Parents' Guide to

Brooklyn 11223

By Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Reality drama features rumors, sex, and stereotypes.

TV Oxygen Reality TV 2012
Brooklyn 11223 Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

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What's the Story?

BROOKLYN 11223 is a reality series that follows the lives of two groups of twenty-somethings as they navigate Brooklyn's summertime scene. The once close-knit gang has now split into rivaling \"crews\" headed up by Joey Lynn Tekulve and Christie Livoti, two former best friends who parted ways thanks to an alleged illicit relationship between Joey Lynn and Christie's former boyfriend. The drama is intense as rumors fly and tempers flair, especially among crew members like Angelina Favuzzo, Carla Cozzolino, and Joey Lynn's friend Valona Saka. Meanwhile, life-long friendships and romantic connections, including Christie's current relationship with boyfriend Matthew Guzzone, slowly disintegrate as a result of all this behavior. Throughout it all, individual crew members are also coping with their own personal issues, like the consequences that come as a result of some their family's connections to the mob.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

The show, which is loosely inspired by West Side Story, combines reality and drama while reinforcing endless negative stereotypes about Brooklyn and the people who live there. Adding to this is the immature and rather distasteful stories that they tell about each other. Drinking, smoking, and endless conversations about having sex only adds to the gang's social dynamic.

Despite many of the crew members being college-educated or professionals, the overall cast appears superficial, catty, and inarticulate. Their over-the-top behavior, which includes lots of drinking and partying, contributes to this image. Older viewers who enjoy this kind of voyeuristic experience may find it entertaining, but there are no positive messages here.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the reinforcement of stereotypes as a way of creating an entertaining movie or TV show. Producers often rely on stereotypes and generalizations in order to create (in their minds) characters that more "believable" to viewers. Do you think this is necessary? What are some of the consequences of doing so? Are there other ways to depict certain cultures or communities in a way that is interesting and entertaining without resorting to generalizations?

  • If a reality show is "based" on something else, is it really depicting something that is real? Or is it being produced in a way to paint a certain picture of reality? Do you think the story this show is telling is true, or do you think it's been created for the sake of an entertaining show?

  • What do the characters on the show stand to gain or lose from appearing on this show?

TV Details

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