I feel bad for the American version of the genius British series Skins. Regardless of how good it is - and parts of its pilot episode are very good - it is always going to serve as a symbol of the creativity drought in American television.
Skins details the ongoing adventures of a small group of high schoolers as they drink, do drugs, commit crimes, have sex with each other and do pretty much anything and everything that would make a parent begin to rock back and forth in the fetal position sporting a thousand-yard stare.
The Skins pilot is an almost shot-for-shot remake of the British version. A few of the character's names have been changed, and some of the plot has been cut down to appease MTV's clear devotion to commercial breaks, but aside from that there is nothing different. Early reviews from upcoming episodes suggest that of the first four episodes, three are nearly identical to their European counterparts.
Of course, this being the United States and not the United Kingdom, all of it feels so watered down. The characters in the British Skins swore like real teenagers, smoked like real teenagers and sought out naked bodies like real teenagers.
The characters in the U.S. version attempt to do all of these things, but are blocked at every opportunity. MTV bleeps out offending swear words to avoid the wrath of the FCC, makes sure every stray boob or private part is covered up by strategic blocking and only lets the kids smoke a joint or two an episode, lest PTA moms storm their Times Square studios with pitchforks.
One can't blame MTV for the country's fear of accurate depictions of reality on cable television. It isn't their fault that Britain sent us all of its Puritans in the 16th century. But it does beg the question: why did MTV even bother with this?
Skins is kind of what it would be like to do a remake of Animal House, Risky Business or American Pie and do a PG-13 version of it. No one in Hollywood would be crazy enough to try that, but apparently it's a-OK for television. And remaking something that was already in English for American audiences is just greedy, foolish and makes us all seem like jingoistic cultural maniacs.
So if Skins is going to waste the talent of everyone involved by merely copying another show word-for-word and scene-for-scene, except with all the naughty bits removed, why not just watch the original version with all the naughty bits included?
-Alec Bojalad is a junior studying journalism. If you would also rather watch Skins with the naughty parts left in, send him an e-mail at ab239807@ohiou.edu.
@ThePostCulture
3 Culture
Alec Bojalad
