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Tougher in Alaska

(Rated TV-PG, Reality TV, Starring Geo Beach, Where to watch: History, DVD, Online)

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 9, age appropriate for kids over 11; suggested age 11.

  • Is it any good?

    4.0

  • Common Sense says

    Tough guy does tough jobs in a tough state.

Why We Rated This on for Ages 11 and Up

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    Traditional gender roles seem to be the norm. Environmental issues are often side-stepped. Almost everyone is Caucasian, although one of the fishermen has at least some Native American family.

  • Violence:

    None seen, but there's talk of carrying guns, and explosives are used as part of a mining operation. Fish are decapitated and gutted.

  • Sex:

    Not an issue.

  • Language:

    Words like "damn" and "crap shoot" are audible; there are also several bleeps -- but you can generally tell what the word was.

  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Not an issue.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Tougher in Alaska

Parents need to know that this rugged docuseries doesn't pull too many punches about either how hard life is in Alaska or the nature of the Alaskan character -- which still reflects the frontier mentality and is very independent and male-dominant (though the women are expected to be tough, too). Gold miners carry guns to their back-country claim to protect themselves against bears, but they don't shoot the weapons. Fishermen flirt with breaking the law to get their catch, and some do cross the line (although that scene is shown from the perspective of the officers enforcing the law). Scenes inside a salmon processing plant show a machine chopping the heads off fish and others scooping out their guts.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about the messages the show sends by what issues it chooses to highlight. For example, mining, logging, and salmon fishing all have a reputation for having a negative environmental impact, but the show doesn't explore that topic equally for different industries, glossing over it in the mining episode while going a little deeper in regards to salmon fishing. Why do you think there isn't more discussion about preserving the environment in the mining episode? How can producers shape what audiences take away from their shows? Can you believe what you see on TV?
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