A JoJo Siwa card game for kids was pulled after parents criticized 'inappropriate' questions about kissing, being naked, twerking, and stealing
- Popular children's entertainer JoJo Siwa has a Nickelodeon-sponsored merchandise line, which includes a card game intended for kids aged 6 and up called "JoJo's Juice."
- Parents have taken to social media to slam "JoJo's Juice" for asking players "inappropriate" questions about twerking, dating, being naked, stealing, and more.
- Some critics have even accused the game of "grooming" young players, a term used to describe a tactic employed by predators who manipulate their victims.
- Negative reviews for "JoJo's Juice" date back to 2018.
- In response to the backlash against the game, Nickelodeon and "JoJo's Juice" manufacturer Spin Master released a joint statement to Insider announcing the game would be pulled.
A card game marketed to young fans of Nickelodeon star and tween influencer JoJo Siwa is receiving 1-star reviews for what parents are calling "inappropriate" questions. The game "JoJo's Juice" is intended for audiences aged 6 and up, and up until Monday it was available for purchase online at Walmart and on Amazon, among other retailers, for around $20.
On Monday, following Insider's report on the controversy surrounding Siwa's game, Nickelodeon and "JoJo's Juice" manufacturer Spin Master released a joint statement to Insider announcing the game would be pulled.
"We respect and value the relationship JoJo Siwa has with her fans and take the concerns raised regarding the game 'JoJo's Juice' very seriously," the statement says. "This game is no longer being manufactured and we have requested that retailers pull any remaining product from their shelves."
Siwa also released a statement on TikTok clarifying that she wasn't aware of the contents of "JoJo's Juice."
Parents who bought "JoJo's Juice" for their children expressed concern about the product on social media
The controversy around "JoJo's Juice" started after mom and TikTok user Heather Watson pointed out in a viral video that has been seen more than 3 million times that the game contains material that seemingly should be advertised to older audiences.
"JoJo's Juice" has category questions like "Who knows JoJo best?," "Who knows me best?," and "Truth or dare?" Players write the answers to the questions on dry-erase bows. But as Watson pointed out, mixed in with innocent questions are ones like "Have you ever stolen from a store?" and "Have you ever walked in on someone naked or had someone walk in on you?"
On TikTok, a comment with more than 43,000 likes says "This is like textbook grooming language." The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children defines grooming as an older person using their relationship with a child to exploit, manipulate, and abuse them. More recently, media or artifacts that have entered pop culture, like the controversial 2020 French film "Cuties," have been lumped into a broader definition of grooming, in which media that sexualizes children or exposes children to sexual behavior is considered harmful to audiences.
The other "JoJo's Juice" cards Watson took issue with said "Have you ever been arrested?," "Who in this room would you most like to date?," "Have you ever gone outside without underwear (a bathing suit doesn't count)?," and "Have you ever taken money from someone's purse or wallet without asking?," as well as cards that asked players if they had "Kissed a boy" and "Learned the art of twerking."
Watson also posted pictures of the questions to Facebook, writing "I think it belongs in the trash" and "This world is SICK!" The post has been shared more than 19,000 times.
Watson isn't the only parent to express their distaste with the "JoJo's Juice" game. Reviews of the game dating back to 2018 when it was released on both Walmart and Amazon are overwhelmingly negative, with most buyers citing the age-inappropriate questions.
"Very inappropriate game for kids; rated for three and up but asks questions about you being naked and everything else. wouldn't recommend this game for any child of any age!!" says a one-star Walmart review of the game from December 2018. Several of the reviews included pictures of the same cards Watson called out.
A one-star Amazon review of the game from December 2018 says "My daughter received this for Christmas. It is inappropriate and grossly underaged. My daughter loves her JoJo bows but this game is going missing."
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