Parents' Guide to The Jeselnik Offensive

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Common Sense Media Review

Melissa Camacho By Melissa Camacho , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 15+

Edgy comedy show features dark humor and stereotypes.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 15+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

age 6+

Based on 1 parent review

What's the Story?

THE JESELNIK OFFENSIVE, hosted by comedian Anthony Jeselnick, is a series dedicated to poking fun at things normally deemed too sacred to joke about. From laughing about highly publicized crimes to making jokes about breast cancer, Jeselnick offers his thoughts about weekly topics from his trademark dark and twisted point of view. Each week a panel of comedians, like Amy Schumer, and Parks and Recreation star Aziz Ansari, join the fray. Throughout the episode, a variety of tweets are reviewed and discussed.

Is It Any Good?

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

From the Jon Benet Ramsey murder to performing an illness-themed stand up routine to a group of cancer survivors, nothing is sacred as Jeselnik uses his unique brand of black comedy to find humor in situations that most folks wouldn't dare laugh at. Strange and/or inappropriate tweets and other aspects of popular culture are also a source of jokes, too.

No doubt that some viewers will find the conversations featured here highly disrespectful. Some folks won't appreciate the show's reliance on racial/ethnic stereotyping as a way of generating a chuckle, either. But for others, Jeselnik's unapologetic approach to sensitive issues will make the show worth watching.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about comedy. What makes something funny? What is black humor? When does a joke go too far? Is it ever appropriate to use stereotypes as a source of comedy.

  • If you were to write some jokes about current events, what kinds of things would you talk about? What would make them funny?

TV Details

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