MTV’s new TV series Skins has lost their fourth advertiser. Subway has decided that the new show is too controversial and they have parted ways.
The show has come under fire in the last week from The Parents Television Council (PTC) who claims that the shows use of underage actors and actresses in sexual scenes borders on child pornography and exploitation. The average age of show members is 15 to 19 years old, although no nudity is shown.
In the last week Taco Bell, General Motors and Wrigley Gum have all announced that they will not allow their ads to run any further on the show.
An H&R Block ad also ran by accident during an episode of the show which forced H&R Block to express their anger at the network.
The PTC has asked the U.S Department of Justice, U.S. Senate and House Judiciary Committee to investigate the show over their claims of child pornography and exploitation.
According to the PTC the show has depicted actors as young as 15 years old partaking in 42 acts of drug and alcohol abuse.
For their part MTV continues to defend the show:
“Skins is a show that addresses real-world issues confronting teens in a frank way. We review all of our shows and work with all of our producers on an ongoing basis to ensure our shows comply with laws and community standards. We are confident that the episodes of ‘Skins’ will not only comply with all applicable legal requirements, but also with our responsibilities to our viewers,” adding, “We have also taken numerous steps to alert viewers to the strong subject matter so that they can choose for themselves whether it is appropriate.”
You can catch Skins on Monday nights @ 10/9c.
