Bluey first aired in 2018; the oldest cohorts that would have grown up on it are still teenagers.
Bluey is a kid’s show that is largely targeted at parents - it’s very common to hear parents talk about how they love it.
So was Sesame Street.
I feel like they’re different things.
Sesame street attempts to be educational - lots of alphabet and numbers stuff, segments about cooking and visiting factories and farms. Within the socio-political framework it’s in, Sesame Street is as good as it’s possible to be.
Bluey models a lot of weird behaviour and passes it off as ok - parents yelling at each other when they argue, characters lying to each other and it being ok, and parents being hungover around the kids. It’s more like a Simpsons/Bobs Burgers with kid voiceacting. The things that make it more entertaining to watch are (in my opinion) exactly the parts that make it actively dangerous for kids.
But that opinion is shaped in opposition to the majority of parents around me talking rapturously about how fantastic it is.
Edit: also sesame street wasn’t targeted at parents
lol with cloudflare taking twitter down we had to make up guys to be mad at
😠
I remember being a young lad when that Brony shit was going around and some people on the random, niche forum I was on would chat about it like it was peak cinema lmao
I finally bit the bullet and watched one episode, realized it was exactly what I thought it was, and promptly never thought about it again.
Good times
Anyone who was a Brony in 2011 is either a NeoNazi or a Trans woman
some people on the random, niche forum I was on would chat about it like it was peak cinema lmao
dysphoria can manifest in unexpected ways,
Eggs definitely drove a big part of it, especially given how “haha I’m just doing it ironically but also it’s actually good if you give it a chance haha” fits so cleanly into the sort of irony poisoned plausible-deniability-even-from-yourself thing that’s such a seemingly common facet of repression and that defined that circa 2010 heavily queer/repressed queer internet counterculture in a lot of ways.
That’s basically why the joke is that everyone who was into it back then went on to either transition or become a nazi, because that’s largely how that counterculture split: the queer outcasts went left and formed healthier spaces, while the cishet chauvinist libertines turned into bloodthirsty tradcath fash and continued innovating new depths of misery to wallow in and attempt to spread to others.
Eggs definitely drove a big part of it, especially given how “haha I’m just doing it ironically but also it’s actually good if you give it a chance haha” fits so cleanly into the sort of irony poisoned plausible-deniability-even-from-yourself thing that’s such a seemingly common facet of repression and that defined that circa 2010 heavily queer/repressed queer internet counterculture in a lot of ways.
i haven’t really been interested in the show in almost a decade, but during my time as a fan there was definitely an element of “there’s something magical here that i can’t explain but a few people out of the many i’ve talked to online about it can see it too so i know it’s real somehow 🥲”
Ugh, Bronies were THIS close to being memory-holed!
Kinda feel bad for both the developers and the young kids the show should have been for because some dipshits wanted to turn the whole fandom into an ironic meme
Can confirm as someone who was the intended target audience that grown ass men made it nearly impossible to search for anything mlp related without being bombarded with shit a kid shouldn’t see.
some dipshits wanted to turn the whole fandom into an ironic meme
This was a vanishingly small number of “bronies”. Most of them were people who were nostalgic for a show with writing in the style of Cartoon Network’s golden age, and who really liked watching a show that was earnest in an era when every single tv show and movie was extremely ironic.
a show that was earnest in an era when every single tv show and movie was extremely ironic.
Wasn’t this during the early 2010s? I seem to remember plenty of sincerity in tv and movies.
For me, one thing it was was an antidote to a sort of South Park caring-about-things-is-for-losers outlook
It’s worse now, but I at least remember having this general feeling at the time /shrug
I never understood the Brony thing simply because the show was mid at best (to me)
I don’t mean to offend, but I
alwaysat the time thought it was a weird pedo thing if I’m being perfectly honest. I’m sure there are genuine adult fans for whatever reason, but it is a kid’s show for kids.Not trying to start anything but you are aware that there are a metric fuckton of adults that watch kids shows for kids. Like for example dexters lab, powerpuff girls and frankly to many to name. Mind you I would assume a large section of the brony community probably were teenagers and young adults when the show aired but thats a whole other discussion.
Coming from someone who watched the MLP show when it aired in my late teenage years.
You’re good, you can slap me if I’m totally out of line. I probably internalized the cultural response to Bronies and, really, haven’t thought about MLP for 15 years.
