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Reality Bites Back

(Rated TV-14, Reality TV, Starring Michael Ian Black, Where to watch: Comedy Central)

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 14, age appropriate for kids over 99; suggested age 14.

  • Is it any good?

    3.0

  • Common Sense says

    Clever reality show spoof is too crude for kids.

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 14–18

The good stuff

  • Messages:

    Non-stop iffy, potentially offensive shenanigans, most of which are intended to be funny. Overall, trying to take any kind of message -- good or bad -- away from this program would be pretty pointless.
 

What to watch out for

  • Violence:

    In some challenges, contestants are pitted against one another in physical combat, but it's funny, not bloody.

  • Sex:

    Lots of innuendo and frank talk about sex, all played up for comic effect, plus challenges that involve seduction. Heavy use of terms like "balls," "boobs," and "boner."

  • Language:

    Regular usage of words like "bitch" and "ass," as well as "s--t" and "f--k," which are bleeped.

  • Consumerism:

    Blatant advertisements actually interrupt the broadcast. In one episode, a Mike's Hard Lemonade bottle slides across the screen, and an announcer says, "This tender moment ruined by Mike's Lemondade. In a world gone soft, someone's gotta be hard."

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Marijuana and alcohol are mentioned during a game in which parents have to guess their child's substance of choice. In another challenge, contestants drive around in a van hawking cigarettes.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Reality Bites Back

Parents need to know that even though this reality show spoof is aimed at adults (albeit young ones), teens will probably want to watch. But it's a pretty iffy choice. The sexual content, in particular, is quite crude. In one challenge, for example, contestants are sent into a blackened room to seduce an unknown person ... who turns out to be one of their parents. Before they find out who they're actually talking to, the contestants say things like "I just want to kiss you between the legs … you're so sexy." Talk about awkward! Strong language flies freely, too, although words like "f--k" and "s--t" are bleeped.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about whether this over-the-top spoof adds something new to an already saturated reality TV market or merely makes things worse. Does the show make fun of any of your favorite reality programs? Which ones? Did watching these parodies make you feel any differently about shows you already enjoy? Do you think the show is trying to make a particular point?
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