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Easy Money

(Rated TV-14, Drama, Starring Laurie Metcalf, Jeff Hephner, Marsha Thomason, Where to watch: CW, Online)

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 15, age appropriate for kids over 99; suggested age 15.

  • Is it any good?

    3.0

  • Common Sense says

    Loan shark dramedy has plenty of iffy stuff.

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 15–18

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    The main characters' family business offers high-interest loans to people who can't get regular bank loans; their business breeds all kinds of sketchy behavior, including bribery and violence. They cater to lower socioeconomic sectors of society. Lots of focus on buying material goods. That said, the Buffkins are a close and caring family; matriarch Bobette focuses on keeping them together. But Morgan questions the morality of their work. The Buffkins are Caucasian, but their clients and competition come from all walks of life.

  • Violence:

    Debtors, collectors, and thugs are seen hitting, punching, pushing, and shoving each other. Blood is sometimes visible.

  • Sex:

    Some strong sexual innuendo. Animated computer images of women in thongs and wearing pasties are occasionally shown. One character is addicted to Internet porn sites. A strip bar is located across the street from Prestige; women are occasionally shown wearing skimpy underwear and dancing provocatively (sometimes against a pole).

  • Language:

    Language includes words like "bitch" and "ass cherries." The anti-Semitic term "shylock" is occasionally used to describe the loan sharks.

  • Consumerism:

    Lots of verbal and visual references to businesses located in shopping malls, including Arby's, Borders, and Pep Boys. The Buffkins drive expensive cars like Hummers and BMWs. Budweiser and Coca-Cola logos are somewhat visible. Morgan is named after the bank Morgan Stanley.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Visible consumption of beer and hard liquor. Occasional subtle drug references.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Easy Money

Parents need to know that this series centers on a family of loan sharks whose business breeds lots of negative behavior -- including beating up debtors, fighting with thugs, and bribing police officers. That said, they're actually a loving, close-knit group. Expect strong sexual innuendo, including visits to a strip bar, where skimpy underwear and suggestive dancing are visible. There's also some strong language ("bitch," "ass") and drinking (beer, mixed drinks), and the logos/brands of many businesses, cars, and other products are visible.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about whether the family in this show seems at all realistic. Is it believable that people who do what the Buffkins do for a living would be as loving and close as they are? How about the rest of their world -- does it seem authentic? Families can also discuss the show's tone, which is a mix of drama and comedy. How do shows and movies that focus on serious or dark themes get laughs? Is it jarring to switch from one tone to the other?
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