'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 Lil

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This show is trash. Watched it and never will again. Hope they lose all sponsors. The girl looks like an evil skank. Sure some teens do drugs and have sex. Was a teen once myself. But the reality of it and the consequences are not cool or glamorous. It is a screwed up life and the end result is sad. For MTV to glorify the pitfalls of being a teenager and for them and these stupid, silly actors to get rich off of it is disgusting.

By rotten rollin

It's what all the kids are doing? It's still WRONG, morally, culturally, in every sense of the word except perhaps for instant gratification, the mantra of today's liberal. If it feels good, do it?

Actions have consequences. Ask my teenaged niece with the
brand new baby at home, saddled for life before it begins good.

You know, it's bad enough that you have TEENAGERS defending this kind of crap, but when you have "RESPONSIBLE ADULTS" that produced, financed and promoted it.....where's the responsibility now.

Someone's going to burn in hell, literally and figuratively.

By Demandred

Just because it's "what teens are doing," doesn't mean it's what they SHOULD be doing. Parents have a right to be outraged; however, they also have a responsibility that if they feel this is inappropriate for their children, to make sure that they don't watch it. A show is harmless just existing; if enough people object simply by not watching then it won't last. MTV as a network has gone to the dogs anyway, I can't think of one worthwhile inoffensive show.

By Yo

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lol americans.

By jebby1

Boucot the sponsors!
Everyone else is doing that.

By Eric

Oh then I suppose if EVERYBODY else is jumping off the edge of the cliff, you would do that too? No, everyone else is NOT doing that..at least I hope to God not.

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It's no wonder that Taco Bell has pulled their ads. The continuing decline of the western civilization.

By diane

silly me. I thought lots of kids have to worry about food, clothing and decent shelter.

By hawk

So a teenage actress, who happens to be on the show, defends it by saying, "All the kids are doing it". Gee thats good enough for me. Can we please get some adult guidance?

By ajschrod

Believe it or not, the U.K. is a lot more sleazy than we are, but that's not saying what our media is cramming down our throats is okay. Sex is nowhere near as important in real lfe as Hollywood makes it out to be, but making money is their game, so the beat goes on!

By Lisa

If she is only eighteen, why is there a bar behind her while she's being interviewed? Sex and drugs are not vices for teenagers. Anyone who participates in these activities recklessly has a problem, possibly an addiction. MTV knows it is promoting these activities. The barely-clothed teenage children are being exploited and should have been protected as actors, if they are underage. MTV just wants the ratings.

By j5kevin550

the show is stupid. watch the original UK series, it airs (or aired) on BBC America. MTV needs to be pulled from the air, it's a horrible station.

By Shawn

Drama? The last things teens need is more drama. It's bad enough they go out into the world thinking it's going to be like they see on TV drama shows, but this is totally ridiculous. Hollywood doesn't care one iota about your kids. The only thing they care about is the dollar signs, and the actors and actresses are only going to try to defend this show because of their paychecks. Don't thin for one moment that there is any good reason for this show to be on other than the fact that sex sells.

By grampz05

I'm sure that a ringing endorsement from an 18-year old is all that is needed to legitimize this show. Where are the adults that are producing the show? If this is what "most teens are doing", this country is in deep doo-doo.

By Sara

I guess if you cared, you'd know.

By greg grehawick

Is the show about what teens are doing or are teens doing what the show is about?

By Jaz

Its a show about what teens are doing making it pretty unoriginal but parents being lied to but there kids thinks its a totally new outrage.

Saturday 22 January

By Julymoon

I don't know where this young lady was raised but trust me I was a teen and not during the stone age I wasn't aware of any teens I knew volunteering to be skanks? I mean I dont know were she lives or what her family does but I don't think she can speak for all teens all teens are not trying to live skankoliously so she can stop the maddness. The show should be pulled and why in the world would you have this on the same channel that is suppose to be trying to curb teen pregnacy this really is not making since.

I dont know if you was referring to me but I never said I talk for all teens. I'm just trying to prove a point. Sure its unjust, but doesn't mean its not true. I'm not just referring to what Ive experienced in my life but normally see on the news or newspapers. Its out there maybe not in your face but it is. Plus MTV has the right to show what they please if the follow the rules the same way you have the right to change the channel.

By Allison

In the eighties, I watched MTV as a child. There were actual music videos and nothing offensive at all. Now they air this trash. It's a shame they've sunk so low. Obviously, the station picked this show up to create controversy and rake in the money. Disgusting.

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