The Rachel Zoe Project

Common Sense Media says

Stylish reality show is swimming in labels.

Age(i)

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Quality(i)

 
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What parents need to know

Positive messages

Zoe is an accomplished -- although somewhat scattered -- businesswoman. But she's also a self-professed shopaholic who lives for expensive designer labels.

Positive role models

Zoe built her fashion empire by being smart, dedicated, passionate -- and a total control freak. Some of that is played for laughs, but some of her monomaniacal behavior is outrageously self-centered and even self-destructive, as her rising anxiety levels and rapid weight loss attest. She can be obsessive to the point of dismissive of her well-meaning husband and staff. The consequences of her wrathful binges are often portrayed as greater success. That may fly in the world of high-fashion, but there are ways of being successful without being rude.

Violence
Not applicable
Sex
Not applicable
Language

"Hell," "ass," and the like are audible, while "s--t" and "f--k" are bleeped.

Consumerism

In the first episode, Zoe reveals that she'll be launching her own line of clothing and accessories -- and, consequently, using this show to promote it. Many, many, many brands are mentioned, too, including Chanel, Givenchy, Valentino, Versace, Zac Posen, Michael Kors, Christian Lacroix, Polo Ralph Lauren, Vanity Fair, Vogue, BlackBerry, Birkin (handbags), Decades (clothing store) and Piperlime (online shoe store). Rachel is also frequently shown holding an enormous Starbucks cup, with the logo clearly visible.

Drinking, drugs, & smoking

Adults occasionally drink alcohol.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that, aside from some language that's occasionally strong enough to get bleeped, the biggest concern here is excessive commercialism. The show is a thinly veiled promotion for star Rachel Zoe's new line of clothing and accessories and basically serves as free advertising. Teens who watch could also end up coveting the glamorous clothing they see on the show, and most of it won't be age-appropriate -- or affordable. The onslaught of expensive labels includes marquis brands like Chanel, Valentino, and Versace.

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What's the story?

Rachel Zoe -- a celebrity stylist whose clients include Demi Moore, Jennifer Garner, Mischa Barton, and Lindsay Lohan -- invites viewers into her life with this reality series chronicling her frenetic attempts to run a successful business and launch a new line of clothing and accessories. The other members of "Team Zoe" help her keep it all together: her husband, Rodger; her associate, Taylor; and Taylor's new assistant, Brad.

Is it any good?

QUALITY
 

THE RACHEL ZOE PROJECT is no better or worse than a lot of other fashion-centric reality shows. But if it does take root in the pop culture garden, it will be because of Zoe's eccentricities -- including her quirky habit of describing fashion in over-the-top terms. As in, "When she walks into that room, she's gonna shut it down." And "This is killing it." And "You're, like, actually making me cry in this dress." And "That's bananas." And even "That's bananas-amazing."

As for the show itself? Well, it's a pretty entertaining guilty pleasure ... but "bananas-amazing," it's not.

Families can talk about...

  • Families can talk about how stylists like Zoe help celebrities shape their public image. Did it surprise you to learn that some stars seek a stylist's help not only for red-carpet events, but also for something as simple as appearing on a daytime talk show? Why is it that when we see a celebrity wearing something fabulous, we want to wear it, too? If all celebrities suddenly had to dress themselves, do you think they'd look as good?

TV details

Cast:Rachel Zoe
Network:Bravo
Genre:Reality TV
TV rating:TV-PG

This review of The Rachel Zoe Project was written by

Kari Croop

About our rating system

  • ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
  • PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
  • OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
  • NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids of any age.

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Quality

Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Learning ratings

  • Best: Really engaging, great learning approach.
  • Very Good: Engaging, good learning approach.
  • Good: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
  • Fair: Somewhat engaging, okay learning approach.
  • Not for Learning: Not recommended for learning.
  • Not for Kids: Not age-appropriate for kids; not recommended for learning.

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