Parents' Guide to

Extreme Makeover

By Lucy Maher, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Lifts + tucks + liposuction = iffy message.

Extreme Makeover Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

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In theory, Extreme Makeover does good -- people with serious problems like cleft palates and premature female baldness are given a chance to correct them. But for the most part, the show glorifies and sometimes trivializes the notion that plastic surgery is the solution to all appearance-related problems.

While a small portion of each episode is dedicated to the painful recuperation process, and some people are given a "life makeover" that doesn't involve surgery (in one episode, for example, a violinist gets the chance to play with her idol, Leann Rimes), viewers never see how the people who altered their appearances feel three, six, or nine months later. And not knowing whether the folks who went under the knife ultimately felt better about themselves -- or if their issues weren't fixed by the surgery -- is a big question mark to leave hanging.

TV Details

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