TV Review: Winx Club
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What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that, with a main cast of five
impossibly-shaped young girls studying to be fairies in a world
where everyone has magical powers, this show is the TV
equivalent of listening to a mind-numbingly vacuous
conversation among junior high girls. The Winx fight the forces
of evil, so there are plenty of fight scenes with flying
fireballs and magic shields, but no blood or gore. It's a
fantasy show in every sense -- especially in the girly image
the main characters project. Parents might want to view an
episode before deciding whether the show is suitable for their
kids.
Families can talk about some of the stereotypical behavior the
girls display.
When Bloom happens upon Stella, she discovers she has magical powers, and Stella takes Bloom to Alfea, a school for magical fairies. Once there, Bloom forms the WINX CLUB with her friends and roommates: Musa, Tecna, and Flora and together they battle evil.
The target audience of Winx Club appears to be young girls, perhaps of middle elementary-school age. Unfortunately, the Winx gals aren't the best role models for tweens. Although cartoons, Bloom, Flora, Musa, Tecna, and Stella are drawn to impossible dimensions that would make supermodels jealous. They dress their frames in tiny skirts and midriff-bearing tops. They gripe about having to fight evil while wearing high heels and worry about whether they'll be kissed on that night's date. The fight scenes are fine for older kids who know the difference between fantasy and reality, but young children may find the scenes scary.
In general, Winx Club is a silly show that young girls may enjoy, simply because this world -- filled with fairies, witches, and warriors -- looks to them like a pretty cool place to live. Start with mystical fairy powers, add the ability to fly, flashy clothes, and the constant slumber-party atmosphere of the fairy boarding school, and you have any tween girl's recipe for fun. But parents might want to watch first and decide whether this show is OK or a no-go.
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