Parents' Guide to

Beauty and the Geek

By Jill Murphy, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Lessons for teens buried beneath a silly premise.

TV MTV , WB Reality TV 2005
Beauty and the Geek 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 18+

Based on 1 parent review

JennyK
JennyK Adult
May 31, 2012
age 18+

Only watch with kids if you know they will become attractive enough to not need college

It makes kids really not want to grow up to be a geek which is why I rated it not for kids. If noone wanted to be a geek than we wouldnt have any advances in technology and after a while america would become a third world country.
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

BEAUTY AND THE GEEK matches eight socially-challenged men with eight intellectually-challenged women. The pairs compete in challenges that test social, academic, and fashion skills. Geeks compete in karaoke or room-decorating challenges while beauties assemble a computer or engage in political debates.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (2 ):

This "social experiment" is based on the stereotype that beautiful women lack smarts and intelligent men can't attract the opposite sex. But despite the silly premise, this reality show offers some surprising insights. The men and women genuinely learn lessons and skills from one another. They have conversations about social issues, what's acceptable in society, and why. Both the beauties and the geeks end up recognizing the value in their newfound-knowledge -- be it social or academic.

The conversations that ignite when contestants are sitting around the house are far more interesting than the challenges themselves, which involve contrived competitions that are meant to reinforce stereotypes -- is it supposed to be amusing that a beauty doesn't know who the vice president is? Still, it's refreshing to see these young people getting past their differences and sharing their strengths with each other. That said, Beauty and the Geek is still a reality show -- with tension and drama to keep the show edgy. Parents can watch with teens and talk about stereotypes and how they play into dating scenarios.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the stereotypes that serve as the show's premise. Are these stereotypes shattered or challenged? What values and lessons are learned? Would these contestants ever get to know each other if it wasn't for this show? Can people with such different interests find love?

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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