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Cavemen

(Rated TV-PG, Comedy, Starring Bill English, Nick Kroll, Sam Huntington, Where to watch: ABC, Online)
  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 14, age appropriate for kids over 99; suggested age 14.
  • Is it any good?

    2.0
  • Common Sense says

    Ad-inspired sitcom turns oppression into a joke.

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 14–18

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    The main characters are members of an oppressed group, and the connections the show makes between them and real minority groups, like African Americans, can be a jumping off point for discussion -- but it can also seem belittling to a serious subject.
  • Violence:

    Some slapstick/comic violence, like accidently hitting someone with a stick.
  • Sex:

    References to sex and relationships, such as the stereotype that cavemen are "wild" in bed. Some brief kissing and embracing between couples, as well as the lead-up to the possibility of sex.
  • Language:

    Mild profanity like "hell" and "screw," as well as some sexual language, like "balls."
  • Consumerism:

    The show was inspired by a series of Geico insurance commercials.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Some social drinking and occasional drunkeness.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Cavemen

Parents need to know that in this silly sitcom (which was inspired by a series of Geico insurance ads), cavemen are on the receiving end of prejudices similar to those experienced by African-Americans and other minority groups. Jokes about oppression and prejudice are constant, and, while treated with humor, could be interpreted as making too light of a serious real-life subject. Sexual humor is common (in one episode, a woman tries to seduce a caveman because of the stereotype that cavemen are "wild" in bed), as are social drinking and words like "hell" and "screw." Couples occasionally kiss, embrace, or dance seductively, but these moments are brief and usually comic.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about the media's relationship to stereotypes, prejudice, and oppression. Does the media typically reinforce the beliefs that lead to these problems or question them? Can addressing serious topics with humor help shed light on their sobering realities? In the case of this show, does it take that approach, or does it belittle the experiences of real-life minority groups? Families can also discuss the show's origins. Does knowing it was inspired by a series of ads make you take it more or less seriously? Why?

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Kid Reviewer Age 12
    Lives in Washington
    I rate this title iffy for age 2 and give it 0.0

    ..........

    STAY THE HECK AWAY!!

  2. Teen Reviewer Age 14
    Lives in Florida
    I rate this title on for age 2 and give it 3.0

    Funny show, but I was disappointed...

    I have been anxiously awaiting this show considering I love the Geico ads, and there's nothing good in prime time on Tuesday nights. I needed this show to work, and although it had its funny moments, I was expecting more. I'm trying to give it a shot, so unless it improves, I'll bag it. If I were you, I'd watch just to see if you like it or not, but if you don't enjoy it, then just keep flippin' the channels on your remote.

  3. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in Texas
    I rate this title iffy for age 13 and give it 1.0

    Cavemen?

    ABC teaches our society to be more accepting of other races by using cavemen as the example of what's different? I'm sure hispanics and blacks and gays appreciate being rolled into the group that includes cavemen. In any event, the show was NOT about cavemen. It was about three roommates who had big hair and brows. It was My Two Dads without the kids. And, it was probably more about insurance than cavemen. Horrible.

  4. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in Michigan
    I rate this title off for age 17 and give it 0.0

    Terrible, terrible, terrible.

    I had been looking forward to the cavemen series. I even had my recorder set up so I wouldn't miss the show. What a disappointment for my wife and I. We turned the show off after about 15 minutes because we just couldn't stomach any more of the trash. This is by far the worst show I've watched on TV in a very long time.

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