Exiled

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Former Sweet 16ers finally learn a lesson.
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.

Find out more

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

Find out more

Parents say

Not yet rated

Kids say

Not yet rated

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this spin-off of My Super Sweet 16 -- which, in an attempt to see if the former spoiled-rotten birthday bashers can outgrow their bratty behavior, follows them as they're shipped off to foreign countries to live with indigenous tribes -- is much more worthwhile than its parent show. It focuses on change for the better, rather than temper tantrums and entitlement. That said, there are some brief scenes from the kids' earlier MTV appearances that include strong language and other rude behavior, and some of the frustrated "exilees" are likely to mouth off as well. Some of the tribal rituals include animal sacrifices, which could be disturbing to sensitive viewers.

  • The goal is to teach these often spoiled, out-of-touch young adults lessons about life, and they do seem to learn some. That said, the parents send their kids around the world to educate them rather than teach them these lessons themselves. Various cultures and their values, rituals, and routines are featured, but they're frequently presented as stereotypically primitive.
  • A few scenes show live animals being sacrificed as part of local rituals or cut up for food preparation.
  • Some native costumes reveal a lot of skin, but it's not intended to be sexual (and no nudity is shown).

What's the story?

EXILED reintroduces TV viewers to some of the most notorious party throwers featured on the network's infamous My Super Sweet 16. Two years after their big bashes, these kids are still out of control. But this time, their parents lay down the law and give them the ultimate reality check: Each Sweet 16 veteran is sent to a remote location to live with an indigenous tribe for a week. The goal? To teach these entitled kids to appreciate how other people their age live around the world -- and to recognize how good their own lives are.


Is it any good?

 

As these young people struggle through a week without beds, showers, or designer shoes, they do begin to appreciate what they have at home and understand the importance of having a strong work ethic. But, like its parent series, the show still manages to take things to extremes. Rather than having their spoiled kids volunteer for one of the many less-exotic, underserved communities in this country, the parents send their progeny to international locations that most people only dream about visiting. Meanwhile, the various communities that the kids live in -- as well as the jobs they're asked to do -- are often presented as primitive, which reinforces stereotypes about these countries and their people.

On the positive side, these clueless young people do seem to develop some sort of self-awareness after their week in "exile." Some even get embarrassed about their excessive materialism and how they live at home. It's hard to tell whether these revelations lead to life-long transformations, but at least these teens will be able to look back at their experience and remember that there are people out there who aren't as privileged as they are. And those are great lessons for them to learn -- but you can't help but wonder whether their parents will ever catch on that these are the kinds of things they should be teaching their kids at home.


Sign Up Message
Sign up for our weekly newsletter
Each week we send a customized newsletter to our parent and teen subscribers. Parents can customize their settings to receive recommendations and parent tips based on their kids’ ages. Teens receive a version just for them with the latest reviews and top picks for movies, video games, apps, music, books, and more.
Please enter an email address.
Please check your email address for possible typos.
Sorry, you must be 13 or older to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Sign me up!

What families can talk about

Families can talk about whether reality shows can really help people improve their lives. Can people can truly change after only one week of living a different life? Why do you think the producers chose to send these kids to remote locations -- to help them or to make the show more appealing to viewers? Families can also discuss how different cultures are presented in the media. How can the media avoid stereotypes while still highlighting other cultures' unique characteristics and challenges?


This review was written by Melissa Camacho
Parent of 11, 14, and 21 year old
January 4, 2009
 
Now this is a good show
sweet 16ers get a taste of real life .It's so fun watching brats suffer in 3rd world countries.

Flag as inappropriate 

This review was written by Melissa Camacho
TV rating:TV-PG
Network:MTV
Genre:Reality TV

This review was written by Melissa Camacho
 

Review It

Share your review with others

Hang on! You need to be a member to post your review.
A safe community is important to us. Please observe our guidelines.
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.

Great alternatives handpicked by our editors

 

vote now

Will you see Exiled?


Already seen it? What do you think?

 

Been There? Tell us about it