Making Over America with Trinny and Susannah

Review

Common Sense Media says

Original What Not to Wear girls take on the U.S.
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

Parent need to know that, for a makeover show, this series has an impressively positive message about being able to look and feel good no matter who you are (or what your size). While the hostesses are prone to a bit of salty language (the strongest words are bleeped), overall the content is pretty mild. Expect to see a good bit of undressing and underwear -- but it's not sexual in nature.

  • Positive messages3
    Yes, this is a makeover show, but the overall message is that anyone can look good and that looking your best can give you an emotional lift to be the best you can be. The two hostesses are very validating of a woman's size as she is, rather than promoting unhealthy or unrealistic body image.
  • Positive role models3
    The hostesss are firm but kind and supportive. They sometimes challenge a subject to the point of tears, but it's more because they're pushing her into uncomfortable territory than beacause they're being mean.
  • Violence0
    Not applicable.
  • Sex1
    Some talk about makeover subjects feeling "sexy," in the sense of feeling attractive and good about themselves. Several shots of women in bras and panties, but it's more about finding a sense of comfort in one's own skin (as well as the right foundation garments) than about sexuality.
  • Language2
    The ladies curse a bit; words like "boobs" and "ass" are audible (often used as body part slang), while stronger choices, like "s--t," are bleeped.
  • Consumerism0
    Not applicable.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking1
    Susannah does like a nip; in at least one scene she's shown looking for a drink and not finding one. But she's never drunk, nor is there much talking about drinking, and none about smoking or drugs.
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What's the story?

MAKING OVER AMERICA hostesses Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine were the stars of the original British series What Not to Wear -- a makeover show bent on helping women look their best. Now they're doing the same kind of thing here in America, spending time with their subjects, going through their closet, and finally shopping with -- and showing off -- the "new woman" to her family and friends.

Is it any good?

 

The makeover process is an emotional one, but Trinny and Susannah are very gentle, albeit firm. The show could so easily be about consumption and letting "things" define us, as so many of these shows are. But the two women have found the right balance between recognizing the boost that looking your best can give you and recognizing that it's not just your body, but also your life that you're expressing when you dress.

And, of course, it's just plain fun to see how clothes can change the look of the same body. As makeover series go, this is a positive, generally affirming choice.

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What families can talk about

  • Families can talk about whether shows like this one impact viewers' body image. Do you think makeover shows in general promote appearance over other values? How does this one do on that front?

  • How real are reality shows? How can producers use editing and re-enactments to change viewers' perception of what happened when? Why might they do that?

This review was written by Anne Louise Bannon
Parent of 19 year old
August 21, 2009
AGE
2
 
sorry, but the women cursed in front of the cheerleading little ones, and though bleeped for the tv viewers, what about the lil girls being there in person? o, btw, why draw the curtain when the women dress, they've already shown their bras and panties to all of america??
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This review was written by Anne Louise Bannon
TV rating:TV-PG
Network:TLC
Cast:Susannah Constantine, Trinny Woodall
Genre:Reality TV
This review was written by Anne Louise Bannon
 

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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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