Parents' Guide to

The Simpsons

TV Fox Comedy 1989
The Simpsons Poster Image

Common Sense Media Review

Joly Herman By Joly Herman , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 12+

Clever, fast-paced cartoon with edgy humor.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 12+?

Any Positive Content?

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Parent and Kid Reviews

age 11+

Based on 147 parent reviews

age 2+

Good show, kids should watch it.

I’m only rating this 2+ because I want to pull down the rating a little. This is a kids show by my standards. It’s animated, so violence is never that bad, especially when it’s usually played for laughs. Cursing isn’t unusual, but they never say anything that terrible. The few sex jokes will fly over kids heads. I would say 8+ is fine.
age 8+

SO FOR KIDS

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (147 ):
Kids say (1069 ):

This show isn't meant to be taken seriously; it's a rollicking ride through a fantasy society, and it satirizes very human traits with wit and humor. In the course of hundreds of episodes, The Simpsons have taken on everything from alcohol abuse disorder to Burning Man to social media, keeping pace with the culture the show mocks (though earlier episodes can feel dated because of this). Many of the topics it takes on aren't appropriate for young viewers, but the humor is genial enough that most of the naughty stuff will make parents wince rather than shut off the television.


Ultimately, The Simpsons' scripts are very clever, and the cast portrays the characters with a sense of wit and care that earned it the status of TV legend. Just keep in mind that the show can be offensive at times. Sensitive subjects will come up, and they will be mocked; Bart will always behave in ways that parents would prefer kids not copy. Still, with humor that's by turns sophisticated/satirical and goofy, The Simpsons can be a great whole-family show.

TV Details

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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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