The Parents Television Council has started contacting states’ attorneys general about MTV’s series ‘Skins.’ The organisation previously called for a federal investigation into allegations that the show breaks child pornography laws.
Surrounded by controversy, MTV has seen a number of companies yank their advertising from the program and ‘Skins’ ratings plummet. Entertainment Weekly says that the PTC is now calling on its members to write to their state’s attorneys general to ask them to investigate whether cable and satellite providers broke the law by broadcasting the series.
The organisation’s president Tim Winter said: “It is unfortunate that we have reached the point of having to call for a criminal investigation into the production and distribution of an MTV show depicting minors in sexual situations. As if the blatant teen drug and alcohol abuse on ‘Skins’ isn’t enough, the fact that MTV allegedly considered whether its program might have violated child pornography laws – and then went ahead and aired it anyway – is beyond repulsive.”
MTV insists that the show complies with the law and claims that it still plans to air all ten episodes.
It is interesting that in the USA battles over moral and ethical standards often wind up being decided, or at least fought, in court. If you are raising children and a TV show is what pushes your child over the edge into unacceptable behaviour then you must have been rather remiss in fulfilling your parental role.
