Parents' Guide to Scare PewDiePie

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Common Sense Media Review

Emily Ashby By Emily Ashby , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 15+

YouTube star's excessive language marks not-so-scary show.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 15+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

age 11+

Based on 6 parent reviews

age 13+

Based on 11 kid reviews

Kids say the show is generally humorous and entertaining, particularly for fans of the host, although many reviews highlight the excessive swearing and suggest it may not be suitable for younger audiences due to its mature content. While it maintains a comedic atmosphere, it's noted that the show is marketed with a warning for strong language, with some reviews expressing that it is not very scary.

  • humor and entertainment
  • excessive swearing
  • not suitable for kids
  • marketed for tweens
  • not very scary
Summarized with AI

What's the Story?

SCARE PEWDIEPIE follows Internet personality PewDiePie (Felix Kjellberg) as he puts his gaming expertise to the test in staged real-world horror settings. Each episode sees him facing an obstacle course of fear and on a set that's staffed with actors who hinder his escape.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say ( 6 ):
Kids say ( 11 ):

This poorly conceived YouTube series dangles awkwardly between presenting IRL ("in real life") versions of video games within the strange concept of a semi-reality series and delivering real scares to either the star or the audience. It's obvious that PewDiePie has had a hand in creating these staged sets, even if some of the minor details remain a surprise to him, and very little of what goes on is the least bit scary. In the end, it winds up being a rather lackluster forum for more screen time for the star. His existing fan pool will want to watch, but it's unlikely to appeal to newcomers.

Even though the content won't leave teens weak-kneed, PewDiePie's torrent of salty language throughout each experience makes it less than ideal for them. One has to wonder if, faced with the mundacity of the show's content, PewDiePie overshoots on the naughty words for mere shock value. In any case, there are plenty of other, more meaningful options for teens' attention.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how platforms such as YouTube have changed how we assign celebrity status. Is the fact that just about anyone can achieve stardom a good thing or a bad thing? How can the Internet help launch a person's popularity? On the other hand, what dangers exist in putting oneself out there for all to see?

  • Was anything about this series truly scary? Did PewDiePie ever seem genuinely frightened? Do you like being scared when you watch TV or a movie?

  • Teens: Do you enjoy video games or online gaming? What is enticing about the level playing field of virtual gaming?

TV Details

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