Competition has cool edible sculptures; lots of promotion.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 7+?
Any Positive Content?
Products & Purchases
some
Each episode is heavily themed towards a Disney movie with extended visual and verbal references about that property.
Violence & Scariness
very little
Each episode contains a dramatic storyline related to a Disney movie; some of these scenes include visible weapons that are not used in a threatening way. Some of the food sculptures show a fight scene.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.
Competitors are all good sports, don't engage in competition drama, and are highly skilled at their craft.
Positive Messages
some
Positive messages around teamwork, overcoming obstacles, and being a good sport.
Diverse Representations
a little
Host and judges have good racial and gender representation. Strong cultural diversity across competitors; some incorporate their heritage into the food sculptures they make. Positive examples of male/female teams working together and also all-female teams highlighting girl power. Focus is mostly on the sculptures and less on the competitors' personal identities, so identities are not discussed at length.
Some explanation of basic art terms like scale, color, and composition.
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Foodtastic is a competition series hosted by Keke Palmer where artists compete to build the best Disney-themed food sculpture. Each episode is heavily themed around a Disney, Marvel, Pixar, or Muppet movie and contains extended visual and verbal references to the property. Depending on which movie is being featured, the episode may include on-screen weapons not used in a threatening way, or some brief mentions of adventure and fighting. Otherwise, the content is very family-friendly as the competitors are all good sports, and there's no reality show drama.
What a great show for artists to show what they do best and to make them
Think outside the box!! For all you people complaining about food waste what do you think happens on all these cake shows???? It doesn’t get eaten! Please relax it’s called tv. Besides all the unused food was donated to food banks as stated. Believe me you wouldn’t want to eat that cake.
I would love it if someone can tell me that all the food in this show is eaten, but I doubt it. The production value is good, the contestants supportive and obviously very talented. To use an entire ham to look like a pencil eraser - I’m not sure it’s an ethical show worth supporting.
What's the Story?
Each episode of FOODTASTIC begins with a dramatic scene featuring host Keke Palmer as a character in a beloved Disney movie. She may be a retired pirate in Pirates of the Caribbean, a scout recreating Russell's hot-air balloon journey in Up or a new microscopic superhero in Ant Man. Palmer then magically transports to Foodtastic, a competition show with in a magical Disney-fied set. Three teams of three competitors are tasked with creating a foodscape -- a giant sculpture made out of food- based on the storyline Palmer has just left. Using a combination of construction, art, and cooking skills, the professional food artists make amazingly life-like sculptures that would look at home at any Disney theme park. At the end of the episode, expert judges Benny Rivera and Amirah Kassem award one team with a coveted pin and forever bragging rights.
Disney fans will especially love seeing their favorite characters come to life in food form. While the artistry in the show is impressive in its own right, some of the episodes in Foodtastic may fall flat for kids who don't really care for parts of the Disney-verse like Star Wars or Marvel superheroes. Host Keke Palmer is a delight in both her official hosting duties and her silly dramatic scenes (which are entertainingly narrated by Jane the Virgin narrator Anthony Mendez). Since the giant sculptures are not judged on taste, one occasionally wonders why these artists have to go through the hassle of using food and don't just make sculptures out of other more suitable mediums. Slightly silly premise and extensive Disney mentions aside, Foodtastic is a fun family-friendly watch.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the reasons Disney has a show like Foodtastic that mentions lots of its movies. (People like seeing things about Disney movies; the show gets to act like a commercial for Disney movies to remind people to watch them and maybe buy products, etc.).
Host a mini Foodtastic challenge with your family. Can you build a small Disney sculpture with ingredients in your pantry?
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 Ashley Moulton
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
