| 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. | |
| NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Parents need to know that there's very little in this reality dating show that's actually good for their kids to watch -- catfights, sex, and other below-the-belt antics are the norm. Translation? Teens would be better served to skip this show entirely. While some of the participants reveal themselves to be good people, there are plenty of negative role models, including one of the guys' mothers, who's unabashedly prejudiced against anyone who isn't white when it comes to her son's love life. Mild curse words like "bitch" and "hell" fly, too, in addition to a good amount of social drinking, making out, and more.
Cloying mothers step in to help their sons find true love in MOMMA'S BOYS, a reality dating show that combines elements of The Bachelor and Jerry Springer. Michael is 25, but his mother still makes his bed. Rob is 24, and his mom proudly buys his underwear. And Jojo is 21 -- and his mother has a long list of girls she doesn't want him to date, including black girls, Jewish girls, and anyone who's not "just like me." This adds up to quite a challenge, of course, for the 32 bachelorettes competing for the three guys' hearts, many of whom will do anything to get them.
Although Momma's Boys could result in at least one genuine love match (hey, it has a one in 3 shot, right?), it's far too reliant on Springer-style drama that makes just about everyone involved look bad. There's also a level of genuine creepiness to the way that at least two of the mothers dote on their handsome sons. In short, this show won't change the world -- far from it. More likely, it will make the ever-rotting landscape of reality television a more frightening place.
Families can talk about whether it's realistic to expect to find true love on a reality show. Do shows like these tend to result in lasting love matches? Why or why not -- and how much of what you're seeing is pure "reality," anyway? How many of the participants who showed up for casting calls do you think were looking for love, and how many were looking for their 15 minutes of fame? Why do you think producers got the guys' mothers involved? Was it merely to add drama and draw ratings, or do the mothers add something meaningful to the selection process? How do they come across on the show? Do you think they realized how some of the things they said would sound to a national audience?
| TV rating: | TV-14 |
| Network: | NBC |
| Cast: | Nadia Dajani |
| Genre: | Reality TV |