The Misery Index
By Melissa Camacho,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Painful game show ranks embarrassing moments for laughs.
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The Misery Index
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What's the Story?
THE MISERY INDEX is a game show that allows people to make money off of other people's anguish. Hosted by Jameela Jamil, it stars The Tenderloins, a comedy group that includes James "Murr" Murray, Joe Gatto, Brian Q. Quinn, and Sal Vulcano. Divided into teams of two, the comedians are joined by two contestants, and they watch strange, weird, and awful real-life events highlighted in news media, social media posts, and internet videos. They are then tasked with how to appropriately rank how funny, embarrassing, or miserable each one is according to an index system developed by a team of therapists. The contestant on the winning team gets a shot at winning $30,000.
Is It Any Good?
Based on the card game Sh*t Happens, this irreverent show mixes humor and competition by requiring comedians to guess how painful, traumatizing, or impactful someone's bad situation is, for cash. However, while The Misery Index isn't meant to be mean spirited, audiences will probably find themselves laughing more at the videos and social media posts featured than at the one-liners, which often fall flat. But despite the attempts at humor, the cast often appears sensitive to, and even horrified by, what's shown and described to them. Some may not appreciate what The Misery Index has to offer, but folks who like off-the-wall comedy may find it fun.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about poking fun or laughing at people's embarrassing or frightening experiences. Is this ever appropriate? How do you cope with it if it happens to you?
Would The Misery Index be entertaining if it didn't feature comedians? What kind of show would it be?
TV Details
- Premiere date: October 22, 2019
- Cast: Jameela Jamil , Brian Q. Quinn , Sal Vulcano
- Network: TBS
- Genre: Game Shows
- TV rating: TV-14
- Last updated: October 13, 2022
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