Everyone’s favorite football-playing-reality-tv-stars-who-are-way-too-young-to-be-reality-tv-stars are coming back!
Esquire Network announced Thursday that it had ordered a fourth season of Friday Night Tykes, a docuseries than follows 10-12-year-olds through their Texas youth football leagues, as well as a second season of the show’s spinoff, Friday Night Tykes: Steel Country.
Before we get into the mountain of criticism this show has received, let’s give Esquire a chance to describe the show’s premise in the least offensive way possible. Via Deadline:
“Esquire Network is thrilled to continue documenting the story of youth football in Texas and Western Pennsylvania,” said Matt Hanna, EVP of Development and Production, Esquire Network. “The pursuit of success for these families, coaches, and kids make for compelling and occasionally controversial television. We’re excited to see where the journey takes us next.”
So that’s one way to describe Friday Night Tykes. Another way would be to call it a “shameful, dangerous display.” Or “the most depressing show in television.” Or “basically child abuse.” Or “everything wrong with youth football in one show.”
This Friday Night Tykes is UNREAL!!! Everything wrong with youth sports in one show!! Parents/Coaches should be embarrassed. #pathetic
— Kirk Herbstreit (@KirkHerbstreit) January 15, 2014
Basically, in addition to exploiting innocent little kids who have no real ability to consent to becoming characters on a nationally broadcast television show, Friday Night Tykes also glorifies the worst aspects of the win-at-all-costs world of youth sports.
So if you’re looking for a football-related reality TV show, you could watch Friday Night Tykes or its Steel Country cousin, but you could also just stick to Hard Knocks or Hollywood & Football.
[Deadline]
Comments are closed.