Kid Show Content Review: Shake it Up

The main characters, Rocky and Cece, are two young girls who have always wanted to become professional dancers. When a popular show, “Shake It Up, Chicago,” has auditions, the girls decide to try out.

Gross-Out Humor

The girls must hurry to make Flynn’s (Cece’s younger brother) breakfast. They mix cereal and milk in a blender and pour it into a baggie. Flynn says, “It looks like a big bag of vomit.”

To make sure Rocky makes it to the recording of “Shake It Up, Chicago” on time, Cece rushes Rocky, by making her brush her teeth while Rocky’s mouth is full of milk. Rocky spits the milk back into the glass, and runs off with Cece. Flynn comes into the kitchen, drinks the milk, and says, “Mmm, minty.”

Sexuality

The main characters are young girls who occasionally dance in ways that some parents might consider too sexual.

While tryouts are being held for “Shake It Up, Chicago,” the host of the show tells a young male dancer, “You’re good. You just don’t have the look we’re going for.” He slaps the boy on the butt and says, “Next!”

While trying out for the show, Cece tells Rocky that picturing everyone naked will make her less nervous. The statement is followed by the girls looking around the room, and Rocky seems to be frightened by her thoughts. As a boy dances past her, Rocky says, “Okay, I’m putting even more clothes on that one.” Later, when Cece freezes under the pressure of dancing in the spotlight, Rocky reminds her to picture someone naked. Cece says, “I am picturing somebody naked, but it’s me.”

Shorty after freezing under the spotlight, Cece calls herself a loser. Trying to be reassuring, Rocky tells Cece that she can’t remember a single time when Cece’s acted like a loser. Cece reminds Rocky about a time when she was ten years old, and wanted to race canoes. She says, “I tipped over the canoe, cut my lip, and my top came off.”

Materialism

Both girls are obsessed with getting cell phones, and getting on “Shake It Up, Chicago.”

Positive Messages

The show makes it clear that Rocky and Cece have a strong friendship. Rocky doesn’t want to be on the show if Cece isn’t there with her. Cece cares enough about Rocky to get her to be a part of the show, even though Cece wasn’t accepted. Their friendship leads to a dance routine in which the two girls are handcuffed to each other, and results in Cece being hired as a dancer, too.

Rating Scale = (Low, Moderate, High)

Gross-Out Humor: Moderate

Sexuality: High

Materialism: Low

Positive Messages: High