Uncle Jay Explains: The News

Review

Common Sense Media says

Sarcastic take on news topics will entertain teens.
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

AGE
9
QUALITY
 

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that the name of this site is a little misleading. While it appears to be a source for simple
explanations of complicated news stories, it's actually a sarcastic and snarky skewering of world events. Geared for an older audience, it's less about
the news and more about entertainment. Think Jon Stewart-lite.

  • Positive messages0
    Uncle Jay gets fodder for
    his news updates from real headlines, so there are some real news topics that
    are decidedly distasteful. He does, however, keep the message clean and the
    visuals cleaned up.
  • Violence0
    Not applicable.
  • Sex3
    An occasional subtle reference
    that adults may find funny and teens may or may not catch. For instance, one
    segment's News Word of the Week is "package." After a brief pause, Uncle Jay
    chides parents to stop thinking of the word in "that way."
  • Language0
    Not applicable.
  • Consumerism0
    Each page of the site
    features some ad content from Google, primarily touting anti-aging products and
    weight loss programs. Throughout the site, users will find banner ads
    soliciting donations (Uncle Jay's Tip Jar) and encouraging shopping for
    merchandise at Uncle J-Mart.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking3
    Because Uncle Jay's updates
    rely on real news stories for inspiration, there is the occasional mention of
    drugs, alcohol or tobacco. The mentions, however, are typically coated in
    negative sarcasm and the behavior is not glorified in any manner.
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What's it about?

UNCLE JAY EXPLAINS THE NEWS began in Cincinnati in 1995 as a short segment on a local television news program. The Emmy award-winning piece lasted two years. Now, Uncle Jay appears on the Internet
and provides weekly 3-minute videos that cover current topics with a humorous,
sardonic slant. Sure, Uncle Jay looks and sounds like a kind, gentle
grandfather, but his soft-spoken teacher's voice and smiling face can't hide
the sarcasm that seeps through each segment. Visitors will hear him take on
timely topics such as the economy or indulgent celebrities with smart
commentary and simple, effective graphics. Each video introduces the News
Word of the Week that's charmingly spelled out on a magnetic board with
alphabet magnets and explained through timely and funny examples.

Is it any good?

 

There's much to enjoy on
Uncle Jay Explains the News, but it's not the place to go if you're looking for
someone to literally break down and explain the news for your youngster. Though
it touts itself as helping "little minds understand the big news stories," the
segments and Web site are geared more toward adults and teens who prefer a bit
of sarcasm with their newscasts. Younger kids just won't get the humor behind
the headlines.

Uncle Jay may have a
delivery akin to Mr. Rogers, but his approach to current events -- both the hard
news and the soft, celebrity kind -- has a sardonic wit that's more along the
lines of The Daily Show or Weekend Update on Saturday Night Live. You won't,
however, find any objectionable language or sexual references from this kindly
uncle.

 

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What families can talk about

Families can talk about why it's helpful to get many different perspectives on news and current events. Do humorous takes help us understand topics better? Do you ever want to record your own perspectives on things? Read Do It Yourself Media to see how you can create your own stuff.

This review was written by Conny Coon
Teen, 14 years old
June 13, 2009
AGE
10
 
Good humor!
Iunderstand the news better in a fun way.I like his sarcasm and jokes. little kids wont get his jokes though.
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Helped me decide (9) | Had useful details (4) | Read my mind (9)
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Kid, 13 years old
June 5, 2009
AGE
9
 
So Funny!
This site is so funny. The way he twists the news to make it sarcastic! Ha!
Was this review useful?
Helped me decide (5) | Had useful details (9) | Read my mind (5)
Flag as inappropriate 
Kid, 11 years old
October 26, 2009
AGE
6
 
good website, but some humor that young kids would not get
This is a great website, but it does have some humor that some kids under 8 would not get ,but overall it should be great for older kids/young tweens and older
Was this review useful?
Helped me decide (3) | Had useful details (6) | Read my mind (8)
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Teen, 17 years old
March 24, 2009
AGE
8
 
Hilarious
These videos are hilarious and non-offensive. Probably fine for everyone 6+, but you'd have to be older to actually understand the jokes.
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Helped me decide (5) | Had useful details (5) | Read my mind (7)
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Kid, 13 years old
September 27, 2009
AGE
10
 
Perfect for mature tweens and all teens
i like the sarcastic twist on the news! some things are hard to understand for people under 10, but it's really funny.
Was this review useful?
Helped me decide (3) | Had useful details (3) | Read my mind (9)
Flag as inappropriate 
Teen, 14 years old
July 1, 2009
AGE
11
 
PERFECT FOR TWEENS!!
IT IS RLLY FUNNY!! I think under 11 will not rlly "get" everything he says. and he says some stuff about like, the Miss CA lady who got kicked out for that photo. BUt it rlly all depends on wats on the news! HILARIUOS THO! I wuz totally LOLZ!!
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Helped me decide (2) | Had useful details (4) | Read my mind (2)
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This review was written by Conny Coon
Genre:Video Sites
This review was written by Conny Coon

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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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