ABC cartoon Bluey sparks stoush over ‘woke’ academic claims of ‘bad dad’ and ‘bully’

An academic’s woke ‘analysis’ of a popular kids’ cartoon has sparked an angry backlash. The show’s fans are not happy – and neither are Daily Telegraph readers. See the poll results.

“Woke” academics have been slammed over controversial claims that much-loved Australian children’s cartoon character Bandit is a “bad dad”, a “bully” and “surprisingly conservative” because he doesn’t like wearing make-up.

The popular Bluey animation series, based on a ­family of cartoon dogs, is the No. 1 show in the ABC’s iView history and has won multiple awards, including a Father of the Year gong in 2019.

But the academic article, published by the ABC on Monday from The Conversation academic blog, has provoked a furious backlash by fans.

The ABC was forced to close the comments on its ­social media posts, after being inundated by viewers complaining about “the stench of wokeness” and “gender ideology” in the article.

Others complained “the war on men knows no bounds … not even Bandit and his fictional mates can escape the anti-men drive of today”.

Bingo and Bandit in the hit cartoon series Bluey. Picture: Supplied ABC TV

The University of Southern Queensland academics argued that “there is a darker side to this loveable character” and claimed his playful teasing of his younger canine daughters Bluey and Bingo was “sometimes devolving into bullying”.

They cite the fact the Bandit character in one episode repeatedly licks his daughter’s frozen ice block in front of her, and question whether he falls into the “larrikin” stereotype.

The Bluey cartoon started in 2018. Picture: ABC

“It’s difficult to overstate the cultural power of larrikin ideology in Australia,” they wrote.

They also complain “Bandit is also surprisingly conservative when it comes to gender values.”

“When he reluctantly submits to wearing make-up, he is subsequently mocked by his mates for doing so,” the article states.

“He censors himself from engaging in full imaginative play when under the gaze of other men.”

But when asked if Bluey’s dad is really a “bad dad” and a “bully”, an overwhelming 99 per cent of Daily Telegraph readers voted ‘no’.

Dr Bella d’Abrera from the Institute of Public Affairs.

Melbourne educational consultant Dr Mark Lopez, author of School Sucks, A Report on the State of Education in the Politically Correct Era, says the article was a part of a postmodern trend of politicising everything.

“Everything is reduced to oppressors and victims, and anything that is a distraction from left-wing theory is accused of perpetuating the unequal and unjust status quo, so therefore it is rendered ‘problematic’ or ‘controversial’ or merely condemned,” he said.

The Institute of Public Affair’s Western Civilisation program director Dr Bella d’Abrera said it was an attack on Australian culture.

“This is a children’s cartoon show, not a political manifesto,” she said.

“Academia and ABC types are obsessed with viewing children‘s programming as a vehicle to push identity politics, rather than what it is, an extremely popular kids show.”

“The Conversation article should be clearly marked satire, as only those who are having a laugh could seriously view a children‘s show about a dog family as a problematic, dark and backwards representation of Australian culture.”

“This is another attack on Australian culture and the Australian larrikin.”

Originally published as ABC cartoon Bluey sparks stoush over ‘woke’ academic claims of ‘bad dad’ and ‘bully’