Parents' Guide to

Age of Love

By Sierra Filucci, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Dating show debacle demeans women of all ages.

TV NBC Reality TV 2007
Age of Love Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

Community Reviews

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age 17+

Based on 2 parent reviews

ShellieBelle
ShellieBelle Adult
July 9, 2016
age 18+

We don't talk about heaven.... I just wanna go back to Blue.

http://youtu.be/D0_AVhvdpgw Always protect your heart.... But always risk loving and believing in your dreams. Dreams do come true!

This title has:

Great messages
lover4
lover4 Parent of 2, 3, 4, 11, 11 and 15-year-old
June 1, 2009
age 16+

i lost 77 cells watching this

i had a bad time watching this show there is s l d
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Dating reality show AGE OF LOVE takes the formula from The Bachelor and gives it a "what were they thinking?" twist. Thirty-year-old tennis pro Mark Philippoussis is ready to get down to the business of choosing a woman to get serious with -- well, as serious as you can get via reality TV, that is -- until he realizes that all of the candidates are in their 40s. It's a shock, but he gets over it and starts to concentrate more on their beauty and personality ... until he's presented with another twist. A group of "kittens" in their 20s is joining the fray, ready to compete against the more mature "cougars."

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (2 ):
Kids say: Not yet rated

Pitting women against women in competition for a man and basing everything on whether or not the older ones are as attractive as their younger counterparts sends some pretty questionable messages about body image and what matters in a mate. In some ways, the show is designed to favor the older women, who -- while contending with wrinkles and kids (one has a son almost as old as Philippoussis) -- come off as much more intelligent and secure than the silly, catty twentysomethings. But all in all, this show doesn't accomplish much besides perpetuating sexist stereotypes, and kids, teens, and probably even adults should stay away.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the show's messages about age and attractiveness. What assumptions does the show make about age as it relates to women? Do these same assumptions hold true for men? Why or why not? Families can also discuss how age affects relationships. Are your parents about the same age as each other, or is there a big disparity? What are the advantages and disadvantages of dating someone older, younger, or approximately the same age as you?

TV Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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