Parents' Guide to Feud

Language

Strong language includes "f---ing," "bulls--t," "hell," "c--t," "goddamn," "ass," "bitch," "s--t," "t-ts," "Jesus" (as an exclamation), "crap," "screw." During some scenes, characters hurl insults at each other: "broken-down has-been," "viper," "drunk."

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

In Season 1, Joan Crawford is an alcoholic who conceals her drinking but often explodes emotionally, berates others, slurs, stumbles. Both Joan and Bette smoke cigarettes nearly constantly; vintage cigarette packs are shown prominently as are packages for other vintage products (some are still sold). In one scene, Bette grabs for her cigarettes the minute her alarm goes off in the morning. In Feud's second season, characters smoke and drink nearly constantly; Capote is an alcoholic who tries (and fails) to get sober.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Season 1 contains graphic and vulgar commentary on women's body parts. Joan says she won't play a "Sapphic" role. Subtle sex jokes (someone tells a landscaper "It's an honor to prune Joan Crawford's bush." A man is unfaithful to his wife and enlists his co-workers in keeping his secret; a man and woman kiss and then fall into bed before the camera cuts away. A character gives another character oral sex in a gay movie theater; his head dips below the frame suggestively.

Season 2 has several plotlines about marital infidelity; we see same- and opposite-sex characters kissing before the camera turns away. A character has sex while she's on her period and an unrealistically bloody aftermath is pictured. A man goes to a gay bathhouse and receives manual release from another man; we see the man's hand moving up and down.

Products & Purchases

Joan Crawford was in real life a spokesperson for Pepsi, which is described here as "s--tty sugar water," but its logos are shown numerous times. The trappings of movie stardom are everywhere: expensive furniture, servants, elegant clothing.

Violence & Scariness

The show's first season contains casual violent language ("If I make another sandals saga, put a bullet in my head"). Bette and Joan sometimes scuffle physically. The movie Baby Jane contains shocking death and abuse; it's seen being filmed.

Feud's second season has a plotline about domestic violence; we repeatedly see a male partner battering his boyfriend bloody. Numerous references to homicide and suicide: We see the lead-up to a gun homicide and briefly see the dead body of a woman who has killed herself.

Positive Messages

Iffy messages about women, aging, and stardom permeate Feud's first season ("men age, they get character; women age, they get lost"; women should "just look pretty and keep their mouth shut"). Parents may want to point out to young viewers that these types of ideas are antiquated (or are they?), and that Bette Davis and Joan Crawford are both rare examples of women who had long Hollywood careers. By showing us the pain of those who are passed over, Feud is a powerful argument for putting these notions to rest. Feud's second season has more iffy messages about wealth, aging, sexual identity, and the nature of friendships.

Positive Role Models

In the first season, Bette and Joan are both tough and sophisticated women who gossip about others, joust for power, and are not above using deception or aggression to gain their ends. They are also great artists with a passion for their work, who care about their fans, and who worked very hard to maintain their successes.

In season 2, Truman Capote is an artist who makes a terrible mistake in his personal life; he's more of a cautionary example than a role model. His "swans" are sympathetic but ultimately vapid, rich, and cruel.

Diverse Representations

Feud gets points for putting focus on older characters: Main characters are people in their 50s, and concerns about aging are prominent in the narrative. There are very few characters of color in these dramas, however, and both seasons feature almost entirely rich White people.