Parents' Guide to

Viva La Bam

By Kate Pavao, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Adolescent boy behavior at its worst.

TV MTV Reality TV 2003
Viva La Bam 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 12+

Based on 3 parent reviews

annabel M.
annabel M. Parent of 13-year-old
March 26, 2023
age 13+

HILARIOUS

hilarious i love bam and it’s so funny and jackass too it’s a great spin off for bam
V O.
V O. Adult
May 20, 2012
age 12+

Jack ass humor for the skater crowd.

I have to say this was my guilty pleasure as a teen. So I'm not going to totally write it off. Now that I'm an adult do I fully realize how blah it is. It can be interesting and funny, but it's mostly Jack Ass, immature stuff. They're constantly smacking around Vito and Bam's dad. Even though Bam's parents seem cool to let him do what he does. Thing is, he's rich so he can afford to clean it up and I'm sure his parents act out for tv. I would say it's okay for older preteens, watch a few episodes with them. Just cross your fingers they know never to attempt the same stuff seen on the show. Even with all the warnings.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much consumerism
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Like Jackass, VIVA LA BAM, starring pro-skater Bam Margera, centers around naughty boy pranks. In one episode, he organizes a Civil War reenactment on his property, and on another, a demolition derby.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3 ):
Kids say (10 ):

Bam's obviously got a pretty large MTV-sponsored allowance, but his pranks are not that funny or creative. Along the way, there's lots of swearing, rowdy laughter, and mistreatment of Bam's ineffectual parents and uncle (In the derby episode, Bam and his friends take apart his uncle's car piece by piece, then, while planning out the derby, leave piles of dirt in the house for his mother to clean).

His adolescent behavior is all-the-more pathetic because he's close to 30 years old. But: the show's been on the air since fall of 2003, so it's obviously found a following. Perhaps that's what's truly pathetic: An immature, unimaginative jerk like Bam is currently what's cool amongst many young men in our culture. Sigh.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about why kids might find this show appealing. What do you think of Bam? Is he someone to be looked up to? He's nearly 30 -- why is he still acting this way? Why are pranks shows so popular right now? How do shows like this influence young boys?

TV Details

  • Premiere date: October 26, 2003
  • Cast: Bam Margera
  • Network: MTV
  • Genre: Reality TV
  • TV rating: TV-PG
  • Last updated: February 28, 2022

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