Brody Stevens: Enjoy It!

Name: Brody Stevens: Enjoy It!
Item: Brody Stevens: Enjoy It!
Rating: 4
Author: Kari Croop

TV review by

Kari Croop, Common Sense Media

Brody Stevens: Enjoy It! TV Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 16+

(i)

Docuseries finds darkness, drama in comic's personal life.

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A lot or a little?

The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.

Positive Messages

Although Enjoy It! centers on a comedian, the overall mood is pretty dark, with major themes such as mania, depression, and family dysfunction, among other mature topics. That said, friendship -- and the unconditional support of good friends -- is an important theme, too.

Positive Role Models & Representations

Stevens' willingness to share the good, bad, and the ugly is admirable, but he's an iffy role model for young viewers, particularly when he's in the throes of his public mental breakdown.

Violence

Stevens talks about some verbal and physical exchanges between him and his estranged older sister. Older footage shows Stevens lashing out at strangers and making physical threats that he has a gun, for example.

Sex

Stevens talks about dating, but it's not a big part of the series. He makes a few jokes about people thinking that he's gay; in one scene, a copy of Playboy magazine is blurred out.

Language

Words such as "ass," "hell," and "pissed" are audible, but stronger words ("f--k," "s--t," "a--hole") are bleeped.

Consumerism

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

The series discusses Stevens' battle with bipolar disorder that includes the use of antidepressants such as Lexapro. Participants talk about social drinking at parties, but there's very little shown on-screen.

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that Brody Stevens: Enjoy It! is a docuseries about a stand-up comedian that delves into some surprisingly dark material, including Stevens' very public mental breakdown on Twitter that landed him in a UCLA psych ward for 17 days. Strong language has been bleeped, but you'll still hear words such as "ass," "hell," and "pissed." There's also footage of Stevens lashing out at strangers and making physical threats that he has a gun, and he makes jokes about his sexuality. Antidepressants such as Lexapro are mentioned, and there's some social drinking.

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What's the story?

Adding new material to an existing series that previously aired online on HBO Go, BRODY STEVENS: ENJOY IT! documents the comedian's very public mental breakdown and his famous friends' collective attempt to help him repair the damage and reboot his career. The series is executive-produced by Stevens' longtime friend Zach Galifianakis and features interviews with Sarah Silverman, Jimmy Kimmel, and more.

Is it any good?

Whether you enjoy Brody Stevens: Enjoy It! will largely depend on how much you enjoy the man himself, because, as the title suggests, it's definitely all about him. But even viewers who know nothing about Stevens' comedy or the bizarre episode that brought him big fame in the Twittersphere will find a surprisingly engrossing story about working through mental illness that is probably (mostly) true. Well, maybe. At least, we think.

And that's the catch with a docuseries about a comedian: You're never quite sure whether you're watching real life or you're watching a bit -- and nobody likes to feel like a rube, especially when it seems like nothing, at least on the Internet, is real anymore. So maybe Enjoy It! is a little of both, but it's probably best to take Stevens' "reality" with a grain of salt.

Talk to your kids about ...

Families can talk about mental illness and how it's typically portrayed in the media. How do the stereotypes surrounding mental illness compare to the realities of living with a condition such as bipolar disorder? Does it surprise you that someone who makes his living being funny could also struggle with depression?
Brody Stevens: Enjoy It! is described as a docuseries. Does the series as a whole feel authentic, or do you think it's staged to some degree? How can you tell?