Cursing, ambition, superficiality in K-pop reality show.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Products & Purchases
some
As this is a show about the K-pop industry, many bands and brands from the K-pop world are mentioned and shown, including: Psy, BTS, Blackpink, Monsta X, Ive, Hybe, Shinee, DR Music, Baby V.O.X., Jessi, Cravity, Black Swan. A character appears on a show called Unpretty Rapstar in South Korea.
Language
a little
Moderately frequent language includes: "s--t," "ass," "mother effin'," "damn," "ho," "bitch," bleeped out F-words.
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Work hard for your dreams. Appreciate those who love you. Don't give up. Learn to work with others to move forward in life. Learn how to be diplomatic. Be grateful. Take time to assess how far you have come.
Diverse Representations
a little
Though most of the K-pop idols are from South Korea and are Korean, there are management companies looking to broaden their worldwide appeal, and bring on aspiring idols from countries with large markets. Is it tokenism? Perhaps. But the audiences become more diverse as the groups expand their reach.
A number of K-pop idols in this show talk about how their parents believed in them and supported their dreams. Being a K-pop idol includes a massive amount of hard work and perseverance. Some of the managers of the groups are not supportive of the hard-working idols.
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that K-Pop Idols is a documentary-style show that looks at the making of K-pop stars, who sacrifice much and work very hard to make their dreams of stardom come true. Or not. Failure, criticism, mental health issues, unhealthy eating and dieting, and stressful lifestyles are part of a regimented way of life. Appearance drives many of the aspiring idols, and their managers rule over them with an iron hand. But there's also a lot of love and support from the families of the idols. Expect a good dose of language, including "s--t," "bitch," "ho," "ass," "damn," and masked F-bombs. Ambitious performers show character strengths of perseverance and teamwork as they work their way toward fame.
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What's the Story?
In K-POP IDOLS the hopefuls who are trying to break into the upper echelons of K-pop stardom want to dance, sing, and pose their way to the top of the charts. Aspiring idols try to gain fawning fans by performing perfect routines, creating lovable personas, and working until they drop. Being discovered is only the start of the journey for these performers with big aspirations. Once they gain recognition, they have to keep their fans happy. Is this kind of stardom worth the enormous effort? How do the idols keep from breaking down?
Entertaining and a tad disconcerting, this show captures the ambition and perfectionism of the social media age. K-Pop Idols doesn't look away from the pressure to appear a certain way, or the tokenism, the eating disorders, and the mental health aspects of fame.
One fan in this show compares K-pop idols to Olympians, who will do anything to be at the top of their game—even if it crushes them. Families who watch this one together can have conversations about the pros and cons of global fame in the 21st century.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about teamwork in K-Pop Idols. What happens when a team falls apart? How can a team repair broken bonds?
Social media plays a powerful role in this show. How can poor communication ruin a group's reputation? What can you do to prevent communication problems?
The hard work and perseverance that goes into becoming an idol is a major theme in this show. Can hard work do damage to a person? When is "pushing through" the best option?
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.
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
By Joly Herman
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