I mean, a good friend of mine watches MLP because it allows her to live through a tiny bit of the childhood as a girl she wasn’t allowed to have due to … well, being trans and being traumatized out of liking girly stuff when she was a kid, so it’s kinda harsh to come here and hear some dude make a connection to a “weird pedo thing”. Especially given that whole groomer discourse the fash keep harping on about. I get that’s not your intention, but bruh.
Completely valid, and as I said I’m sure there are genuine adult fans as well. I’m surely tainted by my exposure to the Brony internet and the fact that everyyyything that comes with it is not always especially savory.
Having said that, please don’t quote things I didn’t say. I’ll self-crit.
Yeah, but there was WAY more NSFW art of MLP than of any other kids property popular with adult that I can recall. I mean some of that is probably do to the fact Bronies tended to orbit in other communities that had a lot NSFW artists in them (big overlap with Weebs for example).
I don’t remember multiple subreddits dedicated to rule 34 of Dexter’s lab or adventure time.
There are probably for Pokemon. My point is that being a fan of a kids cartoon as an adult doesnt really tell you anything about that person beyond that and consuming kids cartoons as an adult is a harmless past time. The fact that the Brony community got a bad rep due to some people is unfortunate but you could say the same about the anime community, the gaming communty and the furry community etc.
not when pokemon was new. that fandom grew up with the series and hit puberty and got into weird shit. the sus 2010s MLP fans were not 40 year olds who grew up with the 80s one.
I dunno about that, man. But I watched like two episodes to see what the hype was about and just found it boring. No hate to anyone who liked it though.
Same here, it’s just not for me. Probably shouldn’t have mentioned it, just the vibe I got at the time and never examined seriously beyond that.
Somebody wrote a kind of condescending article about animators “selling out” or something and listed MLP as an example and contrarian 4Channers decided to go watch it as a bit and a decent chunk of them ended up kinda getting into it, and since 4Chan was still the nexus of internet culture back then it spread through memes and became a bigger thing.
The End of the Creator-Driven Era in TV Animation. which was crazy because this was like the beginning of it lol
I gave mlp a shot because a buddy of mine showed me one funny clip; the rest of the show wasn’t that funny or entertaining
Nothing against it, just that it was a show about talking ponies and targeted to young girls and I’m a big strong manly man who likes Man Stuff™️
Its not ok to watch shows that normalise being Australi*n
Bluey is a good kids show. It has moments that are funny and poignant for adults. It’s also pretty fucking cishetero-normative. Plus the recent conflicts in West Asia still exist in the Bluey universe, so probably the best recent episode “Cricket” is tainted by the fact Rusty’s dad was probably murdering Afghan hounds and planting weapons on them
Dogs of War
drinking beer out of a prosthetic dog paw
Plus the recent conflicts in West Asia still exist in the Bluey universe, so probably the best recent episode “Cricket” is tainted by the fact Rusty’s dad was probably murdering Afghan hounds and planting weapons on them
Okay… the lore of this show I just thought was about a stay at home dad dog just got deeper…
There’s a side character called Rusty. His father is in the Australian army. There’s a poem a Palestinian wrote about it, that summarizes it.
Oh damn Rusty probably shot people in Papua New Guinea.
Plus the recent conflicts in West Asia still exist in the Bluey universe, so probably the best recent episode “Cricket” is tainted by the fact Rusty’s dad was probably murdering Afghan hounds and planting weapons on them
I apologize if I seem like a
here, but I just want to point out Afghanistan is in Central and South Asia.Also
war criminal children’s show. 
Fair, I’ve just recently started saying West Asia instead of the Middle East (as it’s a British colonial thing). I should have said West and Central Asia. I wanted to basically include Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Gaza etc. But then I guess I’ve also got to say North Africa for Libya.
Just call it the Midwest at that point
Yeah, it’s surprisingly hard to describe the region in a concise way. West and Central Asia and North Africa doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue lol.
just say “the caliphate” /s
wait so that thing about Bluey’s dad being a vietnam vet wasn’t just a meme
Bluey’s maternal grandfather is implied to be a Vietnam war vet.
