Commentary

[kruelsummer]

I've read a lot of reviews and comments that accuse Generation 3 of being Americanized and no longer a true representation of teens in Bristol.

What are your thoughts?  Has Skins become Americanized? Could the lack of relatable characters be the reason for the ratings decline?

Comments

[immortality]

... What? This is the first I've heard about Skins becoming "Americanized." Which is ridiculous -- I mean, that logic basically states that NO ONE who is American can relate to G1 or G2 because they're ~British. Yes, there's probably a slight differentiation between how teens in the US act or UK act given differences in laws/education/culture, but they're not THAT different.

G3 isn't ~Americanized and that's not why there was a ratings decline.

[randomneses]

I heard a lot of accusations about it around the first ep and second ep, but not really beyond that.

Skins just isn't that hot new scandalous show anymore. I think that that has to do with the ratings decline more than anything (and tbh igaf because as everybody knows I'm a long time fan who loves this season/gen).

[immortality]

Skins just isn't that hot new scandalous show anymore. I think that that has to do with the ratings decline more than anything

This, exactly.

[hysteriabyradio]

Skins just isn't that hot new scandalous show anymore. I think that that has to do with the ratings decline more than anything

I totally agree.

[randomneses]

Have those accusations of Americanization gone beyond episode one in which it was popular to deem gen 3 like Mean Girls? IDK speaking as an American the show isn't very American to me at all. Somehow I doubt people would have een saying this if Mini wasn't declared The Mean Girl and Nick as The Jock.

[kruelsummer]

The grumblings started around the time of the first and second eps, but I read something recently that mentioned the same thing and it brought to mind the previous articles. I'll have to take a moment to dig and find.

They were pretty much saying that there are no teens in Bristol like Mini (The Mean/Popular girl) and Nick (The Jock). I'm an American as well, but I went to High School in Europe and as I recall there really wasn't that one popular girl or jocks, everyone kind of hung out with one another. So I couldn't really relate to a true American High School experience. I posed the question out of curiousity to see if there was any truth to their conclusions.

When I watch Gen 3, I feel as if I'm watching a John Hughes film. But I just think it's because John Hughes was pretty awesome at shining a light on the teenage existance, not necessarily because he was an American film maker.

[randomneses]

Lolol I was gonna do a genre swap thing on tumblr of s5 as a John Hughes film but that's besides the point.

IDK, I even think it's unfair to call Mini The Mean Girl that everybody wants to be. She's really only popular with the rugby folks because she was dating Nick and other than that...we hardly see people idolizing her like we would in the traditional American Mean/Popular Girl archetype. Mini just doesn't fit. Just because she exudes confidence, beauty, and meanness doesn't make her character Americanized and it's pretty shallow of people to assume that.

[kruelsummer]

I agree. But asking some people to look a little deeper these days is like trying to tame a shark. That 'Mean Girls' comparison annoys me to no end.

[naomilyislove]

I can understand that view for episode one because of the whole Mean Girls thing, but nothing beyond that. I feel like people saying that must have just read descriptions of the show or watched a little but not properly watched the whole series, because I can understand how it might SOUND Americanized - with Mini as the ~queen bee, Nick as the ~jock etc - but, bar possibly the first episode, the way the characters and storylines were handled didn't seem that way to me at all. And I actually found lots of these characters relatable - their friendship group reminded me a hell of a lot more of my friendship group than either of the previous gens did, and I live in the UK.

[racetrackd]

Really.
To me it's the usual normal Skins.
I admit I'm behind on episodes but not because it's been Americanized.
Eh, people are gonna love it and people are gonna hate it.
What can you do?

[ironichipster]

rugby guys totally are the shit in school round where i grew up, but i grew up in upper middle class posho land, which bits of bristol certainly are (but roundview doesn't necessarily seem the sort of place where the rugby team have that much hold)

but anyway, i didn't think it was all that american at all, beside the alo can drive thing (but that got hand waved in the novel).