Is Henry Danger right for your family?

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Henry Danger

TV

Henry Danger is an American live-action superhero comedy series that aired on Nickelodeon from 2014 to 2020. Created by Dan Schneider and Dana Olsen, the show follows the adventures of teenager Henry Hart, who secretly works as Kid Danger, the sidekick to the eccentric superhero Captain Man, in the town of Swellview. The duo tackles various villains and everyday teenage problems, often with the help of their friends Charlotte and Jasper, and the quirky inventor Schwoz. The series blends action and comedic elements, targeting a pre-teen and early-teen audience. While designed for children, the show frequently incorporates humor and innuendos aimed at older audiences, leading to content advisories regarding mature themes. The series explores themes of friendship, responsibility, and heroism, but often through a comedic lens that can involve slapstick violence, mild suggestive content, and instances of disrespect. Its spin-off, Danger Force, continues the superhero narrative with new characters and further expands on some of the content themes.

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Concerns

LGBTQ & Gender Identity

Medium

While the original 'Henry Danger' series had limited explicit LGBTQ+ content, the actor playing Schwoz Schwartz, Michael D. Cohen, publicly identified as transgender during the show's run, and Nickelodeon acknowledged this, featuring him in a Pride-themed post. The spin-off 'Danger Force' explicitly includes a transgender character and a gay married couple, indicating an evolution in representation within the broader franchise. There are also instances of implied homosexuality and gender non-conformity in character portrayal and fan discussions.

1. Michael D. Cohen, who portrays the character Schwoz Schwartz, revealed in 2019 that he transitioned female to male approximately 20 years prior. Nickelodeon later included Schwoz in a Pride-themed social media post in June 2020, recognizing the character as transgender in alignment with the actor's identity. 2. In the 'Henry Danger' episode 'My Phony Valentine', Ray makes a comment to Henry about needing to 'ki--' someone, stopping short and telling Henry to forget it, explicitly stating that 'kissing the same gender would portray homosexuality, something kids shows often didn't show at the time'. The villain Frankini is also frequently depicted as 'extravagantly effeminate, wearing over-the-top makeup and little stick-on jewels on his face,' and in 'Henry Danger: The Movie,' transforms into a 'uni-cow' with a rainbow-colored horn, which can be interpreted as LGBTQ+ coding.

Violence

Medium

The series features frequent slapstick violence and cartoonish fights, typical for a children's superhero show. However, there are instances that depict characters being physically harmed, implied sexual assault, or threatening behavior, which can go beyond mild comedic violence and may be intense for younger viewers.

1. In 'The Danger Begins', Captain Man pushes Henry into a shelf, causing Henry to hit his head, and later repeatedly sits on Henry's head. In the episode 'Invisible Brad,' the character Brad violently slaps and hurts Henry. Brad also pinches Mitch Bilsky on the butt offscreen, which Charlotte acknowledges as sexual assault. 2. The first season of 'Henry Danger' received a 6+ rating from Kijkwijzer due to fear and violence, specifically mentioning a scene where a baby transforms into a monster with red, glowing eyes and behaves in a threatening manner. Additionally, in 'The Secret Gets Out,' a character attempts to use a chainsaw to kill Henry and another character.

Romance and Sexual Content

Medium

While focusing on teenage crushes and relationships, 'Henry Danger' contains a significant amount of suggestive humor and sexual innuendo, often delivered through dialogue or implied situations. This content is frequently aimed at an older audience and may be misunderstood or expose younger viewers to mature themes.

1. The show features numerous suggestive jokes and innuendos. For instance, in 'Mo' Danger, Mo' Problems', Ms. Shapen tells Henry, 'I would give you a hug if it wouldn't get me fired,' after he achieves a perfect test score. In 'One Henry, Three Girls,' the news anchor Mary implies having had sex in a public bathroom, and Henry uses 'the woods' as slang for penis. 2. In 'Love Muffin', Jasper gives Henry mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, which leads to Henry temporarily falling in love with Jasper. Additionally, the episode 'Birthday Girl Down' implies that Captain Man had sex with Debbie's mother, at one point in front of Debbie's father.

Profanity

Medium

'Henry Danger' generally avoids explicit strong language due to its target audience and network. However, there are instances of implied profanity, euphemisms, and suggestive language that convey stronger terms, indicating a level of mild cursing or crude expressions.

1. In 'The Bucket Trap', Gooch mentions his religious beliefs prohibit him from reading the rest of a comment, implying it contains inappropriate language. In the same episode, Ray is heard swearing under his breath. 2. A hate message on a screen in the Man Cave features a 'poop emoji replacing Captain Man's head,' which is recognized as an innuendo for 'sh*t-head'. In 'Danger Force,' Ray is interrupted just as he is about to say 'what the f***'.

