The Jonas Brothers’ Dad Wasn’t Thrilled About Their “Too Sexy” Image And “South Park” Parody, New Book Reveals

The Jonas Brothers were the ultimate teen heartthrobs of the 2000s, but behind their squeaky-clean image was a dad who was very protective of how they were portrayed. In a new book, Disney High: The Untold Story of the Rise and Fall of Disney Channel’s Tween Empire, Kevin Jonas Sr. is revealed to have been deeply concerned about his sons being seen as “too sexual” during their rise to fame.

The book, written by Ashley Spencer, gives an inside look at how Kevin Sr., a former pastor in New Jersey, “shepherded” the early careers of his sons — Kevin, Joe, and Nick — to make sure their image aligned with the Jonas family’s values. Steve Greenberg, former president of Columbia Records, shared that Kevin Sr. was one of the most proactive parents he had ever worked with, always ensuring that his sons stayed on the right path.

But when it came to the Jonas Brothers’ 2009 The 3D Concert Experience movie, Kevin Sr. was particularly nervous. He feared that some of the footage, which showed Kevin, Joe, and Nick performing on their Burning Up tour, might make them appear too suggestive. The film, which was shot at Madison Square Garden in August 2008, featured the boys spraying foam guns at the crowd and drumming on water-soaked instruments — actions that Kevin Sr. thought could be seen as inappropriate.

Elise Abdalla, a photographer on the tour, recalled moments when the boys’ fitted shirts would get soaked, revealing more than their team was comfortable with. “Their team would be like, ‘No, you have to crop it. No nipples,’” she said in the book. Anything that seemed “too sexy” was quickly removed, according to the book.

The tension didn’t stop there. In March 2009, South Park aired an episode poking fun at the Jonas Brothers, their purity rings, and their seemingly innocent image. The episode even featured a playful recreation of the infamous foam scene from the concert film. Kevin Sr. was not amused by the parody. “When the South Park episode came out, their father was super offended,” Abdalla noted.

Even Nick Jonas admitted he wasn’t a fan of the South Park episode when it first aired. During a 2016 Reddit Q&A, Nick said, “When it first came out, I didn’t think it was funny to be honest. But years later and once the purity rings were no longer around, it was very funny to me.”

While Kevin Sr. might not have appreciated the mockery, Disney executives saw it differently. Anne Sweeney, former president of Disney Channel, revealed that the South Park episode was actually seen as a win for the network. “We were absolutely thrilled because it meant that the rest of entertainment actually noticed us. I thought it was funny,” Sweeney said.