Parents' Guide to

Downtown Girls

By Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Offers flashy, unrealistic view of young working women.

TV MTV Reality TV 2010
Downtown Girls Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

See all

There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.

What's the Story?

DOWNTOWN GIRLS is a reality series that chronicles the lives of a group of trendy young women living in downtown New York. It features Shallon Lester, a relationship blogger for Glamour.com who writes about relationships, sex, and friendship. Helping her explore some of these issues are her roommates, Nikki, a fashion boutique owner, and Victoria, a law school graduate. Her soon-to-be-married best friend Klo is always there to give her support and advice. Meanwhile Gurj, a digital music marketer, is on hand to offer a voice of reason. Together they share the highs and lows of being part of the young urban professional scene in lower Manhattan.

Is It Any Good?

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

The show mixes the voyeuristic moments of reality TV with some comedic flair in order to create an experience that is a little reminiscent of the popular Sex and the City series. Unfortunately, the combination isn't very successful. Shallon's video blog appearances, as well as her mildly witty narrations of supposedly real-life moments, make the overall show seem like it's just trying too hard. Some of the women's behavior doesn't make them seem very likeable, either.

It's not the best of reality shows, but the series does reveal a strong and supportive friendship between these women. Some viewers may enjoy their endless conversations about relationships and dating, while others may be drawn to the hip and fashionable world that they appear to live in. But like many reality series of this kind, it paints a rather artificial and narcissistic picture of today's young female professional.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about what life is like living and working in a big city. What are some of the challenges? Benefits? Do you think living and working in a major city is always as fashionable as it is depicted on reality shows like this one?

  • What do you think about these women's preoccupation with dating, relationships, and sex? Is it realistic? What kinds of messages about women and relationships are being expressed?

TV Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended tv lists

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.

See how we rate