Dad Stop Embarrassing Me!
Parents say
Based on 1 review
Kids say
Based on 11 reviews
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Dad Stop Embarrassing Me!
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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 Dad Stop Embarrassing Me! is a sitcom about single dad Brian (Jamie Foxx) and his 15-year-old daughter, Sasha (Kyla-Drew), who are newly reunited and attempting to negotiate a positive relationship. Family love is central to the show; adults are present and caring, if sometimes mocking. Sasha can be a bit contemptuous of her father, but she also loves him and wants to spend time with him. Humor can be on the mature side: Grandpa Pops (David Alan Grier) smokes pot and jokes about it frequently, and the whole family is shown smoking and vaping together (marijuana is decriminalized in Atlanta, where the show is set). There's also mature sexual humor, like when one of Brian's colleagues, a young woman less than half his age, tries to show her "appreciation" for being chosen to model at his cosmetics company by taking off her clothes, hopping into his bed, and inviting him in. (For his part, Brian resists due to timing, though he says at another time he'd have "tried to knock all the spice off that Church's Chicken.") Cursing includes "s--t," "ass," and "goddamn." There's also some insulting language, like "hos." Violence is infrequent, but Brian jokes about his parents punishing him physically for disrespect. There are also some regressive messages about masculinity, like when Brian is asked if he carries his "balls" in his "man purse."
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What's the Story?
DAD STOP EMBARRASSING ME! is built around the Dixon family. There's single dad Brian (Jamie Foxx), who's trying to keep his mother's cosmetic company and his own romantic life afloat in the midst of trying to bond with his 15-year-old daughter, Sasha (Kyla-Drew). As for Sasha, she's simultaneously grieving the recent death of her mother, trying to readjust to her new life in Atlanta, and dealing with her dad's many cringe-inducing ways. Joining Sasha and Brian in the Dixon family home is the rowdy Pops (David Alan Grier) and Brian's sister, Chelsea (Porscha Coleman).
Is It Any Good?
The cast has chemistry, and Jamie Foxx is richly blessed with comic gifts, but the comedy is shticky and broad and the setup feels dated in this throwback sitcom that seems imported from another era. Perhaps from 1990s WB, where The Jamie Foxx Show ran from 1996 to 2001, also with a high-concept setup, a laugh track, and Foxx delivering irascible commentary and physical comedy -- and also produced by Foxx's Dad Stop Embarrassing Me! co-creator, Bentley Kyle Evans. It can't be denied that the guy's good at it; in the show's pilot, the gift of a pair of white skinny jeans is the trigger for a cascading series of gags in which Foxx uncomfortably twitches his way through a social occasion in said skintight pants.
To its credit, Dad Stop Embarrassing Me! leans into sweet moments too, in which the Dixon family comes together to support Sasha -- there are hugs and lessons learned. David Allen Grier is a comic highlight as a weed-smoking lothario of a grandpa, despite the fact that he's only 11 years older than Foxx; his habits are the source of much of the teens-and-up mature laughs. For a certain type of humor, Dad is like a warm hug: predictable, an occasional guffaw, and actors you like spending time with.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why family life is such an enduring setting for TV comedies. What's the comedic potential? Can most people relate to the foibles of a family? Why is this an appealing setting?
Jamie Foxx and David Alan Grier were in an iconic 1990s comedy show together, In Living Color. What's the difference between the satirical sketch comedy of that show and the more broad family comedy here? Are both funny? Which is funnier to you?
TV shows that revolve around a generation gap are common. Can you name any? What's funny about parents and children misunderstanding each other? Are real-life issues between parents and children ever amusing like they are on television?
TV Details
- Premiere date: April 14, 2021
- Cast: Jamie Foxx, Porscha Coleman, David Alan Grier
- Network: Netflix
- Genre: Comedy
- TV rating: TV-PG
- Last updated: February 28, 2022
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