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Parents' Guide to

Tough Love: Miami

By Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Matchmaker spin-off promotes mixed messages about women.

TV VH1 Reality TV 2011
Tough Love: Miami 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 17+

Based on 2 parent reviews

Ddurai108
Ddurai108 Adult
March 11, 2016
age 18+

Miami tv

Good entertainment channal
flipflops2012
flipflops2012 Adult
October 23, 2011
age 15+

Strongly Inappropriate.

Watching dumb reality shows is kind of a guilty pleasure for me. However, Tough Love: Miami is definitely not a show for children and should not be watched in the presence of children. The show doesn't include much violence, except for a little, silly cat fighting that would be expected to happen in a house full of girls living together. But the show does become quite innapropriate when it comes to its sex, language, and alcohol/smoking content. Some of the girls do dress inappropriately, and are often showed in revealing, skanky outfits. There also tends to be some kissing and affection towards guys that the girls have only just met. There is nudity, but it is all blurred. Certain bad words are bleeped out, but others aren't. There is also frequent inappropriate behaviors shown and referenced such as drinking and/or smoking. In my opinion, it is strongly inappropriate for most young audiences. I would consider allowing an older teenager to watch the show, as long as they showed maturity and were not easily influenced.
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

TOUGH LOVE: MIAMI, a spin-off of the original Tough Love matchmaking series, features matchmaker Steve Ward and his mom, Joann, as they lead a group of eight women through a 10-week "boot camp" designed to help them navigate the intense Miami dating scene. The participants are put through a variety of test dates and other challenges designed to help them understand how the male mind works and improve the way they carry themselves when looking for Mr. Right. During group meetings, Ward shares feedback from their dates and dispenses his blunt opinions in hopes of helping them find a long-lasting and healthy romantic relationship.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (2 ):
Kids say: Not yet rated

Ward, who proclaims himself to be these women's "beacon of hope" when it comes to fixing their dating life, manages to offer some positive advice about a woman's need to have self-respect and a willingness to respect others in order to be more appealing. He also points out the difference between being self-confident and being arrogant and the danger of putting inappropriate content online.

Unfortunately, some of these lessons confuse being empowered in the dating world with adherence to sexist standards for the way that women should behave in society. Ward's shameless self-promotion makes his advice a little hard to take seriously, too. Some folks may find something helpful here, but ultimately it's a series that mostly offers lots of typical reality show drama.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about reality shows. What are some of the elements of a standard reality show? Why do they so often involve women sharing a house together? Have you seen any reality shows that do things differently?

  • Has the use of social networking sites like Facebook, Google+, and other digital resources changed the way that people meet and date? What are the consequences of engaging in online behavior like sexting when trying to find and/or build a meaningful relationship with someone?

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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