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World Series of Pop Culture

(Rated TV-PG, Game shows, Starring Pat Kiernan, Lisa Guerrero, Where to watch: VH1, Online)

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 10, age appropriate for kids over 13; suggested age 13.

  • Is it any good?

    3.0

  • Common Sense says

    Pop-culture fun, but not for the whole family.

Why We Rated This on for Ages 13 and Up

The good stuff

  • Messages:

    Most of these pop-culture junkies have clearly done their homework, but they've studied Jan Brady instead of James Joyce. Still, you can't fault them for knowing their strengths. Some of the contestants model less-than-ideal behavior, including extreme overconfidence and poor sportsmanship.
 

What to watch out for

  • Violence:

    The contestants fight with their minds, not their fists.

  • Sex:

    Some innuendo and saucy categories (referring obliquely to masturbation, etc.). But most sexual references (like "Pussy Galore" and Sex and the City) are usually legitimate answers to questions.

  • Language:

    Strong language is bleeped, whether it's part of a question or a contestant's answer. But some words are hard to mistake ("t--s," for example).

  • Consumerism:

    The show is produced by VH1 in partnership with Entertainment Weekly magazine. Another sponsor, Alltel Wireless, ponies up $250,000 for the winning team. Frequent house ads direct viewers to play along at home via VH1.com.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    A few off-the-cuff comments allude to heavy drinking, but none is shown.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About World Series of Pop Culture

Parents need to know that this tournament-style game show is addictive for adults who love the movies, television, and music of the late 1970s, '80s, '90s, and 2000s. But kids are bound to think it's kind of lame. One reason is that the answers aren't tailored for teens -- after all, has your 14-year-old ever seen Arthur (the 1981 Dudley Moore film, not the 1996 animated cartoon)? The other is that the contestants are kind of "old" (in kid-terms, that means people in their late 20s and early 30s), so there are few faces they can actually relate to.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about the differences between what moms and dads know and what their kids know, especially when it comes to pop culture. Parents might have fun explaining the complexities of The Waltons family tree or the significance of Charo, for example, while older teens could offer pointers on Snoop Dogg and The O.C. Would more people do better on a pop-culture test than on a quiz about states and capitals? (Not sure? Your family could try it out.) And why do some people remember the most random bits of trivia while others can't remember what they had for lunch?
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