The State
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The State
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that The State is a sketch comedy show that originally aired on MTV in 1994-95. The series was marketed toward high school students and young adults, featuring sketches about sex, rebellion, the generation gap, parties, etc. The show uses irony-based humor about people with unique points of view or conflict, as opposed to broad character types with funny voices (though some popular characters did emerge). The cast is notoriously non-diverse, composed of 10 White men and one woman. Characters in sketches drink alcohol and smoke; jokes about drug use are abundant.
What's the Story?
MTV rolled out The State in 1994 as an alternative to Saturday Night Live. The large ensemble cast, who also wrote and directed, sported a very Gen X perspective while creating sketches about relatable topics like relationships, parents, parties, large amounts of pudding, and gambling on porcupine races.
Is It Any Good?
The thing about sketch comedy is that not all sketches can be winners; what makes this show hold up after 25+ years isn't necessarily the success rate. The duds are frequent in The State, and there are elements of the show that are just trapped in the 1990s: the irony, the interstitials, the PSA parodies...so many PSA parodies. But the comedy has such a unique point of view that a lot of it still plays. When they strike gold, its usually with absurd concepts that would be tough to imagine coming from anywhere else: representing teenage hormones with a bunch of dancing guys in leotards; a talk show centered around a large mound of pudding; or a three-minute musical about the regulars at a gambling station where they bet on porcupine races.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about sketch comedy. What are some sketch comedy shows you're familiar with? What makes The State unique? Does the comedy from the mid-'90s hold up now?
Where does the humor come from on The State? What are they making fun of? Are they parodying worthy targets? How does the humor compare to SNL and other shows?
What are some recurring topics on The State? Does the troupe seem to have a point of view or opinions on those topics? What are some clues to what The State might really believe?
TV Details
- Premiere date: January 24, 1994
- Cast: Ken Marino, Joe Lo Truglio, Kerri Kenney, Michael Ian Black
- Network: MTV
- Genre: Comedy
- TV rating: TV-14
- Last updated: January 10, 2023
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Mr. Show
Edgy, goofy sketch comedy with mature themes.
For kids who love a laugh
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