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Parents' Guide to

The Electric Barbarellas

By Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Female band works for big break via sexy, catty behavior.

TV MTV Reality TV 2011
The Electric Barbarellas Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

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age 16+

Based on 1 parent review

foxmotoracing4
foxmotoracing4 Adult
May 14, 2011
age 16+

Teens, not Tweens...but let's get one thing clear!

I am on the inside of this show....There are NO BISEXUALS IN THE GROUP. You have been misinformed by poorly written and sleazy articles meant to only report what sells a headline rather than the truth. As for the age appropriateness of the show, it's the cleanest on MTV; however, with such shows as 16 and Pregnant, Jersey Shore, and Teen Mom it's not a hard task. The Electric Barbarellas (given the rating TV-PG) could be on cable channels such as TNT, TBS, USA, etc. The same "salty" language can be seen on any reality TV show on network channels such as The Bachelor, The Amazing Race, Survivor, and America's Next Top Model. My best advice: Don't believe everything you hear because as you know, negative press will always sell better than the truth. Watch an episode for yourself at MTV.com so you can make your own decision on whether or not you can let your teenager view the show.
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

THE ELECTRIC BARBARELLAS follows a five-piece electronic pop group trying to successfully break into the music business. After a four-year search that has exhausted her life savings, Heather Naylor recruits wild Missy Marie, model Raven Elise, comedian Gynger Fluellen, and girl-next-door type Chelsea Costa to join her band. Now living together, they record music, promote themselves, and play venues in order to develop a following and make their mark. But while Heather, with the help of assistant Roxann, struggles to find industry insiders willing to help the group get to the next level of their careers, she also discovers that the other women aren't always as willing as she is to make the sacrifices necessary to achieve stardom.

Is It Any Good?

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

The series offers a rather scripted behind-the-scenes look at what goes into developing and promoting an all-female band. Despite some mild hype about the group members' bisexuality, most of the show is focused on the women's colorful personalities. The result is a show that focuses on big egos and lots of petty catfighting, rather than featuring the ladies working on their craft.

Despite the group's attempts to mix the sexually entertaining flair of The Pussycat Dolls with the empowered feminine images made popular by groups like the Spice Girls and singers like Lady Gaga, the rehearsals and performances featured here may have you questioning whether they have any real talent -- let alone why they have a reality show. Some folks will like watching the glammed-up women argue over silly things, but outside of this, there really isn't much going on here.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about what it takes to become a successful music group. Is having talent a requirement? What other kinds of things do groups have to do in order to break into the music business? Do you think all bands start out the way these women are?

  • Why do so many musicians focus on acting and sounding sexy, even when their music is being marketed to kids? Do you think this behavior is necessary to become a commercial success in the industry?

  • Artists like Lady Gaga choose to discuss sex and sexuality in their music as a way of empowering themselves. Do you think this is effective and/or appropriate? Why or why not?

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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