I didn’t remember which one but lol I thought that was a meme and not actual canon
There’s probably heaps of memes but it’s really strongly implied in the show. There’s like no stigma to being a Vietnam War or an Afghan War Veteran in Australia (I mean there should be). The Australian fairytale approach to any war is basically “Even if the war is bad and a fuck up, our soldiers are brave mates respected by everyone, including the enemy”.
What makes that even worse is Rusty’s dad is voiced by Anthony Wiggle.
my girl loves bluey and i will leave that shit on all day every day forever if it means i can avoid cocomelon
Anything to avoid Caillou. Do they still show Caillou cartoons? That kid was super annoying.
hell yeah also i’m glad to hear y’all still doin’ good
oh we’re killin it over here! she’s a genius and the love of my life
hell ya dawg
Enjoying kids media as an adult is fine.
Adults who almost exclusively enjoy kids media sus me the fuck out.
Adults who almost exclusively enjoy kids media sus me the fuck out.
LOOK I LIKE CARTOONS OKAY
Nothing wrong with liking cartoons, I re-watch Gravity Falls probably once a year or so.
Just saying I think adults should try and engage with media with more adult themes.
A lot of animation does have adult themes. I’ve always found it kinda weord though that animation for adults tends to be more childish than animation for children.
yeah the good “all-ages” shows have layers that kids don’t notice for adults to enjoy
I don’t remember the exact quote or where I read it, but Hayao Miyazaki has basically said that he refuses to do this with his movies because he feels like it would insult the intelligence of the kids who watch them, and that he also believes that that refusal is a big part of why they are so appealing to adults as well.
It’s an interesting argument imo
idk, I sometimes watch so-called “adult” media (like Netflix action-thriller type series) and that shit bores me to tears most of the time, albeit not always, because I can watch something very boring if it has even mildly interesting camerawork/direction. I don’t think there has been a YA-ification of media aimed at adults where you’ll still get some difference in content but the plots and the ideas are boring, formulaic and wouldn’t even be that compelling if they were original.
I’m not going to sit here and tell you that anime is somehow better on average (it’s not, except maybe for One Piece tipping the scale by sheer volume, but I don’t even watch that), but I think it makes a much bigger difference how selective you are than the target demo or generic content labels. I know a decent number of adults (who admittedly work much harder than I do, I’m not judging them here) who watch hours of absolute mindless dreck daily, 98% “adult-oriented” stuff, and all I could think about watching with them is how juvenile the stories are no matter how often addiction or pseudo-““realistic”” political intrigue* or whatever are involved.
But I also would agree that unless you’re interested in pedagogy or media studies, there’s probably no level of discriminating taste that makes in not weird to be 35 and a fan of shows written for barely-verbal children (e.g. Peppa Pig) beyond watching it with a kid you’re taking care of or something.
*usually secret cabals, bad cops messing it up for the good cops, or Sorkinism, so not actually realistic, but it sells itself that way.
anime can be better because japan’s literacy rate is higher than the US.
I reject the idea that median anime is better but a full discussion of why would be soul-crushing (
) and wouldn’t apply very much to the sorts of shows that I’m talking about (though there are “teen dramas” like Euphoria* that are arguably slightly more depraved than the common anime tropes and very popular in the US)*I looked it up to make sure that I wasn’t mixing it up with another show that I mainly know from people dunking on it, and did you know that it’s adapted from an Israeli show? Looking it up, it appears the “content” in the original is very similar, which was probably a significant reason it was adapted.
deleted by creator
Reading through these comments makes me think that “parent” is one of the least represented minorities on the site.
I’m upholding my volcel oaths, I assume everyone without kids on this site is doing the same
Can I get an Oathbreaker tag on my profile?
Or just generally anyone who interacts with kids. I enjoyed watching the new Phineas and Ferb with younger members of my family. It was fun. I was their age when the first episodes came out almost 20 years ago, so it was fun to re live it a bit with the new generation.
well, yeah, who the fuck can afford that shit (we’d still not have kids anyway, but still)
username makes it pretty obvious where I fall on this lol
rules especially starting in like S5.to be clear though it is the only kids show I watch.
Enjoying Your Inner Child is Healthy; Living in It is Not.
There’s a significant difference between maintaining a healthy connection to the media you loved as a kid and allowing it to completely define your adult worldview.
The Balanced Approach: Keeping “kids’ stuff” like video games, animated films, or comics as a hobby is not only acceptable but can be a wonderful source of joy and nostalgia. It’s a part of your life, not your entire identity.
