Parents' Guide to Kathy

TV Bravo Reality TV 2012
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Common Sense Media Review

Melissa Camacho By Melissa Camacho , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 15+

Talk show features Griffin's bawdy style; heavy language.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 15+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

What's the Story?

Hosted by award-winning comedienne and reality star Kathy Griffin , KATHY is talk show that dishes on the the latest pop culture events and celebrities. Each week Griffin and a panel of non-celebrity guests discuss the events that have made headlines -- mostly in the media tabloids -- and offer their unique commentary about them. In-between conversations, pre-taped comedy skits featuring her trademark over-the-top behavior are aired. Brief stand-up performances and conversations with her assistant, Tiffany Rinehart, and her mom, Maggie, are also part of the fray.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say : Not yet rated
Kids say : Not yet rated

After being banned from practically every talk show on television, Griffins is now using her own talk show as a platform for the brash conversations she likes to have about celebrities and other sensational topics. However, because there are few celebrities actually featured on the show, much of its focus is on the endless sex jokes and bleeped language used to talk about them.

The best parts of the show are the ones that feature Griffin doing her comedy, rather than her interaction with her panel, which can get a little tiresome. But it has its funny moments, and folks tuning in looking for Griffin's trademark over-the-top humor will not be disappointed.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about talk shows and their hosts. What qualities does a good talk show host need? Does someone have to be a celebrity to successfully launch their own talk show? Did you think that talk shows are designed to promote celebrities, products, and other things?

  • What do you think of Kathy Griffin's comedy style? Is she offering a critique of celebrity culture? Or is she just being mean?

  • Are topics like violent acts, drinking, and drugs, appropriate for comedy-themed media? Why or why not? What kind of impact does doing this have on the way people understand these issues? Does it have an impact on people even if the humor goes over people's heads?

TV Details

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