MTV, Child Pornography, Pedophilia and Advertiser Support
Written by Dave McQuade
The Justice Department is considering filing child pornography charges against producers and MTV executives for footage shot in their highly successful new series, “Skins”. The morally reprehensible series features 15 year olds engaged in orgies, prostitution, using erectile dysfunction drugs, buying and selling illegal drugs, smoking pot and pouring alcohol down each other’s throats, and driving under the influence.
typically liberal New York Times reported on the series:
(Skins) “included simulated masturbation, implied sexual assault, and teenagers disrobing and getting into bed together. With ads that feature groups of barely clothed teenagers, “Skins” is surely one of the most sexually charged programs that MTV has featured. Before it even had its premiere, the Parents Television Council, a TV watchdog group, labeled “Skins” the “most dangerous program that has ever been foisted on your children.”
MTV execs are rightfully concerned that the series violates federal child pornography statutes given the amount of explicit conduct they filmed, including full nudity from behind. The Times reported child porn as “any visual depiction of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct” or “a picture of a naked child may constitute illegal child pornography if it is sufficiently sexually suggestive.”
Remarkably, however, even legal concerns did not stop the morally corrupt company from releasing their new avalanche of filth on America’s children. In fact, they’re delighted with the controversy — the series attracted a record breaking 3.3 million to its premiere Monday night among viewers ages 12 to 34. (Nielsen reported the episode drew 1.2 million people younger than 18.)
Despite the number of highly impressionable twelve year olds watching it, the series is rated MA (mature audiences) yet it features underage children in various stages of undress and sexual situations. The rating itself suggests that the series is intended to attract adult viewers so that they too can watch underage children engaging in sexual behavior. This is the purest definition of pedophilia.
MTV is not a newcomer to assaulting decency standards of basic cable in America. Their infamous “Jersey Shore”, already the poster child series for all things despicable in American pop culture, caused Governor Chris Christy to publically distance his fine state from the sleaze fest. Even though the actors in this sex and booze-fest are at least legally adults, MTV execs admitted they had trouble getting advertiser support for it initially—but that was before its ratings started to grow.
Once the ratings improved, national advertisers were quick to drop their moral compass in the toilet and finance the disgusting series, causing MTV execs to proudly proclaim: “We have advertisers scrambling to get on it …we’re turning them away.”
Advertisers, millions of us can live quite well without your brands from now on. Remember, “The bigger they are the harder they fall” and especially in a well-networked world of consumers. (Read “Do Advertisers Have Children?”)
Parent company Viacom’s chairman, Sumner Redstone, said of the sudden stampede of major ad sponsors to their programming of cultural decay, “…the light is brighter than it’s been for some time.” Of course, Mr. Redstone’s definition of “light” and yours are likely galaxies apart. (For more on the aging Redstone’s affinity for money and young girls, read the New York Post article quoting an insider saying, “It’s no surprise that he’s an old man who likes young girls. Anyone who follows him around knows that.”)
Having seen the three-minute trailer (which we decided not to post), I can tell you it’s Sodom and Gomorrah right here in America. Only this time it’s with children and on television for all the world to see. To the Middle-Eastern religious world we’re already the Great Satan, given MTV’s 138 international feeds, largely propped up by American advertisers. Wait until they see “Skins” featuring children.
I can’t imagine any advertiser being supportive of a 15 year old girl pouring the contents of a prescription pill bottle into her mouth while others pour alcohol down her throat, then having indiscriminate sex in a bathroom and passing out on the lawn at an underage rave. But the show was packed with shameless national advertisers like Schick Hydro, H&R Block, L’Oreal, Subway, Foot Locker, Orbit chewing gum and Extra chewing gum. GM and Taco Bell pulled their sponsorships today likely because of the national outrage, as they are frequent sponsors of other toxic programming on MTV.
Parents must see to it that national advertisers who finance this kind of smut aimed at children are stopped. They must also see to it that the Justice Department follows through on child pornography charges—even if MTV “tones down content”. The original footage exists in the belly of the Viacom beast in NY if they’ve not bulk erased it by now. Just as it would be illegal for an individual to own child pornography, MTV is no exception to kiddie porn law. This is not a (planned) MTV-produced Janet Jackson half-time “wardrobe malfunction”—these are children.
Two decades ago, an MTV exec was quoted in their own coffee table book entitled, The Global Images of MTV saying, “…we’re going to have to push the envelope a little further each year to keep our audience (of kids).” Mission accomplished MTV. American youth are frozen in place in the moral ice age of your making.
If corporate America continues to stand with toxic pop culture and against our kids this there is no chance of America returning to civility. Long before “Skins”, MTV and its dozen feeds have proven year after year to parents that they do not deserve space on basic cable—yet American advertisers beg to differ to the tune of nearly $1 billion annually.
Important note to Advertisers:
Don’t depend on the (missing) moral compass of Madison Avenue. Your brand would do well to understand the movement in America to return our great nation to a sense of decency. Stop lining your pockets by trashing our kids. Because media really matters in a nation under God, we’ll be watching you and voting with our purchasing power from now on.
Important note to Parents:
Please pass this column along: “Skins” may be the wake up call we’ve been waiting for. Don’t allow MTV or their advertising partners to stick their finger in your eye any longer. Make note of the sponsors mentioned above and chose other brands.
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