iCarly
iCarly is a semi-fun and flighty kids' show that feeds the red-carpet obsessions of the tweenybopper set. The Nickelodeon program's TV celebrities play Web-show celebrities who—both in the script and in real life—want yet more celebrity. And, just for good measure, it tells viewers that they can be celebrities, too.
At the center of this reality-bending series and accompanying interactive website is Carly Shay, who is both a regular girl and budding Internet superstar. Her admirers obsessively tune in to her wacky Web-based show, also called iCarly. This vivacious little do-gooder shares the Internet stage with best friend Samantha Puckett, a lemon-tongued detention magnet. Freddie, a tech-savvy classmate with a crush on Carly, mans the webcam and endures a steady drip of abuse from Sam.
If iCarly was a real online show, of course, Sam would demand a change in the title and Freddie would have grounds for a lucrative harassment lawsuit. As it is, iCarly is little more than a silly and snarky diversion: The girls film turtle races, showcase recurring segments such as "Another Pathetic Play," and run random features such as "Who's That Weirdo in My Neighborhood?" and "Hey, What Am I Licking?" One webisode shows an elderly man, being filmed surreptitiously, yelling at a stop sign.
Off the webcam, Carly's life is just as random. Her brother and sole guardian, twentysomething Spencer, clearly cares for his little sis. But he can't keep a goldfish alive for more than a day, much less monitor a teenage girl, so she's pretty much on her own. Other onscreen adults exhibit varying degrees of humanity, but all are unfailingly clueless. And the kids watch them as if they were a pen full of clumsy puppies.
iCarly does contain some watered-down morals: Be a good friend, follow your dreams, don't bootleg DVDs. But, as befitting a Nick comedy, it leans toward crazy, not careful. And the kids sometimes play practical jokes on, or swipe things from, one another—albeit mostly with an air of silliness, not malevolence. A semi-recurring character scalps tickets and sells illicit burritos. Sam's bad attitude is legendary.
Characters misuse God's name in just about every episode, and they try out a handful of other creative crudities such as "doof butt," "pimple butt," "jerk face," "shiz" and "wiz pants." Adult women show cleavage. Teen girls often wear short shorts and skirts along with shirts that reveal their midriffs.
Episode Reviews
"iWon't Cancel the Show"
Sam is in juvie (again!), forcing Carly to scramble to replace her so the show can go on. She asks Spencer to do so and whines until Spencer agrees, even though he has a blind date coming for dinner—at the same time the show goes live.
When his date, Candace, arrives, Spencer rushes back and forth from dining room to studio. He lies repeatedly to Candace, leaves her alone for long stretches and gets impatient with her attempts at conversation. He even criticizes her behind her back, though she's done nothing wrong.
The show goes off without a hitch—until Candace discovers Spencer's "dual role." She's rightfully upset, but the Nick show punishes her for putting on airs, and we're encouraged to laugh at her when Spencer spits creamed fish in her face. As Carly says, the iCarly cast doesn't "do sophisticated."
God's name is misused once. People impatiently tell others to "shut up." Gross-out humor includes smelly feet and a guy brushing his teeth with mustard. In one of Carly's skits, a cowboy "bellies up to a bar" with a "beer" bottle in front of him. Gibby takes off his shirt (again!) for no reason.