Parents' Guide to

Leave It to Lamas

By Kari Croop, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Yet another "famous" family overreaches for reality stardom.

TV E! Reality TV 2009
Leave It to Lamas Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

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What's the Story?

In LEAVE IT TO LAMAS, cameras capture the ups and downs of the nontraditional Lamas clan -- a fractured family tree that stems from soap star/actor Lorenzo Lamas and his second ex-wife, Michele (he has four in all). Lamas's daughter, Shayne, admits that her dad's career has "seen better days," and the rest of the brood (including Shayne's older brother A.J. and younger half-sister Dakota) seems to have acting in their blood. So what better chance to seize the spotlight than star in a reality show that's exclusively about them?

Is It Any Good?

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

You've seen other shows on E! before about famous -- or marginally famous -- L.A. families and their "outrageous antics" (Keeping Up with the Kardashians and the equally unnecessary spin-off Kourtney and Khloe Take Miami, anyone?). So the question is, why do we need another one? And the simple answer is: We really don't. But maybe this will catch on as a guilty pleasure. After all, somebody apparently liked watching the Kardashians, right?

In terms of stuff you want your kids to be watching, the guilty pleasure potential factor doesn't apply. Teens are bound to identify with Shayne (whose accomplishments include a stint on General Hospital and winning the 12th season of The Bachelor). But her worthiness as a role model is iffy at best. In the pilot episode alone, she claims that she eats lots of pineapple to keep her lady parts smelling good (who knew?) and gives up on spelling "menopause," offering instead, "Ask me how to spell 'shoes.' Ask me how to spell 'lip gloss.' 'Cars,' 'money,' 'men,' 'sex' … I know how to spell those." Ugh. Can you spell "vapid" and "shallow"? We can.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the attraction of fame and celebrity. How do shows like this one help once-obscure figures become part of the popular culture again? How do Lorenzo Lamas and his family stand to benefit from this show's success?

  • How do Shayne, Dakota, and their mom, Michele, compare as female role models? Who do you relate to more? What about A.J. and his dad, Lorenzo?

  • How "real" do you think the family's antics are? How can you tell whether or not they're genuine?

TV Details

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