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Parents' Guide to

The Whitest Kids U' Know

By Will Wade, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Subversive comedy skits straddle, sometimes cross, the line.

TV IFC Comedy 2007
The Whitest Kids U' Know Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

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age 14+

Based on 4 parent reviews

CaringLady
CaringLady Adult
April 22, 2016
age 17+

Controversial sketches + cursing = 17+

I highly recommend for adults who like dark humor. Kids should go elsewhere. They have skits but also songs, like those about date rape, drug use, pedophilia, explicit gay sex, drug selling operations, etc
mikeisawesome123
mikeisawesome123 Parent of 11-year-old
January 22, 2011
age 16+

Hillarious!!! But Parents Be Warned!!!

This show is funny. But there is a lot of language. Some episodes only say the "f" word once. Others say it 1-10 times. A lot of skits contain violence, blood, and gore. Sex usually doesn't include nudity, but sometimes cartoon penises and breasts. Other times it show Real breasts but only once in a while. They also talk about sex and genitalias. They sometimes talk about and use drugs. The messages aren't positive and role models aren't good.
See all 4 parent reviews

What's the Story?

THE WHITEST KIDS U' KNOW might also be some of the strangest guys you know. The five members of this New York troupe specialize in the weird, the wacky, and the outrageous, and their sketch comedy series straddles the line between funny and offensive. Many of the routines mine laughs from overtly sexual situations and graphic violence, though the results sometimes fall short (or perhaps go far wide) of the mark.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (4 ):
Kids say (5 ):

The Whitest Kids U' Know pushes the edge of "acceptable" to the limits -- and when it works, it can be quite funny. For example, a group of revolutionaries who come to blows arguing over who has to make T-shirts and who must tend the nuclear reactor core is a sharp statement on the lunacy of anarchy.

But other skits aim far lower and can be plain old crude -- and/or needlessly violent, such as a sketch about a reality show that encourages participants to commit suicide. The Whitest Kids are clever, but they don't always know when they're going too far.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about subversive comedy. Some of the best comedy comes from upsetting the status quo, but it's easy to cross the line from funny to offensive. Do you think this show is funny, or do some sequences go too far? Who decides what "too far" is to begin with?

  • Some of these skits, with exploding heads, impalements, and explicit sequences, are as gory as any slasher movie. Does violence have a different impact when it's played for laughs?

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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