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Rob!
Common Sense Media says
Culture-clash sitcom looks to stereotypes for laughs.
Parents say
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this cross-cultural sitcom is relatively light when it comes to language and sex, although there's some sexual humor (with terms like "balls" and "make-up sex") and implied hanky panky behind closed doors. Some jokes rely heavily on stereotypes for humor. There's some social drinking, too, which is typically played for comedy, and a secondary character who smokes cigars.
What's the story?
Rob Schneider stars in this sitcom loosely based on his own life as ROB!, a successful landscape architect with OCD who marries Maggie (Claudia Bassols) -- a beautiful Mexican-American book translator -- on a whim in Las Vegas. Getting to know each other's quirks as newlyweds is only half the battle...because Rob's also got to win over his wife's tight-knit, disapproving family (Cheech Marin, Diana Maria Riva, Eugenio Derbez, and Lupe Ontiveros).
Is it any good?
Saturday Night Live alum Schneider isn't exactly known for breaking out on his own as a comedy lead. (As evidence, we submit Deuce Bigalow, Male Gigolo, The Hot Chick, Big Stan, etc.). So it's a bit of a stumper to see him cast in his own sitcom -- which not only bears his first name but also bears striking resemblance to his actual life. He also co-wrote the pilot, basing much of the plot on his own experiences with his Mexican in-laws ... but it largely feels like he forgot to add the funny.
There's nothing particularly bad about Rob!, yet there's also nothing that makes it particularly good. And tired cross-cultural jokes about undocumented workers and large Catholic families don't really do much to bring the humor beyond ho-hum. But there is one plus: It at least adds some diversity to prime time.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about Rob!'s portrayal of cultural differences. Does it do a good job of representing cultural realities, or does it rely on overstated stereotypes? How fine is the line between funny and offensive?
Does your own family -- or another family you know -- represent a blend of different cultures, religions, or races? What types of issues have come up when trying to mix cultural or religious traditions? How does your family handle potential conflicts?
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AGE
cms got this one wrong
well i will admit after watching several raw and dirty comedys this past season i was not sure if i was prepaired for 30 minutes of rob snider but this show was hilarious and actualy some what clean what is with the two star review commen sence it was great
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Doesn't deserve the lead-in from The Big Bang Theory
It's no so much the content from this show that concerns me; there's worse stuff on other (better) shows. A little bit of sex jokes, some mild language, a little bit of drinking. The worst is that all of these characters are one-note and do nothing to even challenge some stereotypes. Some may say it's a bit hypocritical to be saying that The Big Bang Theory is better even though it has its fair share of stereotypes, but that sitcom has one thing this one doesn't: jokes that are at least slightly imaginitive and funny, like I thought jokes were supposed to be. A lot of the said jokes from TBBT also work to challenge said stereotypes, unlike here. They could have tried making characters that don't revolve around stereotypes since Mexican-American families I know typically don't have the qualities played out here. I know that there are inevitably some people who will find this show hysterical, but I'm willing to take a shot that at least some Latino (or Black or Caucasian) families won't be laughing. Want a funny sitcom with some diversity? Try George Lopez, at least the mild stereotyping is less over-the-head.
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| TV rating: | TV-PG |
| Network: | CBS |
| Cast: | Cheech Marin, Claudia Bassols, Rob Schneider |
| Genre: | Comedy |
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