In 1991, Chris Hicks of Utah's "Deseret News" gave it 1½ stars out of four, commenting that "Even my young children find this one too saccharine".

According to "Buffy" essayist Zoe-Jane Playdon, earlier episodes' "false saccharine behaviour" impedes the characters so crucially that it summons a demon to force them to be honest. The consequences in the episode of concealing truth, spontaneous combustion, is an allusion to "Bleak House" by Charles Dickens—of whom Whedon is a fan—where characters also face immolation for being deceitful.

"Billboard" gave Red Umbrella a positive review, saying "It's a positive love song that is uplifting and sweet, but doesn't venture too far into saccharine territory.

Despite the Reverb heavy punk movement of the Los Angeles scene NSU, had continued their abstract punk sound and played with many bands such as xbxrx, White Lung, Shearing Pinx, Mika Miko, White Flag, The Urinals, and Saccharine Trust. NSU had also been played on several punk and independent radios as Nardwuar's WFMU show, Razorcake,Maximumrockandroll, and KXLU's Demolisten, as well as performing live on air.

They were entitled "Saccharine Arcadia", "Thanks for Believing Me" and "Bury Me Deep Beneath Your Skin".

Some have proposed that the purpose of the Jaded Journalist is to bring edginess and humor to the otherwise saccharine image that "American Idol" tends to promote for itself.

The album is described by The Owl Mag as being "centered on the joys and tribulations of family" while NOW Magazine portrays the album as "flirty but so G-rated that even the best lyrics are dulled by all the saccharine sweetness".

Katie Morgan of "Billboard" gave a positive review of the Warblers' performance of "Silly Love Songs", writing, "Not only do they sound great [...], but the song brings a sugary sweet end to a super-saccharine episode."