Players talk a lot about "flirting" and how it will help them win or gain influence. Sammie says she takes "a lot of pictures of her ass," and several times we see Alana's lingerie/swimsuit modeling images, which emphasize body parts. Players talk about their sexuality, particularly the players who identify as gay and bisexual, and talk about having girlfriends and boyfriends.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.
There are positive messages to be gleaned about authenticity and living without worrying about the opinions of others, but the competition is also hurtful to players who are constantly getting built up and knocked down. Viewers may be reminded not to believe everything they read online by watching players engaging in deceptive behavior.
Positive Role Models
a little
All of the contestants on the show are trying to positively influence each other, so they frequently subdue or veil their worst instincts and treat each other kindly. However, some voice regressive opinions such as the model who says she "gets judged by other girls because they don't want their boyfriends to look at me," or the man who's called a "bro" and a "frat boy." The cast boasts diversity in terms of sexual identity, race, and ethnicity, but all but all but one are about the same age (24-30). Two players play as young attractive women; Karyn, 37, says she wants to be "more approachable" by doing so.
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that The Circle is a reality competition in which players communicate with each other and vote each other off the show via a social media-like system. As is typical with reality competitions, it can be painful to watch people be voted off; it causes hurt feelings and tension. Since not all players are using their real photos and personas, there's an additional aspect of deception; however, this may be instructive to viewers who may be reminded not to believe everything they read online. Players talk a lot about "flirting" and may be inauthentic to gain influence. The cast is diverse in terms of sexual identity, race, and ethnicity, but all but all but one are about the same age (24-30), and the two players who are pretending to be other people are both pretending to be young conventionally attractive women. Contestants curse as they talk to themselves and each other: "f--k," "s--t," "a--hole," "bitch," "douchebag," "dickhead." They also take revealing photos of themselves, particularly the female players, which emphasize body parts and the camera lingers over. Adult players are served cocktails or drink in their apartments during portions of the game; no one acts drunk.
My 7 (almost 8) year old was begging me to watch this show (she has two teenage brothers, so she already sees some tv and movies that are over her maturity rating level). I finally said ok as long as we only watch it together (so I can monitor content, direct discussion, and veto it if it becomes too inappropriate). I think it has actually been a WONDERFUL show to watch together.
The cast is very diverse in terms of ethnicity, gender and sexuality---something my daughter doesn't often get in real life or other shows she watches. The characters are all (surprisingly) really positive role models--not like your typical drama-filled, catty, reality characters. They actually become very attached to each other and behave like kind friends and family towards one another. And the kinder the person, the higher they tend to "rank" in the ratings. (SPOILER: the supermodel gets booted first, and the sweet, nerdy guy is consistently at the top.) There are some people who use fake pictures because they are worried about being judged based on their looks, but they are liked a lot for their personalities---and that has led to great talking points with my daughter. Ultimately, I feel like the theme and take-home message that she is getting is that, when on social media, it is important to be kind and to be yourself, but that some people are pretenders---which I think is valuable for her to learn now, before she is actually on social media.
There is a lot of flirting but it is pretty casual and not overtly sexual (and the sexual innuendo, like eggplant emojis, are over her head).
Another thing---I have noted multiple times that the contestants seem to be cut off from all forms of technology, besides "the circle." So they can't watch tv, peruse the internet, play on a smart phone...they are constantly shown doing puzzles, reading books, working out, cooking food. So when my daughter makes the "if I were on the circle..." comments, I often ask what kinds of non-screen activities she would do to entertain herself.
I would not let a 7 or 8 year old watch alone, but watching it with her has been really fun and a really good teaching opportunity!
Eight contestants are set up in their own solitary apartment, cut off from the rest of the world and only able to communicate with their fellow players via a voice-activated system called THE CIRCLE in this reality TV exercise. On each episode, contestants take on challenges and answer questions in an attempt to get to know each other, as the audience and host Michelle Buteau looks on. Then they're asked to rate the other players. The players rated most popular become "influencers" who can "block" (i.e. vote out) others. At the end of the competition, the last player left standing takes home $100,000.
As reality TV goes there are shows with more gripping drama, but as an exercise in laying bare the hidden mechanisms behind social media socializing, this experiment is intriguing. "This is crazy, I'm going to do this without even meeting people!" says flustered player Sammie before her first Circle rating session. Well, yeah. That's what we all basically do every day, judging other people on a photo or a line of text, as well as judging ourselves for not living up to the idealized images that others project. So it's illuminating to watch Sammie and the other players rating each other more or less highly for things like posting highly filtered images, liking to cook, or having blonde hair.
Perhaps most interesting to watch in The Circle are the two players who choose to project images of other people instead of themselves; both choose to play behind the personas of conventionally attractive young women, reasoning that they'll be more universally liked. Well, sorta. Though the other players are indeed trying to ferret out signs of fakeness and looking for a "catfish," they're just as likely to see the genuine as fake as they are to suss out real trickery. There's a message coming through here, and it's a good one, as ugly as it can be to watch human animals jockeying for power.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how The Circle is the same or different from others like Big Brother, Survivor, or The Bachelor. What aspects are similar to these shows and others? Which are different? Why do you think this show retains some common aspects of reality shows, such as people being gradually voted out?
Families can also talk about healthy competition. Why is it important to be a good sport? How can you handle an opponent who doesn't play fair? Which of the contestants on this show play fair, and which don't? Is it OK to play dirty in a competition? Why or why not?
Why do both Karyn and Seaburn play as young and attractive women? What advantage do they believe this will this give them in the competition? Does the gambit work? Are there people who have an easier time beimg liked in the world? Is that a good thing or a bad thing?
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
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 Joyce Slaton
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based on child development research. How do we rate?
