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Jingle Ballin'
By Brian Costello,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Horrible, crass holiday special from internet celeb.
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Jingle Ballin'
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Based on 1 parent review
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What's the Story?
In JINGLE BALLIN', Liza (Liza Koshy) is feeling sad because her parents will be spending Christmas on a cruise, and she will be stuck in snowless Los Angeles. In attempt to deal with the loneliness of the situation, she decides to throw a holiday party, and invites her legions of followers on her YouTube channel. Meanwhile, her best friend, also a YouTube celebrity, is being called out by his rival for not taking part in the viral "Milk Bucket Challenge" because he's allergic to milk, and her roommate, an unfashionably-dressed eccentric with a strong Midwestern accent, can't come up with any jokes to deliver for the holiday party thrown by the insurance company where she works. Liza is also afraid her uncool middle-aged neighbor (David Alan Grier) will crash the party with his uncool middle-agedness. Liza must find a way to pull off her holiday party without losing her mind or the holiday spirit.
Is It Any Good?
In a genre filled with more than its fair share of stinkers, this is, without question, the stinkiest of holiday specials. If the characters aren't cliched and unlikeable, they're self-absorbed YouTubers who are also unlikeable. Joke after joke after joke, be they quirky or cynical, parodic or profane, fails. Jingle Ballin' is so bad that it's outright maddening to comprehend how four people are credited with writing this script.
If YouTube Red's original content is intended to provide a place for internet celebs to crossover into streaming movie stardom, it's obvious that they're going to have to create content that is creative, original, and entertaining. Titles like this are proving that these internet stars are best left to their narcissistic corners of the internet.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about holiday specials like Jingle Ballin'. How have they changed over the years, and how have they stayed the same?
This movie was released by YouTube Red, and it stars a YouTube celebrity who got her start making videos on Vine. Why would YouTube Red choose to make movies starring people who are "internet famous?"
Do you find the humor funny? Why or why not?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: December 6, 2016
- Cast: Liza Koshy , David Alan Grier , Chris Kattan
- Director: Chris Darnell
- Inclusion Information: Female actors, Indian/South Asian actors, Black actors, Middle Eastern/North African actors
- Studio: YouTube
- Genre: Comedy
- Topics: Holidays
- Run time: 36 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: July 29, 2022
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