Pretty Wicked

Review

Common Sense Media says

Pretty lame attempt at promoting inner beauty.
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

Parents need to know that teens will see a lot of inappropriate behavior modeled in this reality competition designed to reform 10 hand-picked "divas." The saltiest language (including "f--k," "s--t," and "c--t") gets bleeped, but plenty of audible words remain. There's also some drinking, smoking, and name-dropping when it comes to high-end labels -- and the girls dress and act suggestively, too (one even says that her special skills include "b--w jobs").

  • Positive messages0
    Because these girls were hand picked for their narcissistic behavior, you'll hear them say offensive, hurtful things; see them be rude to other people; and watch them tell lies to get what they want. In short, nobody in the house is a good role model ... but a few show promise of changing their ways. Ostensibly the show's message is to promote inner beauty, but that often pales in comparison to the contestants' "diva" ways.
  • Violence0
    Not applicable.
  • Sex3
    Contestants sometimes wear revealing clothing that shows cleavage and/or bare midriffs. One woman says hat her special skills include "sleeping, shopping, and b--w jobs." Another feels a fellow contestant's breasts to find out whether they're real. A third says of two dogs sniffing each other, "He's, like, licking her vagina."
  • Language3
    Strong language like "f--k" and "sh-t" (as well as "c--t") is bleeped, but it's used pretty often. Other audible words include "hooker," "skank," "nipple," "bitch," and "piss."
  • Consumerism3
    Several high-end brand names are mentioned, including Marc Jacobs, Coach, and Burberry.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking3
    The contestants drink alcohol socially, and a few smoke cigarettes. The label on a box of Marlboro Lights is visible.
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What's the story?

In PRETTY WICKED, 10 women move into a posh loft under the pretense that they're competing in some sort of beauty contest. What they don't know is that they've been hand picked for their "ugly" personalities. Over the course of several weeks, one woman will emerge victorious, proving that she's as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside -- and she'll be $50,000 richer for her troubles.

Is it any good?

 

As far as train wrecks go, there's plenty of carnage to go around in this reality competition from Oxygen (the same "woman-centric" network that brought the world The Bad Girls Club). Need examples? In the show's very first episode, the contestants are asked to throw a party for a group of mystery guests, who turn out to be blind men. "I don't know anybody that's blind," said the woman who ended up winning the challenge. "Their eyes are all, you know, messed up because they're handicapped and stuff. I felt really bad for them."

So, OK. The premise of ferreting out inner beauty sounds promising. But we promise you that your teens will learn plenty of iffy lessons along with the show's central message that personality is far more important than looks. And, really, it all seems rather pointless anyway. Why would you hold a competition in which the contestants aren't likely to care whether they get kicked off or not? After all, isn't it easier for them to go back to their old ways instead of trying to change?

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What families can talk about

Families can talk about what messages the show sends about inner and outer beauty. Are both equally important? Why or why not? What traits make someone beautiful on the inside, and what traits make their insides ugly? Families can also discuss whether a show like this truly has the power to change someone's
behavior -- or whether it's all just for the sake of entertainment.

This review was written by Kari Croop

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This review was written by Kari Croop
TV rating:TV-PG
Network:Oxygen
Cast:CariDee English, Jenn Berman, Mia Tyler
Genre:Reality TV
This review was written by Kari Croop
 

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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.
Our child development rating guidelines

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