Parents' Guide to

The Jeselnik Offensive

By Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Edgy comedy show features dark humor and stereotypes.

TV Comedy Central Reality TV 2013
The Jeselnik Offensive Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

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age 6+

Based on 1 parent review

Spiicy_Sausage
Spiicy_Sausage Adult
April 23, 2013
age 6+

YOLO mac and kinne

Honest, good stuff, like mac and kinne!

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Too much consumerism
See all 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 (1):

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

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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