The World's Strictest Parents on BBC Three
Unruly Teenagers are Sent to Live with Discipline Obsessed Families
Oct 16, 2009
The title sounds like a documentary about parents who take discipline too far or to an extreme and the ramifications it has on their children. Instead it’s a tacky reality show where each week a bunch of lazy British teenage idiot wasters are sent to different strict family somewhere else in the world to live under their rules and learn a bit of discipline.
Okay, maybe it’s a little unfair to label the kids as idiots from the off like some sort of tabloid hack but they really don’t do themselves favours by saying they can’t be bothered to get up for work and go out drinking most nights.
Headstrong Teens on The World's Strictest Parents
The headstrong subjects for week one of The World's Strictest Parents are Bex and openly gay Chezden, the latter in possession of the best-worst hair style since Brad Pitt in Burn After Reading, who are ushered on a plane to the States to join a deeply Christian family in Atlanta, Georgia. Not only do the Kimbroughs own a Baptist church and school but have a written set of house rules in the form of a signed contract. The dad is also a preacher who’s not afraid of confrontation. Blimey.
As ever on these programmes the initial meeting is a tense one as Chezdon tries to light up a cigarette in front of the mother within the first minute despite being told not to (as as smoking is banned from the house). And so it continues. The kids are told to do something, they react by laughing or answering back, the parents tell them off, then the kids storm off. Rinse and repeat. Etc.
The World's Strictest Parents, Kimbroughs in Atlanta
By the half way point nobody here comes across as likeable, reasonable or barely human and it’s impossible to choose a side. The parents are just unbelievably firm and have a creepy obsession in keeping control (the mother is a scary battleaxe with strong beliefs and even spies on them in Sunday School) and the kids are insanely annoying with their “I’m so cool and hilarious” attitude that really does them no favours.
At one point Bex actually unleashes an objectionable moral stance to dissecting unborn pig foetuses that’s partially admirable but instantly ruins it by storming off in a huff and threatening to “knock out” a teacher.
After the 30 minute mark though something strange happens where it all went a bit mawkish by tugging on the heart strings in an attempt to create some sort of emotional response. This comes in the form of an explanation of the kid’s unruly behaviour (Bex’s brother died four years previously, Chezdon never knew his father) and the Kimbroughs opening up about their past and growing up without their parents. But given how appalling everyone acts in the first half would most viewers have made it that far?
Episode One of The World's Strictest Parents on BBC Three
In the end though it’s hard to tell what the aim of all it was. Yes the kids at the centre of this series are a touch moronic but they’re individuals who express themselves in their own way, and ultimately it’s hard to say whether Chezdon and Bex have changed their lives for good given how quickly their moods alter. Perhaps there’s a series finale along the way where all the teens and families featured are pushed back on screen after six months to see how they have “developed”, but that’s doubtful as this is just purely for entertainment after all.
Overall The World's Strictest Parents was an average exploitative reality watsit that could be made better if it lost the sub-Simple Life scenes, such as the teens having a “secret” sneaky smoke while a camera crew captures every moment, and felt more "real". Still the makers of this show can sleep at night safe in the knowledge that despite their show being a bit rubbish it’s still not reached the shallow, shameless depths of US reality TV.
The World's Strictest Parents is on BBC Three every Thursday at 9pm.
