Parents' Guide to

Lewis Black's Root of All Evil

By Will Wade, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Funny, but verges on meanness; for mature viewers.

TV Comedy Central Comedy 2008
Lewis Black's Root of All Evil Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

See all
age 13+

Based on 1 parent review

Plague
Plague Parent
October 20, 2010
age 13+
Hilarious, polotical, and angry as hell. Lewis Black is awesome.
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

Lewis Black has to make some very difficult choices on his new show, LEWIS BLACK'S ROOT OF ALL EVIL. In each episode, he must determine which of two ostensibly highly offensive people, organizations, or topics is truly the worst. Is Dick Cheney more unpleasant than Paris Hilton? Is beer a greater menace than marijuana? To help, Black (best known for his rants on The Daily Show) has assembled a roster of comedians to serve as advocates. After each presents their case for why their subject is truly awful in a series of scathing -- but very funny -- takedowns, Black renders his verdict on which presents the greater danger to civilization.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (1):
Kids say: Not yet rated

Though funny, Root of All Evil skates on a thin line between humor and attack. Spending an entire episode describing all of a certain celebrity's flaws and problems or detailing all of a certain group's woes can seem like overkill -- and in the Lewis Black court, nobody ever steps forward to defend the accused.

Instead, Black and his advocates simply pull out one mean-spirited joke after another. Though many of the subjects seem to invite derision, the show sometimes reaches a point where viewers may actually start to sympathize with them, which most certainly is not Black's goal.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about fame and popularity. Why do so many celebrities evoke such a strong -- and often hostile -- response from the public? Lewis Black plays to that sentiment, defining the show's subjects o as evil, selfish, vain, stupid, or worse. Do you think anyone deserves this kind of ridicule? Do you agree with Black's assessments? There's an entire industry devoted to unearthing and selling gossip about stars. Do you think that the wealthy, famous, and powerful give up their right to privacy? Is it acceptable to mock them?

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.

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