Parents' Guide to

Yo Momma

By Pam Gelman, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Yo momma will turn this trash off.

TV MTV Comedy 2006
Yo Momma 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 10+

Based on 1 parent review

Plague
Plague Parent
May 13, 2010
age 10+

Yo Momma

There is absolutely nothing impressive, funny, or even remotely moral about this show.
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

Yo momma's so fat, when she steps on a scale, it says, 'To be continued' -- that's about as harmless a YO MOMMA joke as one will find on MTV's comedy competition series. Hosted by That '70s Show's Wilmer Valderrama, the program features young men and women representing their home turf by battling it out through quick exchanges of in-your-face trash-talking jokes, which are judged on originality, quickness, delivery, and sting. Each half-hour episode includes three rounds: the first is a free-form Yo Momma competition on the streets of the two rival neighborhoods; in the next, two finalists are picked from each location and Valderrama escorts each finalist to the home of his or her opponent; and round three begins back on the streets, with a live, rowdy audience from the two neighborhoods. A winner is given a cash prize, and each week the daily winners put their money on the line and trash talk/joke their way to the final championship.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1):
Kids say (2):

With Wilmer officiating, Yo Momma moves quickly, often with dramatic and raucous laughter. Still, the jokes are all about making fun of the intelligence, physical appearance, or sexuality of a person's mother -- or of that person specifically. In the third round, for example, finalists visit each other's homes, giving each a chance to pick up "ammunition" so that the final round can be as embarrassing and personal as possible. Nothing is spared -- they look at the opponent's photos, what they eat, who they live with, what they wear, how dirty the bathroom is, etc.

Given that most of the competitors are of color, there's also a cultural component to Yo Momma that kids in this demographic will get, while most parents probably won't (although the show does include some mothers who back up their competing kids and throw in Yo Momma jokes of their own). Are these the kind of jokes you want your kid to repeat to his/her friends ... about you?

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the challenges of performing -- specifically, being funny -- in front of others. What body language and expressions make jokes funny? How can jokes be successful without relying on humiliating another person?

TV Details

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