Tools for this page
Print

Cow and Chicken

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

    (Flash is loading. If this text does not disappear you need to install the latest flash version)

    Not age appropriate for kids under 7, age appropriate for kids over 11; suggested age 9.
  • Is it any good?

    3.0
  • Common Sense says

    If Ren & Stimpy starred in Monty Python...

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 9–11

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    No one is ever punished for bad behavior or rewarded for good. There are essentially no consequences in this universe.
  • Violence:

    Absolute, extreme cartoon violence with no consequences. Characters perform surgery on each other without anesthesia, hit each other with large mallets, push each other off cliffs and out windows, and so on.
  • Sex:

    Many characters are drawn with exaggerated and visible buttocks, which are sometimes leered at.
  • Language:

    Not an issue.
  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Not an issue.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Cow and Chicken

Parents need to know that this animated comedy offers both extreme cartoon slapstick violence (none of which has any lasting consequences) and absurd, sophisticated humor. A familiarity with -- and understanding of -- some fairly adult cultural and literary references, a healthy dose of cynicism, and a firm grasp of irony are necessary to redeem what would otherwise be just another ugly little cartoon.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about the show's humor, which stands up to dissection pretty well. Why is it funny that the Red Guy tries to dive into a glass of water and misses? (Because every other cartoon character ends up squashed in the water.) We never see the parents except from the waist down, and occasionally it becomes clear that they actually have no top halves -- what cartoon tradition is this mocking? Speaking of mocking, would you really want everyone to mock everything this thoroughly all the time? The show is very much a product of the late '90s, when this kind of humor was new and rapidly becoming the norm. Are kids today quite this cynical in their humor?

Want more? Get Common Sense recommendations delivered to your inbox.

Our Members Say

Have you seen it? Review It!

  • What did you think about Cow and Chicken?
  •  I think this show is

    for ages

  •  I also give it

  •  Any concerns?

  •  Any highlights?

  •  Love it? Hate it?

  • or to post a review

Most Recent Reviews

  1. I rate this title iffy for age 7 and give it 2.0

    2 words for ya: skip it

    nothing else to say but, skip it

  2. Teen Reviewer Age 13
    Lives in Florida
    I rate this title on for age 2 and give it 3.0

    Woot! (1st?)

    Good show a must watch!

More Great Stuff For Your Kids

  • Now Playing

    Aliens in the Attic

    Aliens in the Attic

    Silly teens-versus-aliens adventure is sure to delight kids.

  • Advice for Parents

    How to Upload a Video to YouTube

    How to Upload a Video to YouTube

    Video creativity is easier than you think.

  • Book of the Week

    Shiver

    Shiver

    Does for werewolves what Twilight did for vampires.

  • Pick of the Week

    Online Homework Help

    Online Homework Help

    Best Online Homework Helpers

  • Game of the Week

    NHL 10

    NHL 10

    Excellent, authentic pro hockey sim includes brawls.

Give Us a Minute, Get a Lot of Common Sense!
  • Age-appropriate best bets for your kids
  • Weekly email alert with the latest picks, reviews & advice
  • Post your own reviews and share them with friends

This will never be displayed to others.
Your email will never be displayed to others.
Your password should be 6-10 characters long.
A screen name protects your privacy
To post a review or comment you must become a Common Sense Member. It's easy!

Set-up your account
This will never be displayed to others.
Your email will never be displayed to others.
Your password should be 6-10 characters long.

Choose a screen name
It will appear when you post your own reviews and recommendations.
A screen name protects your privacy

Tell us your children's ages
You'll see the movies, games, books, shows, music, and sites our editors select just for them. As your children get older, our picks will grow with them!Why we ask for this
We never display your children's names, (or nicknames) to anyone, but you. Providing your children's ages allows us to personalize information on our site, so you get better information, faster.
is
until
(optional)
is
until
is
until
is
until
is
until
is
until
Add another child

We can make Common Sense just right for you. With a little info about you and your family, you'll get the most out of our site.

Set-up your account
This will never be displayed to others.
Your email will never be displayed to others.
Your password should be 6-10 characters long.

Tell us your children's ages
You'll see the movies, games, books, shows, music, and sites our editors select just for them. As your children get older, our picks will grow with them!
Why we ask for this
We never display your children's names, (or nicknames) to anyone, but you. Providing your children's ages allows us to personalize information on our site, so you get better information, faster.
is
until
is
until
is
until
is
until
is
until
is
until
Add another child

Choose a screen name
It will appear when you post your own reviews and recommendations
A screen name protects your privacy