How to Rock
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How to Rock is a short-lived American teen sitcom that aired on Nickelodeon from February to December of 2012. The series is based on the 2011 book, How to Rock Braces and Glasses by Meg Haston published by Little, Brown Books For Young Readers and Alloy Entertainment.
Plot
Kacey Simon is a once-popular "mean girl" who has fallen out of favor with the "in" crowd, known as the Perfs, after she starts wearing eyeglasses and braces. After her fallout with the Perfs, Kacey forges unlikely friendships with members of the band Gravity 5 and becomes the group's lead singer, bringing the band's musical success to new heights. Kacey also begins a musical rivalry between Gravity 5 and the Perfs, including her former best friends Molly and Grace. In addition to her new musical endeavor, Kacey navigates through high school social circles and learns how to rock her "real" self.
Why It Will Never Rock Ever
- The storyline was often seen as formulaic and predictable, following many typical teen sitcom tropes without much originality.
- The themes of popularity, bullying, and fitting in were seen as clichéd and overdone, lacking the fresh take that could have made the show stand out.
- Unfunny jokes
- The characters were not well-developed and lacked depth, making it hard for the audience to connect with them.
- "How to Rock" was compared unfavorably to other popular Nickelodeon shows of the time, such as "iCarly" and "Victorious," which had more established fan bases and more dynamic characters.
- It struggled to find a consistent tone, sometimes shifting abruptly between comedy and more serious moments, which could be jarring for viewers.
- Annoying and insufferable acting.
- It teaches kids that if you wear braces and/or glasses, you're ugly, which is a horrible message to teach to kids, especially to those who are self-conscious about their looks.
- In the first episode, Kacey was kicked out of the popular girls for wearing braces and glasses, but she doesn't even wear them most of the time, especially in the promotional material (look at the picture, Kacey is the one at the far right. She isn't wearing any braces or glasses)
- False advertising and Misleading Title: For a show that's called How to Rock they don't play any rock music at all, but rather modern teen-pop.
- Fans of the book "How to Rock Braces and Glasses" by Meg Haston, on which the show was based, may have had higher expectations for the adaptation, leading to disappointment.
- Some fans felt that Nickelodeon did not promote "How to Rock" as heavily as other shows, which may have affected its visibility and popularity.
- With only one season consisting of 26 episodes, the show didn't have enough time to develop a loyal fan base.
Redeeming Qualities
- Good theme song.
- Big Time Rush made a guest appearance in the episode How To Rock an Election.
- Cee Lo Green also made a guest appearance in the episode How To Rock Cee Lo.
- Also Cymphonique Miller's brother Romeo Miller also made a guest appearance in the episode How To Rock High School Sensation.
- Kevin, Nelson, Zander Stevie, and Molly are all likeable characters.
- Some actors did give a pretty good performance most notably by Lulu Antariksa, Chris O'Neal, and Samantha Boscarino.
- Even though there isn't any rock music many of the songs are good like Move With The Crowd, Hey Now, Last One Standing, Me Myself and I, Go With Gravity, All About Tonight, and Only You Can Be You.
- It is nice to see the characters perform their songs.
- Some funny moments here and there.
- It was filmed from a live studio audience that get genuine laughs.
- There are a few tolerable episodes, such as (the ones listed have a 9/10 or higher rating on IMDb)
- How to Rock a Singing Telegram
- How to Rock a Good Deed
- How to Rock Camping (the highest rated episode on IMDb with 9.1/10)
- How to Rock Christmas (which ended the series on an ok note).
Reception
How to Rock received generally negative reviews from critics and audiences alike. It received a 5.2/10 on IMDb. Surprisingly enough, the show did have a big fanbase, with a lot of fans wanting more seasons of the show.