The Unbalanced Approach: The issue arises when this becomes a core part of your identity to the exclusion of all else. An adult who only engages with children’s media, and filters complex, real-world issues through a simplistic, fictional lens, risks remaining in a state of arrested development.
I place myself firmly in the first category. I still enjoy playing Super Smash Bros. with friends. However, I know several people in their mid-twenties who exemplify the second. While I care for them, it’s challenging to have a serious conversation. Their entire world revolves around Marvel and Disney; it’s all they watch, discuss, and breathe. Consequently, they often view the world through a distorted, childish lens, leading them to unrealistic and simplistic conclusions about how life and society work.
I’ve never seen Bluey, not because I’m against cartoons, but because I’m skeptical that anything Australian can be good
holds up mirror
It’s kind of the exception that proves the rule. The government of Australia saw such a need to teach their constituents to be kind to their kids that they commissioned hours and hours of animated content about it.
Actually the Australia government completely whiffed it, to try and save money it’s was co-creation with the BBC who put some money up at the start and gets an enormous cut for doing nothing.
I don’t blame people for not liking them for a number of variable reasons, but I think King Gizzard is pretty fun and they’re Australian
Ahh, you got me there. I like them too.
Australia has a surprisingly good track record when it comes to kids tv shows. They almost always have messages about being kind, caring, sharing, helping and loving each other. The bad guy, if there is one, usually ends up being a rich businessman too. Of course they dont mention capitalism or communism or anything, but it definitely got young me hating all corporations
Australian TV is great in general, probably because they’re one of the only places that still has well funded national broadcasting (that isnt fully bought out by capitalist interests like the BBC is now) and actually has good funding for the arts. New zealand has some banger shows too.
They almost always have messages about being kind, caring, sharing, helping and loving each other.
And about the values of living with your weird single dad in a lighthouse.
Steve Irwin was good
Oh man, don’t you’ll make me cry. He’s half the reason I got into Ecology.
Reject Bluey supremacy, return to Feral TV
Friend who keeps telling me to watch Steven Universe
it’s not even the best show about gay rocks smdh
Whats the best show about gay rocks?
i like land of the lustrous
disclaimer: i watched it in it’s entirety with my fiancée so i’m very biased lolPerfect answer lmao
i like land of the lustrous
Manga is Great too
At least steven universe is intended for an older age group like adventure time, but there is an air of ickyness about some of the adult fandom including from rebecca sugar, who sketched romantic / sexually implied pairings of her characters during the show’s production, and ive come across numerous adult fans who love this. I dont like it 😅
What is with the “adult bluey fan” discourse bc I’ve been seeing it in a few places
Close relative of the Disney Adult, afraid to leave the confines of its habitat and prefers a comforting life without challenges or resilience
Not trying to come at you specifically, but I’ve seen this type of sentiment around a lot lately and it stinks of right-wing “Everything should be constant pain.” BS.
another effect of the cultural regression happening in the USA right now ,it feels like we’re legit back in early 2000’s forums
go check them ,they’re exactly like this
the 2020’s is a very shitty remake of the 2000’s mixed with the 2010’s
thanks for saying this tbh
Im closer to the anti end of adults being into kids shows, especially ones they didn’t grow up with but it’s less of an ‘everyone should be in constant pain’ and more that your primary media consumption shouldn’t be stuff aimed at 8-12 year olds. Grown ups should still engage with stuff that’s at least a bit more sophisticated
I thought Bluey was for like 5 year olds, and a shit ton of “adult-oriented” shows (probably the majority, but I don’t have an unbiased sampling) are literally not any more sophisticated than YA garbage.
Isn’t Bluey more like 2-8 year olds? (not sure if the distinction matters.)
But is there some “adult bluey fan” phenomenon or something? Disney is a huge international media conglomerate with theme parks and everything that’s everywhere you look. I’ve literally never thought more than 2 seconds about Bluey in my life
I’ve seen a few adults say they feel a lot of affection for the show. most recently, Angela Collier made a video ranking her favorite baby cartoons. the “Adult X Fan” is a riff I just picked up from Tony Zaret sketches tbh.
I think liking Bluey outside of the context of taking care of a kid is a red flag and can’t imagine why someone would like it outside of that context, but this is ridiculously masturbatory and presumptuous.
