Loveable Aussie kids show Bluey has removed a scene from an episode titled ‘Exercise’ after it was criticised by some folks for potentially spreading a harmful message on body image and weight.
On Friday afternoon, ABC announced they’ve reshared an episode of Bluey after they received backlash for its opening scene.
The episode — which aired in April — depicted Bluey’s parents, Bandit and Chilli, weighing themselves in front of their Blue Heeler kiddos. The pair were audibly disappointed with the number on the scale, especially Bluey’s father, Bandit, who can be seen frowning and grabbing his tummy.
Although the episode seems to be an attempt at promoting exercise, folks who watched it pleaded for creators to “do better.”
“I watched my eight-year-old grab her belly like Bandit did. Something a child doesn’t need to think about. We have built a foundation of eating balanced food and respecting our bodies. Bluey could have done this better. Please do better,” one person wrote on the official Bluey Facebook post.
But now the scene is completely wiped from the Bluey show, with ABC saying that episode has been reshared “following a decision by the makers of the program.”
“The new version provides families with the opportunity to manage important conversations in their own way. As the home of Bluey, the ABC supports the decision to re-edit the program, and we have updated the episode on our platforms,” ABC said in a written statement.
“BBC Studios will use this revised version for global distribution and also support this decision.”
Since the announcement was made, many people have thanked the creators for removing the scene.
Digital creator and Pediatric Dietitian Dr Kyla Ringrose — who spoke out against the episode — celebrated the Bluey change via an IG Post that featured the edited scene.
“I AM THRILLED,” Ringrose wrote.
“I know that the episode really divided people, but I’m confident the new version is something that makes us all feel comfortable.”
Ringrose also gave her props to the creators of the show and thanked them for “recognising the need for change.”
Dr Sarah Squire, the Head of Knowledge, Research and Policy at the Butterfly Foundation, also praised the creators for making the change.
“Thanks for listening and responding, #Bluey team! Cartoon dogs avoiding diet culture for the win!” Squire tweeted.
Thanks for listening and responding, #Bluey team! Cartoon dogs avoiding diet culture for the win! @Bfoundation @DrStephDamiano https://t.co/ShRS7yXZ6N
— Dr Sarah Squire (@SquireSarah) May 5, 2023
As someone who struggled with childhood obesity, I can definitely understand both sides of the spectrum.
It is so important to promote healthy eating and exercise, but it’s also important to think about the way you communicate those messages, or else they can end up hurting kids instead of helping them.
Kids are super impressionable, and if they were to see a doggy parent squish their tummy in disappointment, they would probably mimic it and do the same.
Something similar like this happened to me after watching Disney’s Peter Pan. It was literally my favourite VCR — mostly because I had a raging crush on Peter himself. However, there’s one scene where Tinkerbell measures her hips with her hands after she saw herself in a mirror.
This scene stuck with me, and I ended up “measuring” myself every day. It was so harmful to my health, and it got to a point where I started sucking in my stomach everywhere I went. Thankfully as I grew older, I broke out of that habit and discovered a healthy relationship with food, my body image and exercise.
Again, I understand both sides of the argument, but I’m very glad they’ve decided to nix that scene. Hopefully, Bluey tackles the subject again, but this time with more positivity.
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