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Camp Lakebottom

Name: Camp Lakebottom
Item: Camp Lakebottom
Rating: 3
Author: Emily Ashby

TV review by

Emily Ashby, Common Sense Media

Common Sense says

age 7+

(i)

Hijinks, potty talk, friendly monsters in offbeat cartoon.

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Parents say

age 6+

Based on 1 review

Kids say

age 7+

Based on 3 reviews

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A lot or a little?

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

Educational Value

The show intends to entertain rather than to educate.

Positive Messages

Viewers see kids engage in a rivalry between summer camps, often marked by pranks that are destructive and occasionally mean-spirited. Some mild bullying at the expense of a soft-spoken boy, who's the victim of a lot of jokes but seems oblivious to it. Lots of body humor, the likes of farting, burping, and stinky underwear so soiled it develops a life of its own. On the other hand, the characters are a mishmash of personalities who see past their differences and forge unlikely friendships, and the monsters' unexpectedly mild temperaments remind kids that appearances can be deceiving.

Positive Role Models & Representations

McGee takes advantage of Squirt's naivety, but he's also his staunchest supporter. Two monster characters are shown to have big hearts that belie their appearances.

Violence & Scariness

Lots of exchanges between campers that cast fighting in a funny light. One boy uses an arsenal of shooters that hurl tennis balls, rolls of toilet paper, and mud clumps at his rivals. Electrocution, crashes, punching, and other physical contact is meant to be funny. There are some surprises and creepy characters, including a zombie whose appendages fall off and a sea leech who controls a victim's brain.

Sexy Stuff

Language

Name-calling like "pea brain" and "loser." Also, a main character's name is "Buttsquat," so you'll hear that a lot.

Consumerism

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that Camp Lakebottom is set in a summer camp where monsters are in charge and there are few codes of conduct governing the campers, so there's little reality to be had in the stories. Kids will see campers pulling pranks on each other (itching powder, mud attacks, etc.), even among friends, and seeking out potentially worrisome adventures, all without consequences. Expect some surprises that might frighten very young kids, lots of bathroom humor, and cartoon violence in the forms of crashes, electrocution, and peltings from guns that shoot balls, toilet paper, and other unorthodox ammunition. Name-calling ("pea brain," "loser") is common, as are references to a character named "Buttsquat."

User Reviews

Parents say
Kids say

Adult Written byMasterCharmander13 May 3, 2015

age 6+

No.....Just no....

The show sucks. That's basicly all I can say about this show. And guess how the advertised the show: "If you like Gravity Falls, you'll like thi... Continue reading

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Kid, 10 years old August 24, 2013

age 8+

Don't even try.

A imported Canadian cartoon on Disney XD... hmm... wonder what to expect... Well, you'll expect poop and fart jokes everywhere. A TON of namecalling, which... Continue reading

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Teen, 16 years old Written bysillyninja11 August 23, 2016

age 9+

what was Disney thinking?

this show is full or rude humor, name calling, fart and poop jokes and more. Personally I don't want this to be an influence in any kids lives. If they... Continue reading

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What's the story?

For most kids, a bus detour en route to summer camp would be a devastating turn of events, but for 12-year-old McGee (voiced by Scott McCord), it turns out to be a strike of great fortune. Instead of living the privileged life at Camp Sunny Smiles, mischievous McGee finds himself at Camp Lakebottom, a run-down resort staffed by monsters and host to a lot of spooky goings-on. With his friends Gretchen (Melissa Altro) and Squirt (Darren Frost), McGee wiles away his days fending off brain-sucking sea monsters and dodging volcanoes; that is, when they're not pulling pranks on the residents of the neighboring Camp Sunny Smiles, including his sister, Suzi (Bryn McCauley), and her buddy Buttsquat (Carter Hayden).

Is it any good?

Zombies and Sasquatch for counselors? Escalating pranks between campers? No required activities and even fewer rules? Camp Lakebottom is little more than an adventurous kid's dream vacation spot, where stinky underwear comes to life and sea monsters lurk in the lake. Of course, the next best thing to being there is watching the mayhem unfold in this fast-paced series that makes health code violations and safety oversights all kinds of funny.

Given that the show gives a mostly false impression of summer camp life, it's fairly obvious that your kids should be old enough to understand what's contrived about the story. Happily, though, this age group should also be able to pick up on the subtle messages in some of the monsters' surprisingly sweet personalities, which are good reminders against judging books (and people) by their covers.

Talk to your kids about ...

Families can talk about practical jokes and pranks. Have you ever pulled one on someone? Did he or she think it was funny? What determines the line between a prank and something potentially more hurtful?
Why are the characters at odds with each other? Do they know? Is it hard to fix a contentious relationship? Why is it important to forgive and forget?
Parents can separate fact from fiction regarding summer camp for their kids and perhaps share some of their own camp experiences from childhood. Kids: Does the idea of summer camp seem appealing to you? What types of activities do you think you would enjoy?