American Body Shop (Comedy Central)
common sense media says
Garage-set reality parody veers into iffy humor.
parents & educators say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this mock reality show makes fun of people based on disability, ethnicity, gender, race, and age. Jokes are both crass and (sometimes) funny, with a tendency toward pratfall and bathroom humor. (For example, in one scene, the characters describe how the victim of a terrible chemical spill had to have skin from his bottom grafted onto his face, resulting in his nickname: "assface.") The characters all behave unethically, from stealing to bribing to ambulance chasing. Jokes at the expense of the shop's Spanish-speaking immigrant employee are ongoing, though mature viewers will understand the political satire inherent in the comedy. The strongest words are bleeped, but "ass" and others get through.
Violence:
Plenty of obviously fake and outrageous accidents and injuries -- chemical burns, people on fire, an impaled eyeball, a delirious man suffering from car-accident injuries and bleeding from the head, etc. All are meant to be funny.
Sex:
Lots of sexually oriented humor, including discussion of "revirginization," "rubber vaginas," "menses," etc. One character is particularly focused on sexual issues/talk.
Language:
Lots of racial epithets oriented toward Latinos and Middle Easterners. Regular profanity includes "ass" harsher words are bleeped, but still obvious.
Consumerism:
Not applicable.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
Not applicable.
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