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Rock of Love with Bret Michaels

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 15, age appropriate for kids over 18; suggested age 14.

  • Is it any good?

    1.0
  • Common Sense says

    Poisonous behavior reinforces sexist stereotypes.

Themes in this show include:   dating/crushes, gender issues

Why We Rated This off for Ages 14 and Under

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    The show teaches the lesson that it's OK to be mean to other people in order to win a competition, reinforces stereotypes about women as sexual objects, and downplays women's intellect. It offers a confusing message to younger viewers, who might wonder why these women are disrespecting themselves in such a public forum.
  • Role models:

    There's no one to admire here -- the women are willing to do and say anything for camera time and Michaels' attention, and Michaels himself is hardly the poster boy for a committed, loving relationship.
  • Violence:

    Cat fights with mild physical contact. Angry confrontations and hurled insults.
  • Sex:

    Most women wear revealing clothing and bare a lot of cleavage. At least one woman bares her breasts onscreen, though they're blurred out. One gives Michaels a lap dance, and her underwear is momentarily visible. Discussion of "cold showers," "beat[ing] my penis to a pulp," and wanting to "f--k Bret Michaels." Also scenes of women leading Michaels upstairs toward bedrooms. Pole dancing.
  • Language:

    Constant stream of profanity, with the strongest words (like "f--k," which is used frequently) bleeped. Words like "ass," "crap" and "hell" aren't bleeped. Lots of sexually oriented language like "slut," "whore," "bitch," etc.
  • Consumerism:

    Promotes Michaels and his band.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Alcohol use is rampant. Some women get so drunk that they can barely hold their heads up and can't form coherent sentences. One rule announced by the security guard is "no puking in the pool." Jokes about being alcoholics. Some smoking.

What Parents Need to Know

This review of Rock of Love with Bret Michaels was written by Sierra Filucci

Parents need to know that this reality show follows the formula of many Bachelor-type series, but takes it to a raunchy level. The women competing for the top spot as rocker Bret Michaels' girlfriend are, for the most part, infantile, catty, and promiscuous. Most have large, prominently displayed breasts (in at least one instance, said breasts are visible, though blurred, onscreen), and most rely primarily on their bodies to attract Michaels (in one scene, a woman straddles him, hikes up her skirt, and grinds against his pelvis). Most of the women get extremely drunk, and some are unable to form comprehensible sentences. Michaels lavishes praise on the women for their looks, while paying lip service to brains and personality. While some women seem friendly toward one another, most are meanly competitive, insulting one another and even engaging in minor physical battles.

Families Can Talk About

Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
  • Families can talk about the series' formula. Why do you think this type of reality show is popular? Why do people watch them? Is it just as a guilty pleasure, or is there more here than meets the eye?
  • How does the show (and others like it) feed into stereotypes about men, women, and relationships?
  • Why do you think the women wanted to be on this show? What can you deduce about them from their behavior? Would you think the same thing about men acting this way?
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More on Rock of Love with Bret Michaels

What’s the Story?

Bret Michaels, famous for being the lead singer of the 1980s big-hair band Poison ("Every Rose Has Its Thorn"), takes center stage as a guy looking for love. That's where a bevy of scantily clad, overly made-up contestants come into the picture. These women -- many of whom are young enough to be Michaels' daughters -- compete with one another for his attention by baring their breasts, prattling in baby talk, getting completely wasted, and sometimes performing drunken lap dances while being pummeled with insults of the "slut" variety. They also compete against one another in challenges that are supposedly designed to find the right match for Michaels: They're judged on their ability to deal with aggressive groupies, enjoy extreme sports, and support the rocker's musical expression.

Is It Any Good?

If you liked the voyeuristic car crash that was The Flavor of Love, but prefer glam rock to hip hop, ROCK OF LOVE WITH BRET MICHAELS has your name written all over it. Michaels, whose one-on-one interviews intermingle with footage of time spent with the women, seems relatively down to earth. But his appreciation for a woman who's clearly drunk beyond comprehension -- he says, with a wink, that they could "find a way to communicate" -- is hardly role-model behavior.

This crass example of what people will do for time in the spotlight isn't a good pick for teens -- or, frankly, for just about anyone ... unless the guilty-pleasure aspect of it all makes the idea of watching the women (and Michaels) embarrass themselves for your viewing pleasure irresistible.

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Our Members Say

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Teen Reviewer Age 13
    Lives in New Hampshire
    I rate this title on for age 14 and give it 4.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Inappropriate language
    • Drinking, smoking, or drug use
    • My highlights are:
    • Positive messages

    14+ Can Be bad at time

    Love this Show not that bad appart for My concerns

  2. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in New York
    I rate this title iffy for age 17 and give it 3.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Inappropriate language
    • Negative role models

    Girls do physical fighting, also verbal. Female Butts are seen, and girls sometimes hook out of their clothes. Words like H**ker, B*tch (BLEEPED),Wh*re (BLEEPED), F*ck (BLEEPED), Sh*t, which is unbleeped. Brandi spits on Destiny in one episode.

  3. Kid Reviewer Age 11
    Lives in California
    I rate this title pause for age 0 and give it 3.0

  4. Teen Reviewer Age 17
    Lives in Louisiana
    I rate this title pause for age 0 and give it 2.0

    not bad

    i like this show its pretty cool

  5. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in Massachusetts
    I rate this title on for age 0 and give it 5.0

    well...

    its funny

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