Based on 3 seasons, 36 episodes · through February 24, 2023
Young Rock is a comedy show about the life of Dwayne Johnson. The show shows his childhood, teenage years, and college years. It uses a future storyline where he runs for president in 2032 to tell these stories. The show is mostly a warm family comedy about his life. However, it does highlight girl power. It shows his grandmother as a successful female wrestling promoter. It also has clear gay storylines. It shows wrestling pioneer Pat Patterson finding love with another man. It also shows Dwayne's grandfather defending Patterson from homophobia.
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for Young Rock.
Woke representation / casting
The show casts many Samoan and Black actors to accurately play Dwayne's real family. However, the show also casts actors to play real gay figures. This includes wrestling legend Pat Patterson and his partner Louie Dondero. Showing their romance adds a clear LGBTQ+ representation focus to the show.
25%
Woke political dialogue
The future scenes of Dwayne running for president in 2032 have standard political speeches. They talk about family, hard work, and unity. The show does not push modern activist talking points. It acts more like a safe, bipartisan ad for Dwayne's personal brand.
0%
Identity-driven story themes
The show features several identity-driven stories. It highlights the struggles of Dwayne's grandmother as a female pioneer in a male-dominated business. More importantly, the show highlights LGBTQ+ themes. It shows Pat Patterson finding love in 1961, and Dwayne's grandfather defending Patterson from homophobia.
45%
Western institutional / cultural critique
The show loves traditional family structures and old-school wrestling culture. It respects classic American values like hard work and grit. It does not attack Western institutions or traditional gender roles using modern activist ideas.
0%
Woke character or canon changes
Not relevant
0%
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
There was no major anti-woke outrage, as most people saw this as a safe family show. However, some wrestling fans and conservative viewers complained about sanitizing Pat Patterson's past. They disliked praise of his gay identity while hiding real historical abuse claims.
25%
Creator track record context
The creative team has a mix of standard industry profiles and creators with high woke scores. This includes Jeff Chiang (70), Jen D'Angelo (60), Cindy Fang (75), and David Smithyman (82), who actively push for queer representation. This is balanced by Dwayne Johnson's low score of 11.
52%
Production
