viewers, most of them between ages 12-34. Since then a major sponsor, Taco Bell, has pulled its advertising, and on Thursday the influential Parents Television Council, a TV watchdog group, called for a federal child porn probe.

MTV isn't shaken, saying in a statement that they are "confident that the episodes of 'Skins' will not only comply with all applicable legal requirements, but also with our responsibilities to our viewers."

Further, a TV executive who knows about all the inner workings of MTV tells me that the network has always parlayed controversy into ratings and that nothing will be different about 'Skins.'

"At the end of the day controversy mean ratings," my source says. "MTV has always been know for addressing teen and young people's issues and concerns with respect and honesty."

With such huge ratings for the debut, 'Skins' will not be going anywhere soon, and neither will young actress Sofia Black-D'Elia. Trust me, this talented young lady, who you may have seen on 'All My Children,' will be around for a long time. See for yourself: 'Skins' airs Mondays at 10PM.

To watch my entire interview with Sofia and hear what Joan Rivers really thinks of Sarah Palin, tune into 'Naughty But Nice With Rob,' Saturdays at 1 PM and again at 7 PM, exclusively on HDNet. Don't have HDNet? Call your cable company!

Follow Rob on Twitter for Scoop All Day Long!

Tags: Naughty But Nice With Rob, skins, Sofia Black DElia

Comments

(119)

Friday 21 January

By Sara

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This is NOT what teens are doing. I know hundreds of teens. This behavior is not happening. This show is trash, and it is just one more thing for a parent to deal with. If MTV wants to go where no other shows are going...perhaps they could air quality programming for a change. That would certainly push the boundaries.

By HAT

Lowest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

How do you know "Hundreds" of teens ?

By TERRY

yea good ? HAT

By zmrc7

So just because some people do something wrong that is reason to celebrate and glamorize it? Such sound reasoning.I love reading this , So does My boyfriend .he is almost 11year older than me .i met him via age'lessmate.c'om a nice place for seeking age le ss love.which gives you a chance to make your life better and open opportunities for you to meet the attractive young girls and treat you like a king. Maybe you wanna check it out or tell your friends..

HAT...I know hundreds of teens because I work with teens, I have teens, they have friends, they play sports with teens, I am in the schools...it isn't very hard to know "Hundreds" of teens...

By Shay House

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I am now 38 but "Skins" is exactly what my life as a teenager was like in the 1980's. Yet, I have a 16 year old niece who's life is not like the show at all, she and her friends are seemingly great wholesome kids... but being the way I was, I am always suspicious... but they actually really are good kids. I guess it all depends on the kid. Plus, keep in mind that no matter how much you think you know a kid, what you don't know about is always there, lurking in the shadows. Trust me, I was one of those hell raisers in disguise! Watching a show on tv about the type of life I personally know is true as I lived it, is not going to change the way a kid acts and thinks, and if it does then you have a whole new set of problems to address!

By Gary & Teresa

What makes you such an authority on what teens are doing? I have hundreds and hundreds of friends, and I don't have the slightest idea what they are doing, and I could care less. Wonder why we have problems with teens now a days? Check out the trash television programs.

By rann948

My thoughts exactly!! I raised four children and none of them or their friends were into this stuff. Oh sure, there were some here or there in the school. However, most of them were not really "in" school. They were what my kids referred to as the "burn outs". Of course, I blocked MTV and such and actually paid attention to what my kids were doing. I guess that wouldn't sell junk on tv. Hope more advertisers follow Taco Bell's good citizen sense.

Saturday 22 January

By ewfewfewf1

This is what a lot of teens are doing, not all of them, but many. When I was in high school two years ago these things were going on and I doubt much has changed since then. Some teenagers have sex, drink, and do drugs whether you like it or not. By the way, this isn't the only show where teens are portrayed this way, it's just the only one that makes it look realistic, and that's why so many parents are upset. Maybe they should just spend more time watching their kids and less time watching mtv.

By Simzee

Your kids are doing more than what Mommy THINKS they are doing. Most parents are too busy or blind to care whay's going on.

By jj

Excellent post Sara! This show is an insult to all the wholesome, hard working and moral teens out there. Why aren't there any shows about them?

By RENEE

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I HAVE 2 DAUGHTERS 19 AND 16 AND THEY DON'T CARE FOR THE SHOW. THEY SAY TEENS DON'T ACT LIKE THIS AND THEY FIND IT OVER THE TOP DISGUSTING. WE ARE A PRETTY LIBERAL FAMILY BUT SOMETHING ABOUT THE SHOW IS CREEPY AND DIRTY AND NOT IN A GOOD WAY.

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Tuesday 25 January

By Alex

This show is so real, I don't do any of these things, but let me tell you, I can name 5 people on the top of my head that do the stuff that's on the show. It's so real, us teens, we talk like the character's do, you may say "MY CHILDREN DON'T DO THIS, THEY SAY THE SHOW IS OVER DRAMATIc, DIRTY AND CREEPY." But, we do. We have secret lives too, we talk like this,we act like this, we handle situations like this,we treat eachother like this,this can happen. Everyone is different. Your kids may behave better than most, but you cannot be too quick to judge.Most of you parents could use the show to start important topics about sex, drugs, and alcohol. Letting your kids know that these things affect you every way possible, the pro's and con's.Shame on the people who are influenced by television and today's media. If you had a good head on your shoulder's then no one should be worried. I'm only 15, and I know that this is only a TELEVISION SHOW. Nothing else.

By dottie

Well I have to say, in a smnall(very small)school there are about 350 kids. You can know half of them by being a parent of one of them and being involved with the school system. The sports alone draws quite a few. So there are alot of people out there who do know hundreds of kids. This is NOT what kids are doing. This is what a FEW of the kids are doing and the actress herself states it's those kids who's parents don't care. I happen to care and not just for my own kids but for the hundreds of other kids I have gotten to know through my 20 plus years in the school system.

By Tom sellers

Brad Womack on the Bachloer is the son of my brother in law. His dads name is Steve. Brad puts his dad down a lot. Rightly so. I think steve will be in this seasons show. . I talked to steve a few months ago. He said he has gotten his Life together. If anyone would like to see a picture of Steve, and get a littlke inside info, email me.

By solomeeo

Instead of worrying about our kids eating potato chips, the government and Michelle Obama should worry about the junk going into their minds!!!

By mw

Agreed, MTV should go back to music, or take the station off the air.

Sunday 23 January

By Beth Miletti

You cannot tell me that movies do not influence teenagers.
As a teen, I, and my sister spent every Sunday afternoon during winter months at the movies. We had role models. I loved Katherine Hepburn, and tried to imitate her. There was no sex talk, and no nudity. Also the filthy language of today is imitated by many, many, children. As p/t teacher I could see these changes and was horrified. I ache for the kids today with nobody to emulate. What is wrong with our producers?

By D

Low Ranked Vote down Vote up Report this

Again what does this has to do with the first lady. Dam if its rains too hard it the president had something to do with it.

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