Parents' Guide to

Queen America

By Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Beauty pageant dark comedy is full of mature themes.

TV Facebook Watch Comedy 2018
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A Lot or a Little?

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

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age 18+

Based on 1 parent review

MrsCoAm
MrsCoAm Adult
December 4, 2018
age 18+

DisGRACEFUL

As a previous title holder and mother of 3 girls, I was looking forward to this show until I watched the first episode. I watched up until the 3rd episode and then I was done. Although they attempted to have good messages throughout, any positive messages were overshadowed by the heavy inappropriate sexual content and bleeping of words and expressions. I was alarmed to think that this show is rated for 14 and 15 years olds! I am SO sick and tired of programs like this that normalize moral degradation and vulgarity. I am HORRIFIED to think that 13 and 14 year old girls, excited about what pageants are like, are going to be exposed to the filth that is in this program. It is disgusting to me and shame on FaceBook and shame on Common Sense Media for promoting this program at all. I’m sick of the indoctrination happening to our youth that normalizes every kind of immorality and destruction of the nuclear family. Furthermore, you CAN be a queen and a title holder and have self-respect, honor, and integrity. Sorry, but I give this show less than 1 Star and a big thumbs down.

This title has:

Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
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What's the Story?

QUEEN AMERICA is a Facebook Watch comedy series about a pageant coach who is trying to outrun her troubled, working class past. Catherine-Zeta Jones stars as Vicki Ellis, a pageant coach who spends her time coaching Oklahoma pageant contestants to victory while struggling with her own demons. When she successfully coaches Hayley Wilson (Victoria Justice) to victory in the Miss Oklahoma pageant, she looks forward to helping through nationals with there help of her friend and makeup artist Nigel (Teagle F. Bougere) and trainer Mary Clark (Rana Roy). But an unexpected twist has her working with Samantha Cole (Belle Shouse), the unrefined first-runner up who only has three months to prepare for the biggest pageant of her life. Meanwhile, her relationships with her sister Katie (Molly Price) and niece Bella (Isabella Amara) are strained, and she's dealing with her own health issues.

Is It Any Good?

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

This dark, funny comedy sees Vicki putting her clients through their paces in order to survive the cutthroat pageant circuit. It highlights some of the well-known secrets of the pageant world, which range from extreme exercise and dieting techniques to dealing with sexual predators. It also underscores how these things can lead to long-term health problems, including eating disorders and alcoholism.

Despite the dark, snarky tone, Queen America also contains some mildly empowering themes, including the value of working hard, finding strength in oneself, and the importance of finding people to help pull you up when you need it. And while it has enough strong content to make it a questionable choice for young viewers, it is very entertaining for those mature enough to handle it. All in all, if you're looking for a fun streaming series to watch, this one works.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the pageant industry. What kind of positive things do pageants offer contestants? What are some of the negatives?

  • What does Queen America suggest about the relationship between pageantry and eating disorders? How can you tell if someone is struggling with this mental health issue? What ways are there to help a friend dealing with an eating disorder?

TV Details

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