The Rachel Zoe Project

Review

Common Sense Media says

Stylish reality show is swimming in labels.
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

Not yet rated

Kids say

Not yet rated

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that, aside from some language that's occasionally strong enough to get bleeped, the biggest concern here is excessive commercialism. The show is a thinly veiled promotion for star Rachel Zoe's new line of clothing and accessories and basically serves as free advertising. Teens who watch could also end up coveting the glamorous clothing they see on the show, and most of it won't be age-appropriate -- or affordable. The onslaught of expensive labels includes marquis brands like Chanel, Valentino, and Versace.

  • Positive messages0
    Zoe is an accomplished -- although somewhat scattered -- businesswoman. But she's also a self-professed shopaholic who lives for expensive designer labels.
  • Positive role models1
    Zoe built her fashion empire by being smart, dedicated, passionate -- and a total control freak. Some of that is played for laughs, but some of her monomaniacal behavior is outrageously self-centered and even self-destructive, as her rising anxiety levels and rapid weight loss attest. She can be obsessive to the point of dismissive of her well-meaning husband and staff. The consequences of her wrathful binges are often portrayed as greater success. That may fly in the world of high-fashion, but there are ways of being successful without being rude.
  • Violence0
    Not applicable.
  • Sex0
    Not applicable.
  • Language3
    "Hell," "ass," and the like are audible, while "s--t" and "f--k" are bleeped.
  • Consumerism4
    In the first episode, Zoe reveals that she'll be launching her own line of clothing and accessories -- and, consequently, using this show to promote it. Many, many, many brands are mentioned, too, including Chanel, Givenchy, Valentino, Versace, Zac Posen, Michael Kors, Christian Lacroix, Polo Ralph Lauren, Vanity Fair, Vogue, BlackBerry, Birkin (handbags), Decades (clothing store) and Piperlime (online shoe store). Rachel is also frequently shown holding an enormous Starbucks cup, with the logo clearly visible.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking3
    Adults occasionally drink alcohol.
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What's the story?

Rachel Zoe -- a celebrity stylist whose clients include Demi Moore, Jennifer Garner, Mischa Barton, and Lindsay Lohan -- invites viewers into her life with this reality series chronicling her frenetic attempts to run a successful business and launch a new line of clothing and accessories. The other members of "Team Zoe" help her keep it all together: her husband, Rodger; her associate, Taylor; and Taylor's new assistant, Brad.

Is it any good?

 

THE RACHEL ZOE PROJECT is no better or worse than a lot of other fashion-centric reality shows. But if it does take root in the pop culture garden, it will be because of Zoe's eccentricities -- including her quirky habit of describing fashion in over-the-top terms. As in, "When she walks into that room, she's gonna shut it down." And "This is killing it." And "You're, like, actually making me cry in this dress." And "That's bananas." And even "That's bananas-amazing."

As for the show itself? Well, it's a pretty entertaining guilty pleasure ... but "bananas-amazing," it's not.

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What families can talk about

Families can talk about how stylists like Zoe help celebrities shape their public image. Did it surprise you to learn that some stars seek a stylist's help not only for red-carpet events, but also for something as simple as appearing on a daytime talk show? Why is it that when we see a celebrity wearing something fabulous, we want to wear it, too? If all celebrities suddenly had to dress themselves, do you think they'd look as good?

This review was written by Kari Croop

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This review was written by Kari Croop
TV rating:TV-PG
Network:Bravo
Cast:Rachel Zoe
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.
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