Comedy
Dead Boy Detectives
Dead Boy Detectives targets teens in style and story. But it comes with very adult, problematic content.
The recipe for every memorable childhood is an online channel where you can talk to the world. Right?
Well, that wasn’t the recipe for my childhood, but it is for the Wrathers.
Middle schoolers Cooper and Cameron Wrather, also known by their online fans (the Wratherheads) as Coop and Cami, host daily “Would you (W)Rather” questionnaires to those who watch their live streams.
They ask all kinds of crazy questions on their platform. Would you rather drink an entire gallon of milk or eat a large jar of peanut butter? Would you rather kiss a skunk or smell a sock? You never know what they’ll ask, or what the audience will vote for. And that final tally is the deciding factor for whatever wild stunt the Wrathers perform.
Sometimes the siblings have help (or distraction) from recently widowed mom, Jenna, younger brother, Ollie, perfectionist older sister, Charlotte, and quirky friend, Fred. But together, this special bunch also work on family problems, survive school and perform crazy tasks dictated by an online audience.
Disney premiered Coop and Cami Ask The World last October. Predicated entirely on the influence of an online platform, this show seeks to reach kids who are in-the-know about modern-day technology. And while they’re certainly reaching their target audience, Disney’s way of doing things could set off some alarms for parents.
The kids have their own online channel that is devoid of parental oversight. They ask random followers questions and receive feedback from, again, random fans who (we assume) are middle schoolers. But in real life, parents know that online followers can be any age, with any intention.
For better or worse, the show doesn’t really wade into the cautionary levels of the online world, but rather highlights the fun and positive moments the kids have while controlling their own channel. And the show offers some positives, too. Family feuds are always resolved by the show’s end, school issues offer insight into personal feelings and struggles (and maybe even offer a lesson or two) and funny familial dynamics will make viewers chuckle.
Of course, viewers can also expect toilet humor, name calling and the occasional flirting. And even though family is the focus here, free-range internet access might encourage parents to sit down with their kiddos and talk about the ins and outs of the online world.
When Charlotte receives a troubling report card, she, Cooper and Cameron decide to lie to their mom so they can still go on vacation.
Girls and boys flirt with one another. A little boy and girl go out for pizza on a “date.” A little boy dresses like a baby, wearing nothing but a diaper and, in another scene, wearing only boxers. A woman wears a cleavage-baring top.
Kids lie to their mom. Parents and kids make jokes about robbing a bank, controlling people, lowering academic standards, wrestling a bear and “signs from the universe.” A girl passes out after experiencing “soul-crushing stress.”
A sister calls her siblings “doofs” and a boy is called “a bag of bones.” Family members and teachers assume that a young boy isn’t intelligent. Bathroom humor is heard, as well as a joke about burping and spitting. A boy tells his friends he uses “toe fungus spray.”
Kristin Smith joined the Plugged In team in 2017. Formerly a Spanish and English teacher, Kristin loves reading literature and eating authentic Mexican tacos. She and her husband, Eddy, love raising their children Judah and Selah. Kristin also has a deep affection for coffee, music, her dog (Cali) and cat (Aslan).
Dead Boy Detectives targets teens in style and story. But it comes with very adult, problematic content.
An elf mage contemplates on connection and regret as she watches her human friends grow old and pass away.
