Miami Monkey
Mob Wives spin-off full of drinking, catty behavior.
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Miami Monkey, a Mob Wives reality franchise spin-off, includes all the expected over-the-top behavior the reality franchise is known for, including lots of catty behavior, drinking, smoking, and sexual innuendo. There's not a lot of discussion about mobsters, but the language is pretty salty, and the show reinforces stereotypes about people from Staten Island and Miami.
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What's the Story?
MIAMI MONKEY is a reality series spin-off starring Mob Wives reality celeb Angela Raiola, a.k.a. Big Ang, who has decided to open up a bar in Miami, Florida. After the successful relaunch of her bar, the Drunken Monkey in Staten Island, Big Ang, along with her adult daughter Raquel, wants to take South Beach by storm. To help them make the bar a success are some of Raquel's twenty-something Staten Island friends, including her brother A.J.'s girlfriend Gabby, friends Ryan, Ronnie, and Marissa, and Raquel's cousin Roxanne, who has been hired to be the bar's manager. Living and working together promises to be fun, but Big Ang's decision to hire some local Miami employees creates lots of tension among the New York natives.
Is It Any Good?
The highlight of this series is Big Ang's quirky, over-the-top behavior -- no surprise here. But as humorous as she is, her presence on this show is often overshadowed by the endless array of territorial women surrounding her. These rivalries also lead to catty behavior and obvious stereotypical characterizations about people from each region of the country.
Some folks may like watching the Staten Island-based cast trying not to act like fish out of water. But outside of this, the series offers little more than continuous catty arguing between the cast. Those who like this sort of voyeuristic entertainment may find it worth watching, but ultimately, there just isn't much going on here.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about reality shows. What makes them so successful? Is it the colorful characters? The storylines? Do you think the over-the-top antics featured on many of these shows are real, or are they being staged for the benefit of the audience?
Why do you think these folks agree to be on reality TV even though they don't always come off well? What do they serve to gain or lose by being on TV?
TV Details
- Premiere date: September 8, 2013
- Cast: Angela Raiola, Raquel Raiola
- Network: VH1
- Genre: Reality TV
- TV rating: TV-14
- Last updated: October 14, 2022
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