Dog Bites Man

Review

Common Sense Media says

Fake news at its best, but a bad choice for kids.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

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Kids say

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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this farce isn't meant to be taken seriously. They're not real reporters. It's not real news. (And the fact that some of the people they interview don't know that is all part of the fun.) The show's aggressive use of sexual innuendo isn't appropriate for younger viewers and sets a poor example for teens, but that doesn't mean they won't watch.

  • Positive messages0
    News team members show a lack of professional ethics and will even make up news if they have to. Sexual harrassment is also a regular part of the workplace, but the lone female of an all-male news crew holds her own and slings it back.
  • Violence0
    Not applicable.
  • Sex3
    Sexual innuendo and crude body part jokes are common, and homosexuality is sometimes used as a punchline. Two of the main characters have an on-again, off-again sexual relationship -- a pattern that started when one of them was a secretary and the other was her boss.
  • Language3
    Locker-room humor relies on words like "hooker," "whore," "balls," "sack," and "testicles."
  • Consumerism0
    Not applicable.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking3
    Characters discuss drinking wine, beer, and liquor, which usually leads to poor judgment, mishaps, and regrettable one-night stands. Steroid use is mentioned in the show's premiere episode.
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What's the story?

DOG BITES MAN takes a few of its cues from The Daily Show and The Colbert Report but adds an increasingly popular comic twist: a "mockumentary" format that's part scripted, part improv, and undeniably funny. The plot follows the antics of the Spokane, Wash.-based KHBX "news" team -- on-air personality Kevin Beekin (Matt Walsh), producer Tillie Sullivan (Andrea Savage), cameraman Alan Finger (Zach Galifianakis), and trusty assistant Marty Shonson (A.D. Miles). Each episode finds these TV journalists chasing down their next "hard-hitting" story, an endeavor that involves startling exposés on professional bodybuilding and homophobia -- and once resulted in the local Emmy Award-winning segment "What's in Your Muffin?"

Is it any good?

 

Most adults and older children are bound to chuckle at this single-camera comedy. But the show's humor, while smart, relies too much on off-color bathroom references (with an unexplained focus on testicles), and characters are typically shown doing and saying things you wouldn't want your kids to repeat. On the plus side, the show can be used as a starting point for family discussions about the way news is actually produced and whether it's ever truly objective -- or, for that matter, newsworthy.

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What families can talk about

Families can talk about the way the show portrays the integrity of television news -- and whether or not it hits the mark. How does TV news produced at the local level compare with national news broadcasts? To what extent do reporters' on-air personalities match their off-camera antics? What makes a topic newsworthy as opposed to simply scandalous? And, ethics-wise, what are the downsides to having a sexual relationship with someone you work with?

This review was written by Kari Croop

There aren't any reviews yet. Be the first to review this title below.
This review was written by Kari Croop
TV rating:TV-14
Network:Comedy Central
Cast:A.D. Miles, Andrea Savage, Matt Walsh, Zach Galifianakis
Genre:Comedy
This review was written by Kari Croop
 

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.
Our child development rating guidelines

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