The Skin I Live In Common Sense Media

[Hermila Farquhar]

Thereare few immediate consequences to the endless limit-testing behavior featured here, including drinking, drug use, dishonesty, and theft, which are presented as normal parts of teen life. Issues like family relationships, divorce, peer pressure, anorexia, and child abandonment are also discussed in complex, realistic ways. The group clearly cares about each other and are true friends.

Teens on this show regularly engage in risky and/or negative behavior, including lying to parents and using alcohol and drugs to excess in the name of fun. On the positive side, they're a diverse bunch of close friends who are loyal to each other.

Teens are seen groping each other, removing their clothes, in their underwear, and partially nude (bare buttocks; the side of a woman's breasts). Scenes of sex acts are frequent (but no nudity is shown). Pornographic magazines are visible. Strong references to losing virginity, genitalia, and other sex-related topics. Some characters are in same-sex relationships. Some of the teen characters have intimate relationships with adults.

Drinking (beer, hard liquor) is frequent, cigarette smoking is visible, and drug use is prominent. Pot, prescription drugs, and other substances are used; kids are frequently shown in drug-induced states. On occasion, young kids are shown rolling joints or handling drugs.

Parents need to know that although MTV has been promoting this show as very sexy and flamboyant, in many respects, the show takes the opposite approach, portraying a gritty and (at least for some) realistic picture of teen life. An adaptation of the popular British teen drama, it's as edgy and boundary-pushing as the original and is likely to make parents very uncomfortable. Both teens and adults drink excessively, smoke, deal and use drugs, and engage in various sexual acts. These and other risky behaviors are met with limited consequences and portrayed, to an extent, as normal behavior. Expect plentiful sex acts (between teens, adults and teens, and same-sex partners), some nudity (bare buttocks), and lots of profanity (words "ass" and "s--t" are audible, while "f--k" is bleeped). The series also touches on some serious subjects, like divorce, eating disorders, and relationships. Due to the extreme behavior in the show, Common Sense Media recommends parents preview the show, if possible, before allowing teens to watch. If teens do watch, parents might find the show a good jumping-off point for some important discussions.

The American adaptation of SKINS highlights how a group of contemporary teens in Baltimore live their lives in a complicated world. It stars James Newman as Tony, an overly self-confident teen, and his group of friends -- including geeky Stanley (Daniel Flaherty); Tony's girlfriend, Michelle (Rachel Thevenard); free spirit Chris (Jesse Carere); and the rather sex-crazed Abbud (Ron Mustapha). Adding to the fray are straight-laced Daisy (Camille Crescencia-Mills), cheerleader Tea (Sofia Black D'Elia), and the troubled Cadie (Britne Oldford). Tony's younger sister, Eura (Eleanor Zichy), occasionally joins in, too. From crazy antics to difficult personal problems, the teens slowly shed their skins as they come into themselves and move toward adulthood while having lots of fun.

The stateside version of the popular British series recreates the edgy show's original cast of characters and some of the its storylines in a way that successfully combines humor and irreverence with serious topics like child abandonment, peer pressure, divorce, eating disorders, and relationships.

Like its U.K. counterpart, Skins has a lot of heart and attempts to tell an honest story about today's teens. It also presents things like promiscuity, underage drinking, drug abuse, and other inappropriate behavior as normal and, to an extent, acceptable ways of having fun without having to face any real consequences. As a result, it's a show that's best left to older teens who are mature enough to look past the wild antics and sexed-up images presented here and can appreciate the show's deeper messages surrounding friendship, self-image, facing challenges, and the path toward maturity.

Families can talk about whether Skins offers a realistic view of teen life. Do you think the behavior on display here -- including sex, drinking, and drugs -- is accurate, or is it exaggerated for entertainment? Parents, talk to your teens about the real-life consequences of all of this stuff.

Parents: What surprises you about this show? What makes you uncomfortable? Does it challenge any of your values? How can you use the show as an opportunity to discuss your own values with your teen? Teens: What appeals to you about the show? Do you relate to any of the characters? Have you or anyone you know done the things shown here? What happened?

Teens: What's the difference between hooking up and having a relationship? What are the potential consequences of hooking up? Are these consequences portrayed on the show? Do you think the show should take a more "responsible" approach to portraying teen sexuality?

Are there any role models in this series? If so, who are they, and what makes them role models? Do you think it's important for TV shows to feature positive role models? Do you recognize any teen stereotypes?

Video game logic is not real-world logic. Sometimes they allow you to do something suicidally dangerous (or at least utterly pointless) and, far from forcing you to face the consequences of your actions, they reward you for this behavior. On the flip-side, the player finds themselves in a scenario where they feel obligated to make a practical decision and, far from avoiding Too Dumb to Live, they are punished for this behavior, sometimes by death. This is a Violation of Common Sense; one does not expect to be rewarded for otherwise nonsensical actions, or to be punished for otherwise sensible ones.

Compare and contrast both Press X to Die (where an obviously stupid action has harmful results), Stupidity Is the Only Option (where the player is forced to do something stupid in order to continue the game), and Unexpectedly Realistic Gameplay (where following common sense is expected, but surprising in the context of the game). Also compare Moon Logic Puzzle (where the solution to a puzzle makes absolutely no sense from a normal standpoint). Examples of things that make no sense in general (but that we accept because it's a video game) belong in the work's Headscratchers tab or in one of the Acceptable Breaks from Reality subtropes.

