I Love New York

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Flavor of Love spin-off is tasteless, too.
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

Kids say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this dating show is to parent show The Flavor of Love what The Bachelorette is to The Bachelor -- only cruder and more cringe-inducing. Through contests and conversations (most of which are accompanied by drinking and some sexual activity) one woman chooses a boyfriend from a group of 20 bachelors. Her choices are often based on extremely superficial characteristics. While most of the lessons to be gleaned from the show are simply immature, some -- like choosing a mate because he likes to drink a lot -- are borderline dangerous. The show features crass humor, wild behavior, excessive drinking, and highly sexual scenarios. Intense homophobia is at play, particularly directed at the effeminate, caricatured male personal assistant.

  • Men compete against each other for a woman's attention by being obnoxious, threatening other men, and showing off their bodies. The woman criticizes them for being boring, ugly, or crazy. Lots of homophobia. Show talks about true love and being "real," but it's actually all about exactly the opposite.
  • Frequent chest-beating, verbal threats, intimidation, and insults.
  • Very revealing clothing on men and women, with lots of commentary about physical features. Some heavy tongue kissing and touching in bed. Tons of sexual innuendo, flirting, crass commentary about someone's ability to find a sexual partner.
  • Constant cursing, with stronger language bleeped but obvious. "Bitch," "ass," etc. are unbleeped.
  • Beer brands are blocked out but obvious. Frequent talk about dressing well, materialism.
  • Constant drinking, sometimes to intoxication.

What's the story?

A spin-off of the cringe-inducing series Flavor of Love, I LOVE NEW YORK is basically the same show. But instead of former Public Enemy rapper Flavor Flav in the spotlight, it's one of his most flamboyant paramours, Tiffany "New York" Patterson. The show follows her quest for true love (or as much fame as she can get out of a VH1 reality show) as she gathers 20 love (or is it fame?) seekers into an ornately decorated mansion replete with a romantic grotto and swimming pool. The 20 men -- who have nicknames like "Tango," "Bones," and "12 Pack" -- vie for her attention while living together in the house. Patterson's quest for romantic perfection is aided by her mother, Sister Patterson, whose seriousness is comically intense.


Is it any good?

 

Teens might love the car wreck that is I Love New York, but with its warped examples of romantic relationships, the superficial standards by which someone is judged ("New York" likes one guy because "he looks good in clothes"), the excessive drinking (she likes another guy because "he drinks a lot"), and the orgy-like atmosphere, many parents will want to change the channel.

Both Flavor of Love and I Love New York take the reality dating show genre to new levels (sub-basement ones, that is). Fighting, cursing, and talking about bodies, sex, sexuality, etc. are all part of the game -- and the goal isn't just to win the heart of the show's star, but to become a star oneself. In one scene, Sister grills several of the young men with her most pressing question: "Are you gay?" She hones in on one particularly buff guy who admits to plucking his eyebrows. When she asks if he's ever had the opportunity to sleep with a man, he answers affirmatively, telling her that he could probably have sex with "New York"'s male personal assistant, the ultra-effeminate Chamo, if he wanted to (though of course, he doesn't want to).


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What families can talk about

Families can talk about dating and relationships. What do teens and parents see in this show that goes against their beliefs about dating and relationships? What purpose does a series like this serve? Is it just meant to be a guilty pleasure? For parents: What are your thoughts about the dating process? Do you have ideas about what kind of person is right for your teen? For teens: What do you look for in a potential boyfriend or girlfriend? Do you think those criteria will change as you get older?


This review was written by Sierra Filucci
Teen, 17 years old
April 9, 2008
 
BEST SHOW EVER BESIDES KING OF QUEENS
Haha, this show is about a crazy sista tryin to find true love. It pretty much explains itself so u know theres gonna be cussin and lots of s.e. u kno the rest content. But its suchhhhhhhhh a funny and good show. -.*

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Teen, 15 years old
April 9, 2008
 
ssssssssst
cool show

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Adult
April 9, 2008
 
i laughed
i really enjoy watching the show week after week. its funny as hell and new york ass is crazy. i love love love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i hope she find what she is looking for go new york

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Adult
April 9, 2008
 
I laughed

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Adult
April 9, 2008
 

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Adult
April 9, 2008
 
It's a really terrible show, with lots of cursing and sexual content. But strangely, it's one that once you start watching, you don't want to change the channel. Your finger hovers over the channel button on the remote but you are too interested to press it. And sadly, I've even began picking who I want to win.

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Teen, 17 years old
April 9, 2008
 
This is horible.
This show is possibly the biggest piece of crap it has ever been my displeasure to watch. I give it no stars.

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Adult
April 9, 2008
 

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Teen, 16 years old
April 9, 2008
 

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Adult
April 9, 2008
 
this is insane
who would really want a girl to tell them what to do, when to do it, a abide by their every command.She just do thing that are nasty.

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This review was written by Sierra Filucci
TV rating:TV-14
Network:VH1
Cast:Sister Patterson, Tiffany Patterson
Genre:Reality TV

This review was written by Sierra Filucci
 

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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.

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