"Skins" Should Put Some Clothes On

"Skins" is the newest show on MTV and arguably the weirdest. Premiering in January of this year, it is the Americanized version of a very successful show that originated in the U.K. Having seen the ads leading up to its debut, I thought, "Meh." Just not my thing. So when I saw that it was on (which is all the time, because MTV replays episodes to the point of exhaustion), I would change the channel. That is, until last weekend when I was at a friends house and wasn't in control of the remote.

We watched two episodes and I came to the conclusion that "Skins" is a racier adaptation of the Canadian show "Degrassi," depicting teenage angst in all its glory. Sex, drugs, alcohol, peer pressure, identity, and self-image all make their way into the plot lines. And, not surprisingly, these high schoolers show a lot of 'skin' throughout the hour long episode.

I can understand why people are drawn to it. These troubled teens really do act their age, and they go through the highs and lows, the good and the miserable, that many teenagers face in real life. That could be because teenagers help write the show, giving it that raw feeling of emotion. Who better to write about the pressures of high school than those living it? However, when watching, some of the dialogue felt very forced, not the natural way that high schoolers speak. And some scenes were just plain awkward and I was left feeling uncomfortable.

Having never seen the British version of the show I can't compare the two. Though there was a great deal of skepticism from critics and fans that bringing "Skins" to America would ruin its authenticity because American television is much more prudish than it is in the U.K. Americans are OK with showing violence on t.v., but sex and drugs are more of a no-no on basic cable. From what I saw, however, it didn't look like they were holding back. I was very surprised by the amount of sexual content that was displayed.

"Skins" is not a show that I plan to keep watching. I was right in my assumption that is wasn't for me. But if you don't feel awkward watching a 15-year-old masturbate without realizing that her grandmother with alzheimer's has just walked in the room and crawled in bed with her, be my guest.  

 

"Hoarding" is Horrifying

Have you ever been flipping through channels, stop on one of the many random TLC programs and stay there for a while, not realizing until the next commercial break that you've been making a face of confusion/disgust/shock for the past ten minutes? That's happened to me more times than I'd like to admit, but when TLC airs shows about a "Tree Man" (a man who literally has massive tree-like growths all over his body), 700 pound people, a family with 19 KIDS AND COUNTING, and a man with THREE WIVES, it's hard to keep a normal expression while watching.

My most recent discovery on TLC is a disturbingly fascinating show called, "Hoarding: Buried Alive." Hoarding is an obsessive compulsive disorder in which people acquire items of no real value, but are unable to to let them go, severely cluttering their home to the point of it no longer being a functional living space. I think these photos say it all.

The first episode I happened to see involved a couple that had been hoarding something like 15 rabbits (among all of the other unnecessary crap around them). They were literally living in a layer of rabbit feces covering their floor. I was HORRIFIED, and I felt bad for the rabbits living in that environment with no choice in the matter. Of course, I'm incapable of understanding the kind of anxiety these people feel when the thought of throwing away their stuff goes through their mind. But I will never be able to wrap my head around the fact that these people are more comfortable and at ease with this clutter around them than with it not. When they are confronted about the problem many of them become belligerent and have a meltdown. To me, the way they are living is absurd, but it's a behavior they are unable to stop.

I have seen a couple of episodes since and what's interesting is that in their regular day-to-day lives, you would never guess that some of these people are hoarders. They seem perfectly "normal" in every other way, and then a friend comes over to visit for the first time and they can't believe what they're seeing.

I am a neat freak. I can't handle things being out of place, and I absolutely can't stand clutter. If I was growing up in a house full of hoarders and I was unable to find a clear walkway through my living room, I just might have a heart attack. Watching people live this way made me anxious enough. I wouldn't say that this is a show I "like," however, it is interesting to say the least. Hoarders live in a whole different world, a world I really knew nothing about until I saw it with my own two eyes. And what I saw was not cute.

"Modern Family" is a Laugh-Out-Loud Mockumentary

Over winter break I spent one very lazy afternoon with a friend of mine. She had downloaded the entire first season of ABC's "Modern Family" on her computer and was in the middle of watching it. I joined in and we ended up watching probably ten back to back episodes all in one day. I'm very glad that she introduced me to this family sitcom because it's the best one they've created in years.

Not only does it depict the modern day struggles of parenting, but it also portrays a gay couple with an adopted Asian daughter, and today's frequently seen older rich man married to a much younger vixen. They are all part of one family, and the best part? It's hilarious. Each character brings something different to the show.

We have the overly controlling mother, Claire Dunphy, and her lovable screw-up of a husband, Phil, who says things like, "I'm the cool dad, that's my thang." The two of them have three kids, Haley, Alex, and Luke, each of which couldn't be more different from each other. Claire's brother, Mitchell Pritchett, has a personality similar to hers. He is in a relationship with Cameron Tucker, a very fun-loving, and flamboyant gay man, and the two of them fawn over their adopted baby, Lily, the most docile child in the world. As long as I have been watching the show, she has never made a peep. Jay Pritchett is the father of Claire and Mitchell and is married to his second "trophy" wife, Gloria, a very beautiful, loud Colombian woman with a rich accent. Gloria brings her son Manny, a very self-assured and mature young boy into the marriage, and into this very dysfunctional, yet adorable family.

In terms of the way the show is filmed, it has a similar feel to "The Office." It is as if we are watching their lives unfold in a home movie. The characters also take turns giving mock interviews into the camera, a style of television that has become quite popular.

Each of the three subsequent families represent a different aspect of today's conventional lifestyles. Hence the show title. The storyline is fresh, the writing is comical, and the acting is fantastic. Overall, this is definitely a half-hour sitcom worth watching. In fact, in 2010, "Modern Family" won the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series. If you haven't already, I suggest tuning in.