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  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 14, age appropriate for kids over 16; suggested age 14.

  • Is it any good?

    1.0

  • Common Sense says

    Celebrity scandals, racy content rule gossip hub.

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 14–16

The good stuff

  • Educational value:

    Superficial, gossipy content with little educational benefit.

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    Site content relies heavily on celebrities breaking the law or getting into other kinds of trouble. Some posts make demeaning comments about celebrities' appearance. Comments can be a forum for racial slurs and other insults.

  • Violence:

    Footage includes things like drunken catfights and altercations outside Hollywood clubs.

  • Sex:

    "Hot" pictures and video of celebrities in revealing clothing. Many posts reference celebrity sexual activity.

  • Language:

    Bad language is bleeped out in the actual posts, as well as many of the comments, but there are many of those bleeps.

  • Consumerism:

    Many banner ads on the site, mostly for things like dating web sites, Weight Watchers, and upcoming TV shows.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Extensive coverage on celebrities drinking, clubbing, and using drugs.

What Parents Need to Know

This review of TMZ was written by Denise Duval

Parents need to know that this popular online source for celebrity gossip and entertainment news has a reputation for being first to break some of the most salacious celebrity antics, and relies on paparazzi video, photos, and legal documents to support its news items. There are many references to drinking, rehab, lawsuits, clubbing, love gone bad, and physical appearance. Comments are frequently a forum for rants that include racial slurs and other demeaning remarks. It also links to just about every celebrity gossip site out there, including some that might not be safe for kids.

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 how tabloids have affected the way we view celebrities, or our interest level in celebrities in general. Can some of the items on the site really be considered news? Why do you think people are so interested in seeing footage of famous people doing the everyday things that "normal" people do?
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More on TMZ

What’s the Story?

The "TMZ" in TMZ.COM refers to "Thirty Mile Zone," a term first coined in the 1960s to describe the area surrounding the former offices of The Association of Motion Picture and Television Producers. If the site's steady stream of scandal is anything to go by, the zone is now a steamy swamp of underage drinking, drug use, DUIs, bitter divorces, courtroom dramas, and custody battles. If you want to know who's suing who, who's breaking up, who's hooking up, who's under arrest, and who's headed for the Big House, this site (which is also a TV show) seems to know about it before anyone else, and has the access to the legal documents, photos, and video to prove it.
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Is It Any Good?

There are much better uses of your kids' time than spending it at places like TMZ.com. The only benefit the site could possibly hold for kids is its well-documented evidence of the consequences of drinking and driving, or dabbling in illegal substances.
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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Teen Reviewer Age 13
    kamia
    Lives in Arizona
    I rate this title on for age 10 and give it 3.0

    ...

    It's ok.

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
    Flag as inappropriate
  2. Adult Reviewer
    dudemancbwbjk
    Lives in Maryland
    I rate this title on for age 0 and give it 5.0

    UHHHH

    this is a great site

    This review...

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

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