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Parents' Guide to

Road Rules

By Jill Murphy, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Rules of the road: Play, win, and party hard.

TV MTV Reality TV 1995
Road Rules 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?

MTV's ROAD RULES, initially created in the mid-1990s, got a makeover in 2007 when former Road Rules cast members were invited to mingle with "newbies," and an interactive "viewer's revenge" element was added that gave the new players and home viewers the chance to upstage and overturn the show's veteran players. But despite the makeover, some things remain the same: The six main contestants are still put in an RV, and they still have missions and challenges to complete. Based on their performance during the episode's physical challenge, one girl and one guy are voted to compete against a member of the veteran-player-staffed Pit Crew. Home viewers then vote online to determine which of the two contestants will go on to the Elimination Pit (fans watch the battle at MTV.com later in the week). Whoever's left standing gets to rejoin -- or join for the first time, as the case may be -- the folks in the RV, and at the end of the season, the final six contestants receive a "handsome reward."

Is It Any Good?

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

The show's challenges are physically demanding and -- with their extreme heights, underwater treasure hunts, and exhausting relays -- are created to scare the participants straight. Naturally, despite the fact that these are the most engaging parts of the show, they get the least amount of airtime. Instead, episodes focus on drama between the players ... and with all the partying and arguing they do, there's no shortage of conflict to show.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about this type of reality program. What do viewers gain from watching? Teens, do you prefer shows that deal with physical competitions, rather than ones that focus on a lavish house where roommates just sit around? What elements of both of those scenarios are found here? How much of the drama that's shown on screen do you think actually happened that way? What role does editing play in reality shows? Why do past cast members want to be on the show again?

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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