No matter how old we get, there’s no way around the weird feeling that comes with seeing a random sex scene pop up while we’re watching a TV show with our parents. It is at that exact moment we remember we haven’t checked Facebook since 2015 or that we need to check the weather in San Francisco or Germany. While we might want to bond with our parents over some of our favorite shows and characters, some shows were never meant for family bonding. To avoid awkward looks and embarrassing questions, here are the shows you can watch with everyone else, but never with your parents. 

1. Euphoria, HBO

This show is wild AF! Is this what Gen Zs are doing in secondary school? What happened to extra moral classes for WAEC and JAMB? What happened to education? Sometimes we forget these characters are in school because all they do is party, fornicate and do hard drugs. If you decide to watch this show with your parents, be prepared to explain to them why random penises keep popping up every five seconds. Goodluck. 

2. The Boys, Amazon 

Imagine if Clark Kent was a sadistic villain masquerading as a hero and Gal Gadot Wonder Woman could actually act. Well, you’d totally get what The Boys is about. The show follows a group of superheroes who pretend to do cool shit, but half the time, they’re messing up their city with the help of corrupt politicians and capitalists. The violence on this show is on another level. Before you sneeze, someone has lost their arm and head. Decapitation might be your thing, but we doubt mummy and daddy will find it normal. 

3. Sex Education, Netflix 

Raise your hand if your parents spoke to you about sex when you were growing up. You would think after shielding the joys and hot tears associated with fornication from us, our parents would support us watching a show like this. Let me break it to you, no matter how old you get, your parents will still think sex is bad for you. So if you’re thinking of watching this show with your family, read the title and receive small sense. 

4. Insecure, HBO

Yes, we know it’s funny. Yes, we know it has the best soundtrack on television. Yes, we know it’s cool to join Twitter in the arguments surrounding #TeamMolly or #TeamIssa. Finally, yes, you should watch this show alone without a parent in sight. Issa Rae’s show might be one of the funniest we’ve seen, but omo, black people who live in LA and work cool jobs do usually do the sex thing too. You might be laughing one minute and the next thing you know, two or three people are fornicating to a seductive R&B record. There’s also that song about a certain body part being broken. Brethren, don’t let your laughter end in tears. 

5. Big Mouth, Netflix 

Not all animated shows are for children and to your parents, you’re still a child. We can all attest to how confusing puberty was, which makes it pretty easy to connect to the kids on this show, even though they have heads as big as watermelons. While it might look like a harmless show about kids going through this weird transition to adulthood, we strongly advise that you watch this alone. Your parents might watch this and start asking questions about your experience with puberty and honey, no one wants to talk about that now. That ship has sailed. 

6. Spartacus, STARZ

It was inappropriate then, it is inappropriate now. A word is enough for the wise.

7. Bridgerton, Netflix

Thanks to this show, we will never look at a spoon the same way again. While some of us were busy celebrating the real reason for the season in December 2020, the rest of the world was hooked on this show. Think of it as a Mills & Boon novel brought to life, but with black people and Ariana Grande. If you didn’t watch it when it came out, we strongly advise that if you want to watch it now, you do it alone. The Duke might be burning for Daphne, but best believe your house will be too hot for you if your parents catch you watching this show. 

8. Family Guy, FOX

We’ve warned you before about animated content. These shows are not always cute and sweet, some are just downright chaotic and weird. But If you still want to venture into the evil forest of animation, who are we to stop you? Just don’t come to our office when you’re homeless. 

9. Game of Thrones, HBO 

Even if your parents move past the graphic nudity and violence, there’s still a high chance that they’ll hate you for making them watch the show after they see the last season. Don’t put them through that stress abeg, Nigeria has enough wahaleux on its own 

10. P – Valley, STARZ

Let’s start by informing you that the “P” in the title of this show does not stand for “Plantain” or “PuffPuff”. Now that we have that covered, we sincerely doubt you’d want to watch a show about strippers with your parents. Are you okay? Is it crack? If the title and the stripper on the cover with her legs wide open don’t instill the fear of God in you, then we don’t know how we can help you again. 

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