The Adventures of Chico and Guapo
By Melissa Camacho,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Gritty comedy about race for teens and up.
A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.
Where to Watch
Community Reviews
There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.
What's the Story?
Written and co-produced by Orlando Jones, THE ADVENTURES OF CHICO AND GUAPO originally appeared as a recurring segment on The Orlando Jones Show in 2003 on FX. Now a television series in its own right, this animated comedy features the exploits of Chico Bustello (voiced by Paul D'Acri) and Guapo Martinez (P.J. Pesci), two young inner-city Latino men trying to jump-start their careers as music producers by interning at a recording studio. In between escapades (none of which actually include working), they find time to watch TV and provide Beavis and Butt-Head-style commentary on everything from popular MTV shows to newscasts and cable-access programming. The ensemble cast also includes studio owner Mr. Angelo (Pesci again), studio receptionist Concepcion, Hank the producer (both voiced by Jones), and Cezar (D'Acri again), Chico's musically-gifted-but-personality-impaired cousin, who also works at the studio. Each character represents a specific racial or ethnic stereotype, some of which are unflattering to the point of offensiveness. That said, even though these extreme depictions of a diverse urban community are far from politically correct, they provide a forum in which people of all cultural backgrounds can look at themselves and at how others perceive them.
Is It Any Good?
The Adventures of Chico and Guapo is gritty and includes sexual innuendo, simulated sex acts, and mild profanity (the stronger profanity is in Spanish). It also offers some positive cultural references that reflect the characters' Latino culture, such as Chico's relationship with his grandmother and the pride Guapo takes in announcing that he's from the Dominican Republic. Sadly, these positive details are too easily overshadowed by the series' coarse humor and extreme stereotyping, which ultimately makes those negative stereotypes easier to accept.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about stereotypes and the importance of embracing diversity. What makes people seem different? Their skin color? Their accent? Their clothes? Why do we ascribe these differences to people of certain races and ethnicities? What do we miss by assuming people of a certain background will behave a certain way? What can we learn from each other? Families may also want to discuss the similarities they share with people from different cultures.
TV Details
- Premiere date: June 10, 2006
- Cast: Orlando Jones, P.J. Pesce
- Network: MTV2
- Genre: Comedy
- TV rating: TV-14
- Last updated: March 1, 2022
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.
Suggest an Update
Where to Watch
Our Editors Recommend
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate