Robot Chicken - TV-MA

Quirky cartoon is too sophisticated for kids.

TV Rating: TV-MA Network: Cartoon Network Cast: Seth Green, Breckin Meyer, Matthew Senreich Genre: Comedy
Available on: DVDDownload

Common Sense Note

Parents need to know that this frenetic, 15-minute animated sketch series is part of the Cartoon Network's late-night "Adult Swim" block. While it's visually entertaining, it's very violent and irreverent, and kids and tweens probably won't get its style of humor. Plus, many of the laughs are based on the fact that the majority of the characters are toys from the '70s and '80s; viewers who don't recognize and appreciate that context will probably miss a lot.

Families can talk about what makes this show (and cartoons in general) funny. Why is it funny to see old toys put into incongruous situations? Do you have to know the toys' history to appreciate the humor? Why does cartoon violence make us laugh, when the same thing happening in real life would be terrifying? Why are cartoons, as a whole, so entertaining for kids? Do they enjoy the dialogue or the animation more? How can you tell when a particular cartoon isn't meant for younger viewers? Is the differentiation confusing?

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Common Sense Review

Reviewed By: Lucy Maher

Part of the Cartoon Network's late-night "Adult Swim" line-up, ROBOT CHICKEN entertains viewers with stop-motion animation segments that appear totally random but are tied together in the end.

Created by Seth Green (Austin Powers, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and Matthew Senreich, each episode takes viewers on a fast-paced ride through dozens of scenes populated by action figures, many of which date from the '70s and '80s (He-Man, G.I. Joe, Smurfs, Transformers, etc.).The rapid-fire, irreverent sketches poke fun at popular TV shows, movies, music, and celebrities. A number of stars have lent their voices to various episodes, including the cast of That '70s Show, Ryan Seacrest, Christian Slater, and Scarlett Johansson.

Much of the show's humor comes from seeing familiar toys placed in incongruous situations (Skeletor in a carpool, Voltron in a break-dancing contest). As a result, the viewers most likely to enjoy the show are pop culture-savvy types who grew up playing with the toys in question. That said, if parents can get past the series' completely random humor, goofy absurdity, and frequent, random acts of cartoon violence, there's nothing about Robot Chicken that older teens won't find elsewhere.

Viewers who like Robot Chicken might also enjoy South Park, Family Guy, and Wonder Showzen (exercise caution with this one, though; it's really not for kids).

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Content		CS	adults	kids
Content
Sexual Content Frequent innuendo; toy couples shown making out/rolling around in bed and elsewhere; references to masturbation; "happy ending" massages.
Violence Frequent, extreme cartoon violence. The toy characters are shot, stabbed, sliced in half, decapitated, run over, blown up, beaten, and much more. Cartoon gore is often shown. Episodes have had sketches involving serial killers, the world blowing up, and every other kind of mayhem imaginable. If any of this was live-action, it would be horrifying.
Language "Bitch," "hell," "ass," "sucks," "balls," "dick," etc. The strongest words are bleeped out.
Message
	Social Behavior Characters constantly mock and fight with each other. Stars are spoofed relentlessly, sisters battle each other, characters betray each other. It's all done on purpose for laughs.
	Commercialism Virtually all of the characters are toys and action figures tied into TV shows and movies.
	Drug/Alcohol/Tobacco Not excessive, but present.