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Taboo

(Rated TV-14, Reality TV, Starring David McCallum, Where to watch: National Geographic Channel, DVD)

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 12, age appropriate for kids over 14; suggested age 14.

  • Is it any good?

    3.0

  • Common Sense says

    Global subcultures offer eye-opening edutainment.

Why We Rated This on for Ages 14 and Up

The good stuff

  • Messages:

    The series examines different cultural practices around the world. It challenges people's perceptions of what "normal" means. People from various racial, ethnic, and other groups from all over the globe are featured (including some who are transgendered).
 

What to watch out for

  • Violence:

    Some of the rituals shown appear violent by traditional Western standards, including beating young men as a rite of passage into adulthood, hanging people by the skin with hooks, and mutilating young girls' breasts.

  • Sex:

    Some episodes discuss sexuality (including sexual maturity and transgender issues) and courting practices. But these discussions are within the context of understanding a specific culture or ritual and aren't salacious in nature. One episode shows young girls' breasts being mutilated to prevent promiscuity.

  • Language:

    Not an issue.

  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Occasional drinking and smoking visible in the background, but it's not central to the show.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Taboo

Parents need to know that many of the unique cultural traditions examined in this documentary series -- including gender transformation, painful and often life-threatening initiation rituals, and physical mutilation -- will seem bizarre or extreme from a mainstream American point of view. Since the topics are approached from a thoughtful, educational perspective, mature teens should be able to handle the show, but its graphic imagery and complex subject matter could upset or disturb younger or more sensitive kids.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about how traditions differ in cultures around the world. When do these traditions cross the line and become abusive or unacceptable? How does your own background affect your perspective of other cultures' practices? Can you truly understand a group's traditions without being part of that group? What are the consequences of misunderstanding other cultures' traditions? Families can also discuss the use of graphic pictures and video footage in documentaries. Even though these images are showing real life, is it necessary to include shocking pictures? Why or why not?
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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Adult Reviewer
    HeroneSilverton
    Lives in North Carolina
    I rate this title iffy for age 13 and give it 4.0

    Very very interesting show

    This show, though filled with all kinds of graphic stuff, is very interesting. I have learned a lot of things through it. It can often be bloody and graphic, so I would say it's iffy to 13+

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
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