'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 Hmmm

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I can all but guarantee you this little "tart" is going to have a tragic life~

By Marisol

"Skins" does not represent the average teen in any way shape or form. Shows like this are one of the things that gives the older generations such a bad impression of the younger ones, and with good reason.
All the characters on that show are TRASH (the show may be more accurate if it was filmed in a trailor park or ghetto), and they all have some sort of demented life-altering problem. This is NOT REALITY. It's about as real as a daytime soap opera.
I graduated from high school five years ago and made plenty of friends in the process, and NONE of them were like characters from skins. Also I this show represents something I hate: pushing the idea that teenagers are SUPPOSED to be "angsty" emotional wrecks with lots of issues and that it's "normal" to be that way.
Teenagers: your life is not a soap opera. If you ARE like a character from skins, you need therapy because real life is going to chew you up and spit you out. Resolve your "issues" and move the heck on.

Saturday 22 January

By rosamendoza101

I like this show. To those parents that are freaking out if you dont want your kids waching it then dont allow them to do so and if your kids are as "good" and "wholesome" as you think they'll listen.

By prplgurl92

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she's right.it is what teens are doing.NOT ALL, but some.im 18 and i already know more than a few people that have been to rehab/overdosed on drugs,people in aa,2 girls that had kids while still in high school, and numerous amounts of people that were having sex.sorry but thats the truth of whats REALLY going on.

By Lenny

MTV has just devolved over the past 20 years would show people doing almost anything to get ratings.

I agree with the people who say that they should go back to showing Music Videos or just go off the air.

This show is Ridiculous and contrary to what anybody believes Teenagers Do View this material and think it is acceptable behaviour.

By DJ

It's just not that great of a show...no matter what the subject matter. The actors are fair, the plot line is vague and it just did not hold my attention. It seems like someone's intepretation of what teens are doing these days. Most teens seem as insecure, uncertain and work at trying to fit in just as they have for generations. I think it is a one season show. No place for the characters to go...once they head to college or dead end jobs the show is finished.

By ewfewfewf1

They change the entire cast every two years in the British version. The show follows one group of kids through their last two years of high school, and then they move on to a new group of kids. I think this show will be around for MANY seasons.

By mefistofele2000

The US version of this show did not flow as well in my opinion as the UK version. I think the US version is just a bad copy.

By Alicia

LOL America! You guys are so old-fashioned. Shows like these are on TV in the UK all the time and no one bats an eyelid. Maybe you should stop expecting your TV to raise your kids?

By ClarkKent

WE DON"T. That's why 88% of the people survied say "no way would I let my kids watch".

By Flagrante Delicto

Of course Sofia Black-D'Elia is going to defend this horrible show. She is a payvheck player.

By Walt

This nis how the powers that be wabt you children to act. Stoned and stupid. Them type make the best voters.

By kelly

I'm sorry, but WHAT??? What the heck are you attempting to say???

I have no doubt "It is what(some) teens are doing". But in a responsible society Media should paint a way out instead of glorifying destructive behavior.

By robin

MTV = Music Telvision where's the music????? I u sed to watch back in the day when it was music, now it's nothing but trash. WTG MTV you suck !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By YellowRose3218

Sofia is trying to defend herself, because this show is her meal ticket. Sofia might have acted this way, with all the other kids, that have never been taught any better. Girls will be 'too adult' if their not taught at a very young age. There so many teenagers that do act like this show, because they were never taught values, morals, standards, discipline, and the most important, respect, for their selves, and others. Each and every child should be told their worth more, than some teenaged boy that owns his own car, with a back set.
When this basic lesson is skipped, a unwed mother is exactly what happens. The old days rules do still apply.

By OldThudMan

Little wonder...........Kids (and these are kids) today are doing too grown up things without the maturity and responsibility level(s) to really deal with the issues or results...........

Edgemont is another "too grown up" show....

I can all but guarantee you this little "tart" will have a tragic life!

By WTF

This is really what teens are doing???? Seriously, so this girl is 18 and she's been doing this since 13 years of age. Wow your parents must be proud. If teens are doing this it's because of crap TV like this. Why is it okay to glamourize sex, drugs, skankness, uncleanliness. No wonder children direspect their parents, it's looks good on TV.

By M_92

I'm an 18 years old and this is definitely not what I do, majority of the people I know don't do this stuff either! There are a select group of teenagers who feel the need to desperately seek attention by "rebelling", its pathetic really and not to mention very sad!

Shows like these promote sex and drugs for teenagers! Teenagers start watching inappropriate shows like this and they think just because its on tv its acceptable to do these things. Before you know it teen pregnancies are rising and STDs are spreading!

Its really sad how the media portrays teenagers in movies and series, theres rarely any good teenage role model characters out there!!!

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