Skins Poster Analysis

The central point of this advertisement is Michelle, who is sitting on a bed with mismatched clothes, ruffled hair and smudged make-up. This reflects her unbothered attitude, lack of control and disobedience, which mirrors the stereotypical view of teenagers in England. The characters along the bottom of the poster are engaged in deep intimacy and are entirely unaware of the camera. This could demonstrate the approach of teenagers; they are rebellious, stubbron and narrowminded and have total disregard for everything that they don't have an interest in. The only other character is Sid in the background, who we can recognise by the hat and glasses. His facial expression and body language imply that he has done something wrong. This is ironic, as he is the one who doesn't seem to be completely part of the chaotic mess.

The scene chosen for the poster is the bedroom, evident because of the main prop: the bed. It looks like a parents' bedroom, which heightens their destructive and rebellious nature. The fact that it's a bedroom backs-up the theme of intimacy and proves teenagers to be wild and untameable; they've managed to covert an originally calm and peaceful scene into a room of mess and madness. This is also apparant in the dirty walls and ripping wallpaper, as it shows their recklessness. The setting is tinted a light blue, which could represent coldness and perhaps even loneliness, which would fit in with the way Sid is being shown. There are two sources of lighting; one from the tablelamp by Sid which highlights his facial expression and another from the window. The natural sunlight on the walls adds a sense of realism to the poster and suggests that it is set in the early hours, perhaps after a party.

This poster gives a negative representation of teenagers, portraying them as uncontrollable troublemakers. However, teenagers themselves could interpret this poster as showing a crazy night of fun. This poster was banned ater numerous complaints saying that the poster could 'encourage underage sex'.

This poster only features one character, which instantly portrays loneliness and implies a sense of neglection. The advertisement suggests that the boy has attempted suicide as he is submerged under dirty water. His rigid body, pale skin and stark facial expression make it seem like he is dead. His eyes are focused at a point which shows that he was deep in thought, perhaps contemplating his life. The main props used are the cleaning products such as the razor, soap and shower gel, which contrast with the dirty bethroom. This evident conflict could be a reflection of the conflicts in Tony's life, which could be the causes for his suicide attempt.

Tony appears to be in a bathroom which is evident because of the sink and bath. A bathroom is a room of isolation, which would be the perfect location for a suicide attempt. The horrendous state of the scene could be used to portray the mess in Tony's life. The bathroom is neglected as clearly noone cleans it, which mirrors the boy's life; perhaps he is neglected and noone cares for him. The grime and dirt create a depressing mood, and the fact that he is bathing in such a location shows how careless he is. There is no lighting in the set which makes it seem cold and lonely. The lack of colour also adds to the sense of isolation; it makes Tony look ill. A high angle shot has been used here to heighten Tony's image and to make us feel distant from the character, perhaps to demonstrate his neglectance one again.

I think that this poster is a dramatic exaggeration of teenage actions. Clearly, this is a negative portrayal of teenagers. To adults it shows the dramatic overreactions of teenagers; they may even find this offensive, but to teenagers this could be a visual reminder of other teenagers committing suicide and the horrific effects of it, perhaps even a advising against it. Thus, people will all be able to relate to this poster.