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Well, we’re only three months into 2011 and I’ve discovered a show that, in my eyes, exemplifies all that is wrong with modern television. The Joy of Teen Sex ran from the 19th January to the 9th February - so why am I only ranting about it now? Because I only saw one episode then put off catching up with the rest because I was certain that the others could not be this catatonically, horrifically, bad.
The premise of the show sounds very honourable and worthy: to give advice and tips for teens entering the sticky minefield of relationships. However, the program’s stated mission is in contrast with the lurid title. It might seem a strange thing to bang on about, but Channel 4 has stuffed so many of its shows with sex since Skins proved mildly popular (which incidentally, is the worst offender at showing gratuitous, unrealistic sex) that I was worried the program’s stated mission of education is fully at odds with viewer ratings.
And unfortunately these worries were fully realised. The Joy of Teen Sex could have possibly fitted to a half hour slot; however it’s dragged out for an hour. Every clip is seen at least twice, and some segments are insultingly short. It’s become standard for TV shows to use these tricks but here it made an already flimsy piece look threadbare. There were literally four points of information in one episode I saw. Needless to say, it made the whole hour tedious.
The main problem I had is the same problem I have with ‘shock-docs’ like Tree Man and Embarrassing Bodies. Although some attempt is made to present problems sympathetically there is still a great deal of a freak show or carnival atmosphere, especially when people are getting genital piercings. The program does seem to have gone out and found the most extroverted, wild teens who have unprotected sex every night. I suppose finding ‘normal’ people to apply to a sex documentary will always be a hard task but it did seem just a way of winding up the Daily Mail.
The most irritating feature of the whole documentary is the ‘teenage reporter’ who reports back with the startling news that boys can watch a lot of pornography. Say it ain’t so, Chuck! She then joins an online website where girls are encouraged to get naked, earns credits which can be transferred for money by promising to get naked and then doesn’t, saying "they’re all mad now". Somehow I find it hard to believe, Little Red Riding Hood style, that any girl will just wander onto an internet website that is explicitly about pornography and just get their boobs out but it was described as though it was a daily occurrence. I am obviously missing out on such things.
And that’s my final problem with The Joy of Teen Sex. Among its educational elements are parts that are entirely sensationalist and headline-grabbing without merit. Between worthy features that should have been elongated are utterly worthless elements that contribute absolutely nothing. And, to add insult to injury, it takes an hour to repeat itself. The result is failure. Do not recommend.
I love this article. So well written. I still can't stop myself from watching this stupid show.
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