My Giant SKINS Post

Hello All.

Been too long.

Was busy.

In college.

Midterms.

Turned into Finals.

Do have a job.

Don't have a life.

Didn't get to blog.

So sad.

Too bad.

Anyways, I'm back.

So stuff it, okay?

WARNING:

This blog contains only the best drugs, raging parties, wild sex, gritty violence, hilarious idiocy, dangerous brilliance, zany bisexuals, sexy lesbians, and gay boys with great hair, pictures of great asses, perky tits, toned tummies, smeared makeup, sex hair, chipped nails, and ripped tights, videos full of colorful cursing, amazing music and as many other dangerous and addictive things as can fit into one blog.

Perhaps this is just a blog about the amazing UK show Skins and its up and coming US counterpart, or perhaps this is just a taste of reality.

Either way, hold on tight.

What was the first thing that I ever saw of the British TV show Skins? How did I first meet Tony, Michelle, Sid, Cassie, Chris, Jal, Maxxie, Anwar, and Effy?

This is how:

That video is of a party. A party full of teenagers. Teenagers in Bristol. I was a little shy of 15 at the time, and I watched the first season on YouTube because it took FOREVER to reach America.

(I'll pause while you realize that that explains A LOT)

That first season of Skins gave us some really interesting characters. REALLY interesting characters.

The first generation:

Meet Tony Stonem, world class douchebag, and his younger sister Effy - the dangerous party girl, despite her young age. Then there's Sid Jenkins, the socially incompetent best friend that Tony treats like shit, and Chris Miles, who is by far the biggest party boy in the first season with nicknames like Monkey Man and a motto of "Fuck It". Jal Fazer, the daughter of a famous rapper and clarinet prodigy, is the best behaved in the first season while her best friend Michelle is Tony's girlfriend, a gorgeous girl who needs to learn to stand up to Tony's shitty behavior. There's also Anwar Kharral and Maxxie Oliver, the drug using sex obsessed muslim and the amazing gay dancer respectively. And we best not forget Cassie Ainsworth, the daughter of sex obsessed seemingly bohemian parents who gets attention by being anorexic and taking too many drugs. And then there's Abigail Stock, Tony's bitchy privet girls school attending mistress, and in season two there's Sketch, who tries to bed the very gay Maxxie and nearly kills Michelle.

The second generation:

Come the third season, only Effy is left, with her friend Pandora Moon - who is a total mess, complete with hair baubles and neon bright sneakers. At their first day of college they meet the rest of the cast: Katy and Emily Fitch, twins with a queen bee complex (Katy) and a doormat personality and in the closet love of a girl named Naomi (that would be Emily, of the famous Naomily romance), as well as Naomi Campbell the outspoken and political blond. James Cook, the overly confident son of a bunk off father and self-obsessed artist mother, shares the screen with his best friends JJ Jones (who has Asperger syndrome and uses magic tricks to make friends) and Freddie Mclair, who falls madly in love with Effy and is a weed smoking, skateboarding slacker with a heart of gold. The final in the main line up is Thomas Tomone, who came to Bristol to make a life for his mother and siblings and gets himself sent back to the Congo when his mother finds out about his hedonistic behavior, only to return not long after. Karen McClair, Freddie's sister, wants nothing more than to become famous, is a main supporting character.

We're still waiting on news for the fifth season - third generation - but here's a picture:

In the American version, we have Stanley (the renamed Sid), Michelle, Chris, Abbud (the renamed Anwar), Cadie (the renamed Cassie), Tony, and Tea (the renamed/regendered Maxxie).

Here's a look at their version of the series one trailer:

Well... it isn't exact. But it still looks alright, yeah?  mean... it's MTVs version, of course... but...

I read on the comments on the official Skins US page that some people like this new Michelle better. I do. Well... maybe not better. But I like her sooner, if that makes sense. I liked Michelle UK well enough at first but didn't start to like her much until near the end of the first series.

Michelle US seems a little more interesting. 

And I sort of fancy the girl who plays her...

*cough*

Anyways. 

So that's the start of my big post about Skins. The start, you ask? 

Yes. Just the start. You see, Skins is a bit of an obsession of mine. A friend went so far as to call it a fetish. I will admit that it has influenced the book I'm writing right now, called The Perfect Girl and yeah it involves Celtic lore, but shush. I will also admit that I kind of want to be them.

And I kind of am them. 

Unless something changes, by this time next year I will be.

Regardless, it's time to talk Skins.

The reality that is skins is somewhat overwhelming. It's a teen television show that gives the teenage condition weight. We don't all act like the bimbos on the Hills. We're not on One Tree Hill or My Life As Liz. Skins pushes it to extremes, slightly more extreme than a chunk of teenagers will admit to.

Or see. 

The funny thing about American teenagers in particular is that we all lie about it. 

All of us. 

Not always about the same things, but we all lie.

"Are you having sex?" 
"No."

"Are you taking pills?" 
"No."

"Are you drinking alcohol?"
"No."

"Are you smoking marijuana?" 
"No."

"Are you smoking cigarettes?" 
"No." 

"Did you go to the party last night?" 
"No."

"Did you just get home?" 
"No."

"You haven't stopped eating again have you?"
"No."

Much like Chris tells Jal in episode 5 of season 2, we need to stop saying no. Skins stops saying no, Skins says yes. 

"Are you high?"
"Yes."

"Is that a new tattoo?" 
"Yes."

"Were you two just having sex?" 
"Yes."

"Do you have any more of those pills from the party last night?" 
"Yes."

Say yes. 

Say "Fuck it." 

Through out the seasons of Skins, there isn't anything that stays hidden.

The awkward topic of Virginity.

And the awkward topic of kids who aren't virgins.

Stoners.

What happens if you take too many drugs...

Or not enough.

The end result of sex...

And how abortions can deal with it.

Cheating.

Living together.

Teachers hooking up with students...

And students hooking up with students.

Parties...

Death...

Lots of death. Lots of drugs. 

Skins doesn't color inside of the lines, or use the correct colors, or even color at all some times. 

It's both neon bright and dark and gritty.

No one ever said that the beginning couldn't be longer then the rest of the post.

Did they?

Fuck it if they did. 

I have other things going on...

Places to see, people to do...

*smirk*


XO


FREAK


PS: do you like skins? If you do, do you like it because it's shit you'd never do? Or because it's your life? Or because you wish it were your life?