BY BOB HOLT

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

The Skin Cancer Foundation has filed a formal complaint with the Federal Trade Commission asking for an investigation of MTV’s Jersey Shore, alleged that the program encouraged potentially cancer-causing behavior.

The organization said that tanning beds, promoted on the show, were a "known carcinogen."

Jersey Shore just completed a six-season run on MTV, and the Foundation appeared to have been watching the program just a little too closely. The group said in the complaint, according to NJ.com, "In just six episodes of season 5, there were 11 GTL references, 20 images of tanning, 24 tanning mentions, and 22 general tanning references."

In their complaint, the Skin Cancer Foundation alleged that MTV glamorized and endorsed excessive tanning as socially enhancing and beneficial, without disclosing the related health risks, according to Examiner.

The Jersey Shore cast used a catch phrase of “Gym, Tan, Laundry” through its six seasons. The complaint says spin-offs and repeats of the program will expose the behavior to audiences for years ahead.

President of the Skin Cancer Foundation Perry Robins said research finally showed a link between tanning beds and skin cancer a few years ago. "As the series progressed over the years, displays of tanning behaviors grew in frequency along with the cast's influence over viewers,” he said, according to PR Newswire. The repeated and ongoing references to tanning as a harmless activity are dangerous and hazardous to the public's health."

Examiner reported that this past September, the Foundation met with MTV and, requested that the channel include a warning with each episode about tanning. MTV refused, prompting the complaint.