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“Daisy Jones and the Six” premiered on Prime Video on March 3rd with the first three episodes of a planned 12-episode run. Based on a best-selling Novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid, the series follows a fictional rock group’s rise to fame in the 1970s, documenting their sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll lifestyle and eventual break-up. The narrative takes the form of documentary, interspersing modern-day interviews with flashbacks, starting with Daisy Jones’ youth and adolescence as a groupie who frequented LA’s then-thriving club scene with dreams of becoming a star; and on a parallel track, the Dunne Brothers’ early days as a garage band playing proms and local venues until they make the move from Pittsburgh to LA hoping to hit the big time.
As PTC pointed out in our 2018 report Over the Top or a Race to the Bottom, Amazon Video doesn’t strictly follow either Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) ratings classification system or the TVOMB ratings system. Instead, Amazon uses its own system of ratings and descriptors. This series, for example, is rated 16+ -- somewhere between the more familiar TVOMB classifications of “TV-14” and “TV-MA” -- indicating their target audience would include older teens.
“Daisy Jones and the Six” includes some sexual content, though so far, it has been relatively mild, and much of it implied rather than explicit. Early in the first episode, we learn that Daisy lost her virginity at age 15 to an older musician who picked her out of the audience and invited her back to his hotel room. We see him lock the door and the frightened look on her face when she realizes what’s about to happen before the scene changes and the viewer is left to draw their own conclusions. The second episode briefly shows Daisy naked from behind straddling a man who is lying naked on the bed. There is a little movement before she moves off of him to make some notes about a song lyric. Another scene shows Billy Dunne getting caught by his wife in the back of his VW camper with two women, his shirt is unbuttoned, but otherwise, all three are clothed.
The series also features multiple depictions of drug and alcohol use. While the series does not glamorize drug use, it does present a realistic portrayal of the rock and roll lifestyle of the 1970s. Characters are frequently shown smoking, drinking alcohol, taking pills, and snorting cocaine. The consequences of their substance abuse are shown throughout the series.
One major content concern for parents might be the language. As with the book, the characters in "Daisy Jones and the Six" use strong language. The first three episodes contained 83 instances of profanity, more than half of which (63%) were “f-words.”
The series also includes some adult themes of betrayal, infidelity, and mental health struggles.
“Daisy Jones and the Six” is not suitable for children. Parents of teens should consider their children's maturity level and their ability to handle difficult themes before allowing them to watch the series, or opt for viewing through a service like “Vid Angel” to filter out any content you might be concerned about.
If, however, you decide to allow your older teens to watch, consider watching with them and using the series as a starting point for meaningful conversations about substance abuse, healthy relationships, and mental health.
