Too Much Skin on Skins?

There's a new show on MTV called "Skins." It shows a lot of skin, and a lot of that skin belongs to real teen aged actors playing characters who are real teenagers doing things teens sometimes do & survive.

It's almost like the 1980's MTV marketing slogan "too much is never enough" became a mantra for the entire family of Viacom-owned cable channels... Too much is an individual variable. Realizing how much is too much for you is a huge part of growing into adulthood.

The perennially uptight Parents Television Council calls the teen drama, “Skins,” the most dangerous show on television for kids... Who by most reports indulged in all kinds of irresponsible substance use and sexual conduct before the show ever aired; which are the same things that fuel the post-production assembled plots on many "reality" shows that are programming staples on MTV's channels.

Bob Thompson, founding director of Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture at Syracuse University explains the fear factors of pressure group(s), programmers and potential advertisers.

Why Is Anyone Surprised? Audio Embed: BBC, PRI & WBUR's Here & Now 1/25/11, Host: Robin Young.