This trope is not to be confused with Insane Troll Logic. It's also not to be confused with Too Dumb to Live, though it can be seen as an aversion of this trope (where you get the appropriate consequence - namely, death - for doing something reckless). open/close all folders

Action-Adventure An early section in Batman: Arkham Asylum requires you to save a doctor who's trapped in a room whose only exit is into a room full of Joker Toxin. You have to activate the three ventilation fans by hitting their power boxes with your Batarang. The problem? One of those boxes is itself in an enclosed room. The correct solution is to Batarang the rope that one of the Mooks is hanging from, knocking him down through the roof of the room and right into the cloud of poison gas. Even though you're Batman, and Batman never kills. On the other hand, Joker Toxin isn't instantly lethal, and there's a line of dialogue about how you have to act quickly to save his life, so there's some explanation at least. At one point in Cave Story, you see Professor Booster falling off-screen into a deep pit, and you have the option to either drop into the pit and help him, or just leave him to his fate. Your decision determines whether he lives or dies from his injuries, except the results violate logic: if you drop into the pit to help him, he gives you a prototype Jet Pack and one last speech before dying on the spot; if you leave him, he recovers on his own and meets you later in the game, alive and well, and gives you an improved Jet Pack. One of the conditions to get the Golden Ending requires you to have the improved version, which means you must ignore Booster when he falls into the pit. Go Vacation has a Golden Key called "Big Ball of Painful Memories,'' which you get by repeatedly violating common sense. It requires you to crash your vehicle into water 50 times, flub a trick 50 times, and, most dauntingly, jump off 4 secret special cliffs. One of which is a two-hundred-foot-tall waterfall. The Legend of Zelda: The Legend of Zelda has "Pay me and I'll talk" NPCs. Obviously, the lowest option doesn't net you any info since you're a cheap-ass for picking it, so logically, picking the highest option is the best since it means you're willing to pay anything for information, right? Nope! The NPC says "Boy, you're rich!" and that's it. To get an actual hint, you have to pick the middle option. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time There's an unusual method to avoiding ReDeads: Equipping the Iron Boots before getting close. ReDeads detect you based on sound, not sight. The Iron Boots are clunky and noisy ...to the player. But the ReDeads will ignore you. This is because the game registers the sound of Link's slower walking animation differently from that of his regular walking- as far as the game is concerned if you're moving slowly, you're tiptoeing, even if you're actually plodding around with heavy weights on your feet. As long as you don't pull out or put away a weapon, you'll be completely invisible to them (alternatively, this can be interpreted as the Iron Boots being so loud that they deafen/blind them). The Death Mountain Crater is so hot that if you don't leave before the time expires, you'll instantly die unless you wear the Goron Tunic. Falling into the lava is like falling into a Bottomless Pit, thus the game resets you back to the last entrance you came in from. Savvy players that are speed running or simply wanting to save time can jump into the lava to reset the timer and act as a quick warp to the exit with only a loss of one heart. The heat of the crater is more deadly than the lava itself! The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess: There's a part where you're on an oil-covered bridge that is ignited by an archer mook. With no apparent way out, you push a conveniently located crate over to the side of the bridge and jump off into (the almost entirely dry) Lake Hylia below. It's a good thing Link doesn't have to worry about smashing into the surface of the lake. In general, the first time Link decides that jumping off a high cliff with a cucco over his head is a good idea. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild: Pretend you're way above the ground with the paraglider, you're almost out of stamina, and the fall from this height will kill you. What do? Put away the paraglider, fall to the ground like a meteor, and save that last little bit of stamina to reopen it the second before you hit the ground. Falling from 1000 feet and hitting the ground with that amount of force? Lethal. Falling from 1000 feet and putting the strain of all that force on Link's arms? Harmless. If you're planning on Perfect Parrying a Guardian's laser, it can be more beneficial to stand at point blank range; the laser isn't hitscan, so the closer you're standing to the Guardian, the easier it is to time the parry due to the laser having almost no travel time from the very brief startup animation. This only works on Decayed and Turret Guardians, as well as Stalkers and Skywatchers that you've disabled by slicing a leg off or destroying their propellers, respectively. The beginning of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has you wake up on a Floating Continent high in the sky without your Paraglider. The game's intended solution? Just jump off. It's a good thing this game takes Soft Water to the limit, making jumping from cruising altitude a safe option. In Metroid, there exist quite a few expansions and power ups hidden under fake pools of acid or lava, most of which you have to go out of your way to fall in. Ōkami: Lampshaded at certain points, usually when Amaterasu has to jump down a hole. This is done to the point of Issun claiming that their motto is "Leap before you think." This would be justified by the fact that Ammy is a god, but there are some falls that won't kill you and some that will. Sometimes Issun reciting his motto is the only indication that you won't die if you jump right there. There are several methods of teleporting, none of which Amaterasu can use to reach Oni Island before it disappears. Absolutely no reason is given why, Issun just yells that Amaterasu doesn't have time for such "distractions". In a game where using magic to succeed is necessary at many points, running on foot through an entire city just seems arbitrary. Tomb Raider III: During some levels, when triggering boulder traps, you must violate all instinct by sprinting towards the object about to crush Lara before ducking at a small raised step on its path, allowing the boulder to pass over Lara safely. Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation has you play a mini-game against a spirit before you can progress. You move on whether you win or lose, but the path you take for losing has one of the game's many secrets. If you plan to get 100% Completion, you have to lose the mini-game on purpose. Tomb Raider Chronicles has a door that can only be unlocked with two keycards and you have to convince a worker at gunpoint to use his keycard in tandem with yours. Killing him opens up an alternate and more difficult path while your partner chews you out for killing the hapless worker. However, killing said worker is the only way to get to the level's secret. One achievement in Uncharted: The Lost Legacy requires you to drive your jeep off a waterfall at the edge of the map and plummet to your death.

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