Parents' Guide to

Madhouse

By Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Car racing reality show features unsportsmanlike behavior.

TV History Reality TV 2010
Madhouse Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

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age 6+

Based on 7 parent reviews

gmhale
gmhale Adult
March 23, 2010
age 7+
I love the way it shows real life. You have to work hard and have a good family to compete.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
ktsourbeck
ktsourbeck Parent of 2 and 3-year-old
March 18, 2010
age 6+

GO-Jason Myers!

LOVE it!!! It's a show that we sit down as a family to enjoy every Sunday Night :)

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
See all 7 parent reviews

What's the Story?

MADHOUSE follows four NASCAR modified racecar drivers -- Tim Brown, Chris Fleming, Junior Miller, and Burt Meyers -- during a summer racing season at North Carolina's Bowman Gray Stadium. In each episode, the drivers and their friends and families spend endless hours and thousands of dollars optimizing and repairing their cars in preparation for that week's race. In between working in the garage and driving laps around the track, they struggle to earn the money to finance their participation in the sport. Meanwhile, the drivers also spend time talking up the historic and volatile rivalries that exist between them and their families.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (7):
Kids say (1):

Madhouse looks at NASCAR racing from the perspective of people who are extremely passionate about the sport. It offers some explanation about what goes into modified racecars to improve their speed and handling on the racetrack and looks at race rules and procedures.

While the show does provide some insight into the NASCAR racing culture, the drivers spend too much time fueling the rivalries that exist between some of the racing families. Insults and threats are frequent, and accusations of "playing dirty" lead to fistfights, brawls, and arrests. Kids who like cars and racing will be drawn to the show, but it doesn't send very positive messages about the sport and/or sportsmanship in general.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about sportsmanship. What does it mean to be a good sport? Does athletes' sportsmanship impact the way that sports are played? How does it impact the way a sport (and the athletes who play it) are viewed in the media?

  • What are some of the stereotypes associated with NASCAR driving/drivers? Does the media perpetuate these stereotypes? How? What about this show specifically?

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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