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America's Rabbi Talks Skins, Porn and Michael Jackson
By
Garth Johnston
Published Jan 24, 2011
Modified Jan 24, 2011
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MTV
By
Garth Johnston
Published Jan 24, 2011
Modified Jan 24, 2011
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The blowback against MTV's most recent foray into
child pornography
scripted programming continues. Hot on the heels of Taco Bell comes word that H&R Block, G.M., Wrigley and now Subway are also making a run for the advertising border, leaving the much-publicized show all wet with no advertising money to dry them off. Even the Post's resident curmudgeon Andrea Peyser is upset about the situation (no, not the person), in which the network is reportedly worried that the show's third episode borders on child pornography. She does, however, couche her concern with the valid point that this may very well just be a "ginned-up ploy for publicity." Having not watched the remake ourselves (but being fans of the original), we've been unsure of how exactly to feel about the matter. So we figured we asked a rabbi. And "America's Rabbi," Shmuley Boteach certainly had some opinions to share.
Though he admittedly has also not yet watched the show (he's trying to keep this stuff out of his home and away from his teenage kids anyway), Boteach argues that airing such a program is simply irresponsible on the part of MTV. "[The actors] are big kids, they aren't adults. At 15 you are not a young adult. You can't drive a car, you can't drink. But you are old enough to do a sex scene on TV?" For what it is worth, besides fornicating and showing their rear ends, the characters on the show also drink, drive and occasionally drink and drive on the show. Further, he argues that this isn't about religion and it isn't about conservative values, this is about being adults. "There are adults running [MTV], why are they behaving like children? Don't executives need to show just a little bit of ethics?"
The Rabbi acknowledges this is not a new issue (he traces the need for increasingly younger and oversexed imagery from Miley Cyrus through Britney Spears back to Madonna) but he seems legitimately worried that it is a Pandora's Box we keep on trying to open. "In America we need to say to ourselves that we are pushing an envelope," because "we can't be stimulated by anything anymore. I know men who can't be stimulated by their wives in their 40s. And women are being made to feel by a certain age that they are too old. Even in their twenties now they are feeling it. We've hit a stage where it is becoming damned unhealthy."
"I was close friends with someone who was accused of pedophilia and it destroyed his career and his name—that was Michael Jackson. Michael was a noble soul and he wanted to great things with his life but he could never shake that allegation—even though I don't think it was true, I never believed the allegation for a moment—now we're legalizing it on TV? I mean, the kid he was accused of being with was 13 and now kids who are 15 can get paid to have sex on MTV? Its kind of weird."
So how should concerned parents respond to such titillating television? Boteach suggests that they explain to their children that they won't be watching the program, and it's not about censorship—it's about decency and taste. Or parents can just turn off the channel! (Or they can block the channel altogether, if they can figure out how to use the V-chip).
For the rest of you, the show airs tonight at 10 PM. But if you really want to stick it to MTV, you'll be much better served just watching the original. Because there is no way that MTV's version will include a school musical about Osama Bin Laden if it gets to a second season (sample chorus: "Then came the day Osama blew us away/Osama blew them away").
Tagged
andrea peyser
child pornography
mtv
Rabbi Shmuley Boteach
Skins
Garth Johnston
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