Frequently Asked Questions
Laura Orr is a play therapist, wife, and mother of two. As a kid, she was a couch potato who loved watching children's programming like Rugrats, Doug, Full House, and Saved by the Bell. She also developed a love for horror movies at an early age, and was an avid reader of Goosebumps and Fear Street books. Since she has had children, she has softened up quite a bit, and enjoys watching Disney movies and chartering her children to their extracurricular activities on weekends. She also enjoys fitness, cooking, listening to podcasts, puzzles, and video games. Kara Edwards is a voice actor, jewelry maker, wife and mom to her son and step-daughter. You may have heard her as the English voices for Goten and Videl in DragonBall Z, Bubble Girl in My Hero Academia, Chihiro in Danganrompa as well as games like FighterZ, Borderlands 3, and Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands. Kara also voices commercials, narrations, and has been the voice of Highlights for Children for over 15 years. While Kara is new to the world of podcasting, she is loving connecting with her children and listeners all over the world as they decide - Should They Watch It?
Laura is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Registered Play Therapist. For ten years, she has provided therapy to people of all ages, but primarily children. Her specialties are trauma, depression, grief, and anxiety. Kara has worked in media and entertainment since 1997 - first starting as an on-air personality for Radio Disney. She then moved on to produce The Sander Walker Morning Show on WSSS in Charlotte, NC before taking over as co-host for Tanner in the Morning on WSOC. In 2006, Kara left the world of morning radio to work full-time as a voice actor. Voicing characters in six theatrically released animated movies, over 70 animated series, hundreds of commercials, audiobooks, narrations and more - Kara offers a unique glimpse behind the curtains of how your favorite animated series come to life.
2. What are your qualifications?
1. Who are the hosts?
Should They Watch It satisfies a need that wasn’t available in podcast-form until now: a podcast for parents that reviews a kid’s TV show in a way that’s conversational, relatable, thought-provoking, and fun. Kara and Laura model their podcast around many discussions that they have with their friends, which is a combination of playful dialogue, interesting facts, and a love for their children. They want to be a podcast that allows listeners to feel like they’re joining in on an entertaining conversation with friends.
3. Why did you create the podcast?
4. What topics do you discuss?
Kara and Laura follow a loose format which provides a summary of the show and whether or not they feel it’s worth the watch. They also answer the following questions: ·Who is the audience? ·Will parents like it? ·Is it educational? ·What are enjoyable/important things about the show? ·What about the show could be potentially problematic for young viewers?
5. How do you prepare for an episode?
Kara and Laura prepare for each episode by watching the show and performing research. They have found that most shows contain one of two structures: they are chronological with a dense plot, requiring consistent viewing from beginning to end; or each episode has a singular focus and therefore can be watched in any order. Depending on the structure of the show, Kara and Laura assess the time needed to get a comprehensive understanding of the message the show is trying to convey. They usually make sure to inform listeners of how much of the show they watched so that listeners can also understand the perspective of the hosts as they give their review. The hosts also research the background of the show, voice actors, the impact of the show on viewers, and any other relevant information that they deem necessary to give an informed and entertaining review.
6. Which age groups do you watch shows for?
Kara and Laura have reviewed shows designed for toddlers, elementary-aged children, tweens, and teens. They also discuss and consider the show’s entertainment value for parents.
7. Can I recommend a show?
Absolutely! We are always looking for our next show to dive into!
8. Which episodes are the most popular?
Episode popularity is subject to change, but currently, the most popular episodes are Cocomelon, Numberblocks, and Creature Cases.
9. What is your favorite show that you have reviewed so far?
Laura: Favorite show so far is the new DuckTales. The most baffling show to watch which ended up being very fun to marvel at is Super Pupz. Kara: My favorite show so far has been Shera and the Princess of Power. My son and I bonded over the drama as it unfolded, and the podcast allowed Laura and I to delve into some interesting topics while reviewing the show. The most I’ve laughed while recording is between Absurd Planet and Crocodile Dundee.
10. What are your kids’ favorite shows?
Laura’s oldest daughter’s favorite shows are Bluey and Octonauts. Her youngest doesn’t watch much TV yet. Kara’s son loves Avatar: The Last Airbender, Pokemon and The Last Kids on Earth. Her step-daughter is a big fan of Bluey.
11. What are your favorite shows to watch when the kids go to bed?
Laura vacillates between masterpieces and trash. Her favorites (without revealing which category they fall into) are Game of Thrones, Euphoria, How to Get Away with Murder, MTV’s the Challenge, Pretty Little Liars, Sons of Anarchy, the Witcher, and Love is Blind. Kara loves dark drama like Euphoria, Ozark, and The Sandman as well as documentaries such as My Octopus Teacher, The Movies That Made Us, and anything involving crime and mysteries.
12. Are certain shows harmful for kids?
Kara and Laura rarely find children’s programming to be harmful. They do find, however, that children’s programming can influence a child’s view of the world, their relationships, and themselves. Their goal in the review is to point out dialogue, relationship dynamics, and storylines that may perpetuate dysfunctional thinking, beliefs, and behavior in children. What parents do with this information is at their discretion. If anything, they hope that the information is a guide for parents to initiate conversation with their children about what they see on TV.
13. Can TV be used as a parenting tool?
Yes, definitely. So much of television today seeks to teach a message to young viewers, which also provides opportunity for parents to engage in meaningful conversation with their children about the content that they see on TV. Television can also be educational! Whether it is directly teaching about a topic, encouraging social-emotional intelligence, or highlighting relatable challenges faced by children of a certain age, television can create a comfortable atmosphere to inspire an array of profound dialogue between parent and child.
14. Which streaming platforms do you mostly use to watch your shows?
We try to watch shows that are accessible to the majority of viewers, therefore, we typically stick to shows on Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, and Disney Plus. During our episodes, we let listeners know all of the platforms which host the show we are discussing.
15. Where can I find you on social media?
16. How often do you release an episode?
We release weekly episodes with new content every Tuesday. If we are taking a vacation, we usually re-release a previously reviewed episode.
17. Do you have guests on the show?
We have guests on our show and the list continues to grow! Recent guests include Nate DuFort from REACH a Space Podcast for Kids, Marshall Escamilla from Tumble, and Eric O’Keeffe from What If World.
18. Do you go on other shows?
We have been guests on other podcasts and are available to be future guests. Podcasts we have collaborated with include I Can’t Mom Today and (Not So) Secret Dad Business.
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Kara is available to discuss voice acting, parenting, television, and movies.
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Laura is available to discuss mental health, parenting, television, and movies.
19. How can I contact you?
Right Here!