Parents' Guide to

How to Rock

By Emily Ashby, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 7+

Mean-girl dynamics overshadow show's positive messages.

TV Nickelodeon Comedy 2012
How to Rock Poster Image

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age 7+

Based on 7 parent reviews

LPSFan1994
LPSFan1994 Adult
April 4, 2014
age 7+

Not my favorite but it is TOTALLY appropriate!

Maybe because I grew up with a lot of different shows from this but it isn't really my favorite, however it gives the completely blunt lesson that what others think of you isn't important, its what you think of yourself that is important. It starts out with Kacey as a perf who is obsessed with how she looks and thinks she is better than everyone else, then when her friends, Molly and Grace ditch her because she has braces and glasses, she joins Gravity 5 where they accept her for who she is. And through the one season they have she learns to stick by her friends and not let Molly's teasing get to her. And it is only achieved more by the theme song, Only I can be me.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
clubtuki
clubtuki Adult
July 8, 2012
age 6+

Fund show that teaches girls to be them selves.

In this day of rotten TV this show at least has a come back for the main girl to do the right thing. Songs and music is very positive.

This title has:

Great messages
See all 7 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Social queen Kacey Simon (Cymphonique Miller) learns what life is like on the other side of the popularity fence when her flawless image is disrupted by braces and glasses, and her former friends, Molly (Samantha Boscarino) and Grace (Halston Sage), cast her out of their lofty clique/band, "The Perfs" (short for "perfect," of course). Facing social uncertainty, Kacey falls in with an unlikely group of average kids who welcome her as the new lead singer for their band, Gravity 5. To her surprise, Kacey starts to see her old relationships in a new light and develops affection for her new friends -- Stevie (Lulu Antariksa), Zander (Max Schneider), Kevin (Christopher O'Neal), and Nelson (Noah Crawford). Old habits die hard, though, and navigating high school with ties to both the "popular" kids and a lesser social circle can get complicated.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (7):
Kids say (28):

HOW TO ROCK attempts to address the hot-button issues of self-image and bullying, and it does push the message that being true to who you are and seeking genuine relationships are the keys to true happiness. Unfortunately, much of this may be lost on the show's decidedly younger audience, since grade-schoolers and young tweens likely (or rather, hopefully) haven't yet felt the full impact of the pressures of popularity and body image. What's more, with no real-life experience with the complicated nature of social circles at the teenage level, kids won't be able to separate realistic content from what's exaggerated for effect and thus won't feel the full impact of the bullying that goes on among the teens. And don't forget the mixed messages sent by the fact that the dreaded braces and glasses that spell social death for Kacey last all of 20 minutes, after which she's back to her beautiful self while still mingling with the social outsiders.

That's not to say that How to Rock is all bad. As casts go, it could do worse than this multicultural one, led by the multi-talented Miller. (Music plays a big role in the content, thanks to Miller's stellar voice, so marketing an inevitable soundtrack goes hand-in-hand with the show's content.) Plus, there are plenty of laughs to be had by way of the characters' generally silly behavior. Bottom line? It's not the worst thing on TV, but there are plenty of shows that try harder to reflect reality and downplay negative behavior than How to Rock does.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about popularity. How important is popularity to you? Do you feel pressure to look or act a certain way because your friends do? Who determines what's "cool" and what isn't? What, if any, repercussions exist for choosing individuality over the will of the group?

  • Kids: Have you ever experienced peer pressure? How does it feel to be on the receiving end of it? How might it feel to inflict it on others? Why do you think people try to influence others to act a certain way? What are some ways you can cope with standing up to this kind of pressure?

  • Were you familiar with Cymphonique Miller before watching How to Rock? Now that you've heard her sing, are you inclined to check out her music? How do series like these influence your likes and dislikes?

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.

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