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Blue Mountain State
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A lot or a little?
The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this raunchy comedy about a college football team follows the Animal House model, in which the "educational experience" seems to center on getting drunk and having sex. The athletes at the center of the series can do no wrong; they trade on their celebrity to engage in casual sex and spend most of their time partying instead of studying. Expect plenty of sex, drinking, drugs, and swearing (including "s--t"). Teens may find the show entertaining, but they won't get anything positive out of watching, and they'll almost certainly take away the wrong idea about university life.
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User Reviews
- Parents say
- Kids say
Its not a kids show retard.
BEST SHOW EVER! PLEASE MAKE ANOTHER SEASON
Great for Teenagers
What's the story?
Being a top football player at BLUE MOUNTAIN STATE must be great fun. You never need to go to class, there’s always a raging party, and women are constantly throwing themselves at you. At least that’s the way it seems in this raunchy comedy that focuses on incoming backup quarterback Alex (Darin Brooks), top-rated freshman sensation Craig (Sam Jones), and Thad (Alan Ritchson), the team captain who lives to haze the team’s newbies. Alex’s educational goal is to get drunk and have sex as often as possible. Craig is a bit more focused on his gridiron career, mainly because of his controlling girlfriend, who’s planned out their entire future together and looks down on any off-field activities that might distract him – especially parties and scantily clad football groupies.
Is it any good?
The problem with trying to follow the Animal House model is that it’s hard to be original. Raging parties? Check. Sex? Oh, yes. Madcap drunken antics? Definitely. Monomaniacal coach? Yep, seen that before, too. Sure, these ingredients are good fodder for humor, but we’ve seen it all so many times before that alone, they no longer make for laughs.
Blue Mountain State is crude and juvenile, but that isn’t always a bad thing (The Hangover, anyone?). The show’s biggest problem is that it’s just so derivative. The lack of honest laughs is a direct result of a script that lacks originality.
Talk to your kids about ...
Families can talk about college. How does the university lifestyle here compare to other movies and TV shows? Does it seem realistic? Would you want to go to a school were football and parties are more important than classes?
What are the real-life consequences of behavior like that showcased in this series, including drinking and casual sex?
Do you think star athletes at big sports schools are really treated like celebrities? How do you think that affects the way they learn to view the world? Do they end up with a sense of entitlement?
TV details
- Premiere date: January 11, 2010
- Cast: Alan Ritchson, Sam Jones III
- Network: Spike
- Genre: Comedy
- TV rating: TV-MA
For kids who love football
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Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.