Substance Use

Medium

The series includes multiple allusions and innuendos related to alcohol and drug use, often presented comically or through implied scenarios. While explicit drug use is not shown, the references are clear enough to be understood by older children and could normalize such topics.

1. In 'The Danger Begins', when Ray and Henry drink milk, they act as if they are taking a shot of alcohol, demonstrating a comedic portrayal of intoxication. Jasper mentions Henry possibly having 'hepatitis, which is a disease transmitted by either drugs or sex,' bringing up mature topics. 2. In 'Henry Danger: The Movie,' a drink called the 'Frankini-tini' is mentioned, and a character, Misty, admits to writing fanfiction 'under the lingering influence of a dentist's medication.' The spin-off 'Danger Force' also features a substance called 'Tree butter' that causes characters to be unable to stand, which is alluded to as a type of drug.

Scary & Intense Content

Medium

The show contains moments of peril, suspense, and frightening imagery characteristic of action-comedy. While generally lighthearted, some scenes can be intense for younger children, including creature transformations and threatening situations.

1. Kijkwijzer specifically rated Season 1 of 'Henry Danger' as 6+ due to fear, citing a scene in the first episode where a baby transforms into an angry monster with red, glowing eyes, behaving in a threatening manner. 2. In 'Danger Force,' there is a 'Comet Monster' with the power to possess or kill people, and a scene where a character, AWOL, almost vomits after seeing Captain Man's head cut off, indicating potentially disturbing visuals or plot points.

Disrespect & Rebellion

Medium

Disrespectful behavior and rebellion are recurring comedic elements in 'Henry Danger.' Characters, particularly Henry, Piper, and Captain Man, often exhibit backtalk, defiance, and immaturity towards parental figures, teachers, and other authority figures, sometimes without clear negative consequences.

1. Piper Hart frequently displays rebellious behavior and backtalk towards her parents and other adults, such as when she spanks a kid in 'The Bucket Trap'. Captain Man also exhibits childish and irresponsible behavior, often requiring Henry to manage or 'bail him out' of situations. 2. Ray, as Captain Man, sometimes shows casual disrespect, such as accidentally misnaming Piper as 'Paper' repeatedly in 'Meet Cute Crush,' suggesting a lack of care rather than simple forgetfulness.

Witchcraft & Occult

Low

There is no significant portrayal of witchcraft, sorcery, magic rituals, or occult practices in 'Henry Danger.' The supernatural elements are typically sci-fi based, involving advanced technology or mutated beings rather than traditional magic or demonic forces.

1. The abilities and gadgets used by Captain Man and Kid Danger, such as those from the Man Cave, are rooted in scientific inventions and superhuman indestructibility, not occult practices. 2. While 'Henry Danger' Season 1 featured a scene where a baby transforms into a monster with glowing red eyes, which could be frightening, this is presented as a creature transformation rather than a magical or occult event.

Anti-Christian Themes

Low

No explicit anti-Christian themes, mockery of Christian beliefs, or sacrilegious acts were identified in the content analysis of 'Henry Danger.' References to religious beliefs are minimal and typically in passing, without advocating against Christian tenets.

1. In 'Captain Jerk,' Gooch mentions that his religious beliefs prevent him from reading the rest of a comment, implying the comment contains inappropriate language rather than being anti-religious in nature. 2. The show generally focuses on superhero action and comedic family dynamics, with no identifiable plotlines or character dialogue that critiques, mocks, or portrays Christianity in a negative light. The narrative remains neutral regarding religious themes.

Other Notes

Target Demographic

A Christian parent's guide would recommend 'Henry Danger' for ages 10+ due to the presence of moderate violence, frequent suggestive humor and innuendo, occasional implied substance use, and prevalent themes of disrespect and rebellion. While much of the content is played for laughs, younger children may not fully grasp the nuances of the innuendo, and repeated exposure to disrespectful behavior could be concerning. The show's age rating from Kijkwijzer for Season 1 was 6+ due to violence and fear, but the accumulated instances across seasons and the nature of the suggestive content warrant a higher recommendation for parental guidance.

Additional Notes

Parents should be aware that content in 'Henry Danger,' especially early seasons under Dan Schneider's showrunning, frequently includes suggestive innuendo and 'adult jokes' that may not be immediately obvious to younger viewers but can contribute to a subtle normalization of mature themes. The spin-off, 'Danger Force,' introduces more explicit LGBTQ+ representation. The comedic tone often downplays the impact of disrespectful behavior and minor violence.

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Is Henry Danger right for your family?

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