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AmericanEagleOutfitters

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 12, age appropriate for kids over 14; suggested age 14.

  • Is it any good?

    3.0

  • Common Sense says

    Top teen retailer's campy soap is fine for teens.

Why We Rated This on for Ages 14 and Up

The good stuff

  • Educational value:

    Not an issue.

  • Messages:

    At least one gay community site has posted complaints that an It's a Mall World episode negatively stereotypes a young gay character. Also, the series -- also seen on TV during ad segments of MTV's The Real World -- hypes all things mall life, including picking up girls in the mall, but in an innocent teenager way.
 

What to watch out for

  • Violence:

    Not an issue.

  • Sex:

    Episodes of It's a Mall World, the site's webshow, sometimes contain dating and sexual themes. For example, in one episode two male characters are worried because a girl that one had "premarital relations" with spent all night in an emergency room. One guy jokes that the girl could have given him a disease that may cause "it" to "fall off."

  • Language:

    Not an issue.

  • Consumerism:

    There's the overt shopping aspect of the site: You can obviously order AE clothing and find local stores. But, there's also the more subversive commercial aspect found in It's a Mall World and the "Class of '08" video segments. Both contain AE clothing placements and recommendations by teen actors and "real" teen shoppers, who discuss things like what style of AE jeans they like best.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Not an issue.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About AmericanEagleOutfitters

Parents need to know that the mega teen retailer American Eagle ramps up its popularity even more with this site. Besides the obvious online shopping appeal, teens and college students may gravitate to this site to watch the campy, mostly innocent teen soap opera-ish It's a Mall World series (essentially long, well-produced AE ads), listen to new bands, or check out AE job opps.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about the ever-increasing blurry lines between entertainment media content and advertising. Of course, one of the most appealing characters in the It's a Mall World series is an American Eagle employee. What image is this company trying to connect its clothing with when you watch these videos? Families may also want to discuss online shopping. Does ordering with a credit card on these sites make overspending easier or less likely than shopping at a store, or when paying with cash?
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Our Members Say

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Teen Reviewer Age 14
    MikaylaLovesEdwa ...
    Lives in Georgia
    I rate this title on for age 2 and give it 5.0

    Great Clothes. :D

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
    Flag as inappropriate
  2. Teen Reviewer Age 14
    krazypanda411
    Lives in Ohio
    I rate this title on for age 10 and give it 5.0

    I love shopping

    I love to shop on this website

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
    Flag as inappropriate
  3. Teen Reviewer Age 13
    rahh its erikaa
    Lives in New York
    I rate this title on for age 2 and give it 5.0

    lovee it

    my 12 year old daughter loves to shop her. I let her because all the clothes here are age appropraite for her.

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
    Flag as inappropriate
  4. Teen Reviewer Age 15
    swimdarlin7
    Lives in Virginia
    I rate this title on for age 2 and give it 5.0

    I love it!

    I love shopping online! American Eagle is one of my favorite stores. It is not at all bad and has some great clothes. Maybe you should go on there and buy yourself some great clothes. :)

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
    Flag as inappropriate

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