TV Review: Wild World of Spike
Rate This Article
What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that this
Jackass-esque reality show is full of crude sexual
humor, dangerous stunts, and cursing. In each episode, the
three stars/hosts ham it up in a fraternity-like atmosphere;
they watch footage of extreme sports from across the globe,
mock them mercilessly (giving the show a real mean streak) and
then try to re-enact the stranger exploits at home. While it's
somewhat interesting to see how other cultures blow off steam,
the re-enactments serve as a way for the guys to make fun of
others, rather than an attempt to actually understand their
traditions. Kids may need to be reminded that, unlike the
show's hosts, they should
not be recreating stunts they see on TV at home.
Families can talk about what drives people to do stunts like
these. Why is it almost always men who participate in this kind
of show? What's the difference between daring and bad taste?
Where do you draw the line? Is it OK to get a laugh at someone
else's expense? Are the guys' jokes funny or immature (or
both)? Families can also discuss understanding other
ethnicities and cultures. Why is it important to embrace
differences rather than mock them? What are the different
ethnicities/backgrounds in your community, and how do they
celebrate their culture?
Yet another Jackass wannabe, WILD WORLD OF SPIKE follows its three hyperactive hosts as they watch bizarre sporting events from around the world and then try them out at home. In each episode, four-time World Muay Kickboxing Champion Kit Cope, professional skateboarder Jason Ellis, and comedian Sam Tripoli view and make fun of extreme and/or odd sporting events from across the globe -- including sumo suit wrestling, cactus fighting, and naked polar plunging. After tossing out lots of crude jokes (in one episode in which they watched Japanese men ride a large tree trunk down a hill, one of the guys commented "Maybe they're making up for their small packages by riding a big one," for example), the three pick out a handful of stunts to reenact. This leads to further joke-cracking and uproarious laughter as they attempt such feats as submerging themselves in a bathful of icy water (naked except for a strategically placed smiley-face icon) like the folks in Urdz, Antarctica, do; kicking each other in the crotch a la those who practice Roshambo in Nimrod, Arkansas; and hurling tomatoes at each other like the denizens of Bunol, Spain.
Sadly, Wild World of Spike does little to further any real learning about the cultures whose stunts are being borrowed. The segments are often crude (in the Roshambo segment, the trio asked a female porn star to do the crotch-kicking honors), and there's plenty of cursing, stereotyping, and objectification of women involved. Those who live for frat-boy antics will delight in Wild World of Spike; everyone else should tune out.
WildboyzMaximum Exposure
Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information to help parents make media and entertainment choices for their families.
