Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that this raunchy reality show is (hopefully) not intended for kids. As the title suggests, it's essentially devoid of any positive female role models, and the characters swear so much that it's often difficult to tell what they're saying because so many words are bleeped out. Unless you want your teens to soak up bad behavior like binge drinking, cursing, and simulating sex with strangers in public places, steer clear of this road trip from hell.
Families can talk about whether or not they find this show entertaining -- if so, what makes it appealing? If the show were about a group of well-mannered, well-spoken women who were driving across the country to find bright young minds for their new book club, would you still want to watch every week? Do you admire these women or look down on them -- and do you know any girls who behave the way they do? How would the show be different if the "bad girls" were replaced by a bunch of "bad guys"?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Kari Croop
It's surprising (and a little bit sad) that the most popular original series on the Oxygen network -- a channel ostensibly devoted exclusively to "edgy, intelligent entertainment for women" -- embraces stupidity for the sake of ratings. But The Bad Girls Club, a reality series spawned by the creators of MTV's The Real World, was apparently so successful that its producers felt it warranted a spin-off. Yes, really.
In BAD GIRLS ROAD TRIP, several of the women featured in The Bad Girls Club reunite for a cross-country trek to recruit cast members for Club's next season. Along the way, they meet up with a few familiar faces, and girl-on-girl drama ensues.
It's a thin plot, to say the least. But whether or not these "bad girls" actually accomplish anything over the course of the series seems like a moot point. After all, the show's appeal seems to be more about the girls' outrageous antics than their purported mission of finding fresh meat for their "club" of foul-mouthed scrappers.
The odd thing is that, in spite of the nonstop mayhem, Bad Girls Road Trip is actually kind of boring. In one episode, the only truly entertaining moment came when the girls got all gussied up to sign autographs at a Nashville bar, only to discover that no one had bothered to show up.
If you're already hooked on the members of The Bad Girls Club, chances are you'll love them in this twisted take on Thelma and Louise (the producers even stick the ladies in a vintage convertible in an apparent homage). But if you're coming at it totally fresh, you're more likely to be left scratching your head in wonderment ... or dismay.
Fans will be just as likely to enjoy Flavor of Love and its subsequent spin-off, Flavor of Love Girls: Charm School. But a movie like Thelma and Louise is bound to make you think more about the true meaning of "girl power." For a better way to fill your reality TV quota, try MADE, which is fine for kids as young as tweens but will entertain older viewers, too.
Rate It!
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Sexual ContentOne character is an exotic dancer, and ample cleavage abounds. Other characters are shown dancing suggestively with the aid of stripper poles and making out in public with men and women. |
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ViolenceWomen are shown punching, hitting, and kicking each other in bar brawls and full-blown catfights. |
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LanguageMany curse words (such as "s--t" and "f--k") are bleeped, but second-tier swearing like "ass" and "hell" flows freely. The word "bitch," in particular, is used repeatedly by female characters in reference to each other ... or just about anything. |
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Social BehaviorThese women are dubbed "bad girls" for a reason, and the show celebrates their love of fighting, swearing, drinking, and promiscuity. |
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CommercialismThe show serves as one long commercial for the second season of Bad Girls Club. The Oxygen network and its Web site are mentioned often. |
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Drug/Alcohol/TobaccoAlthough only a few of the women smoke, binge drinking is a pastime that everyone seems to enjoy. Characters are reguarly shown doing shots of hard liquor and guzzling cocktails that should probably be sipped. |
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