What Your Children May Be Watching…
Have you heard about MTV’s latest foray into limit testing? They have begun airing a new drama called “Skins” which puts on display a wide array of teen pathologies. Included in this, not surprisingly, are depictions of sexual activity. Controversy is nothing new for MTV. I was in 8th grade when they launched. Back then parents were shocked by Ozzy Osborne and Prince videos. Over the years however, Music Television has been airing less music and more sex. The ratings have also declined in recent years. But the executives at MTV may have found a way to resurrect their brand. And that brings us back to “Skins.” The problem? It is certainly not that MTV execs have had a sudden attack of decency. Rather, there are some who are raising the possibility that MTV may have violated child pornography laws.
Al Mohler weighs in:
The sex acts portrayed on “Skins” pretty much cover the waterfront of modern sexuality. There is no question that MTV will draw an audience. The big question confronted by the network is whether the show will draw child pornography charges as well.
David Carr, author of “The Media Equation” column at the Times, explained that “the series is meant to provoke.” He suggests, plausibly enough, that MTV executives did not “set out to make child pornography,” but they clearly did not set out not to make child pornography, either.
Evidently, the concerns are rather urgent at MTV’s headquarters. As Brian Stelter reported last week:
It is unclear when MTV first realized that the show may be vulnerable to child pornography charges. On Tuesday, a flurry of meetings took place at the network’s headquarters in New York, according to an executive who attended some of the meetings and spoke only on the condition of anonymity. In one of the meetings, the executives wondered aloud who could possibly face criminal prosecution and jail time if the episodes were broadcast without changes.
It should tell you just about everything you need to know that MTV executives “wondered aloud” if they might do jail time for child pornography by broadcasting the series. Have you ever worried about that at your office or place of work?
Read the entire article HERE.
