The film centers on the family life of Bill Gluckman, a wealthy white Jewish senator from Malibu, California who is running for the office of Governor of California. His son Brad dresses, speaks, and acts as if he were a gangster from the inner city, preferring to go by the nickname "B-Rad" despite leading a rich, sheltered life. As a result, members of Mr. Gluckman's political campaign become concerned that Brad's idiotic, outlandish behavior will ruin his father's chances at being elected.

The campaign team members hire two actors, who don't know any more about inner-city life than B-Rad, to act as gang members, kidnap him, and take him to South Central Los Angeles where they hope Brad will be "scared white" after witnessing what inner city life is really like. Unfortunately for everyone involved, the plan backfires after Brad attempts to associate himself with members of the gang community and subsequently gets himself and the actors hired to guide him into trouble.