Guys 'N' Divas: Battle of the High School Musicals (Showtime)
common sense media says
Teen theater documentary could dig a lot deeper.
parents & educators say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that, because this documentary about high school musical theater airs on pay cable, viewers will hear unbleeped swearing (including several uses of "f--k"). There's also some candid discussion of issues like bullying, domestic abuse, sexual orientation, and gang-related drug activity, although that isn't the real focus. The bulk of the film concentrates on what it takes to mount three different high school productions from start to finish -- and the answer, in some cases, is lots of money.
Positive role models:
Most of the students profiled are positive role models who work hard and take their participation seriously (one is austistic, while another spends his spare time as a minister). But some of the adults in charge let their competitive spirits get the best of them.
Violence:
A student talks about bullying at school and domestic violence in his home; another mourns when an older friend is strangled to death by a python.
Sex:
Some theatrical kissing and talk of "hooking up," but nothing overt. One featured male student is openly gay (and has been bullied for his sexuality); another female student says she's been called a lesbian.
Language:
Language is unbleeped and runs the gamut from "damn," "hell," "sucks," and "crap" to "bitch," "ass," and "creepy f--k." A gay student says he's been called "fairy" and "faggot."
Consumerism:
Not applicable.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
A student mentions that he knows high-schoolers who "party" but that he doesn't indulge -- although he bought cigarettes when he turned 18. Another student admits that he once sold drugs, although he's since reformed.
More on Guys 'N' Divas: Battle of the High School Musicals
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Sadgrl0
adult
adult
They filmed only the main characters
I hated this documentary. This was supposed to be about teamwork, a group of kids striving towards one common passion. Instead they made it about the drama, the relationships, and the personal lives. They completely ignored the chorus members who spent hours of exhausting work getting their dance steps right. The ones who stayed even after the main characters were gone, having rehearsals that lasted from 3 pm until midnight on every day, including weekends. After waiting three years for this documentary to air, I turn it on just to find I have maybe three scenes in which I am in the distant background. I was in the show Kaiulani, and I was exhausted, but excited, it was my first and last performance, and the best time of my life. This documentary did nothing but chronicle the personal lives of the main actors who could afford to bribe the teachers for the part.
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