The latest episode of Bluey has been criticised for its ‘body shaming’ message.
‘Exercise’ opens with Bluey’s father, Bandit, and mother, Chilli, weighing themselves in the bathroom.
The two are displeased over the numbers on the scale, which is happening in front of their children.
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As Bandit examines his body in the mirror, he grabs the excess fat on his stomach and tells his children that he needs to exercise before undergoing a workout in the backyard.
While the writers were trying to convey the importance of overall health and wellbeing, some parents have deemed the scene fatphobic and believe it sends a problematic message to children.
One user on social media wrote: “We watched today's new Bluey episode on catch-up and I tuned out 10 seconds in when Bandit stood on a set of scales because Bluey has a really, really damaging way of portraying food, exercise and being 'healthy'.”
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Another chimed in: “That opening scene absolutely horrified me.”
A third said: “I love Bluey but today's new episode starting with Bandit and Chilli jumping on the scales and being disappointed with their weight, followed by Bandit grabbing the skin on his tummy, was not it.”
Among the critics was paediatric dietitian Kyla Ringrose.
"Huge Bluey fan, but watching Bandit and Chilli weigh themselves and openly hate on their bodies in front of their kids was really uncomfortable," she wrote on Instagram.
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"Bluey specialises in being relatable to parents, and I love that. But they're equally progressive and aware of current social issues and this episode is really out of step.
"Kids do not need to be watching parents hate on their bodies or exercise to get thinner. They missed a big opportunity here."
However, many rushed to the show’s defence, as one user said: “Nonsense, people who are fat as children end up being fat as adults. This show nicely reinforces the idea that children need to be conscious of their weight gain.”
Another wrote: “You're right; they should have shown Bandit going to the vet to have one of his feet removed from type 2 diabetes.”
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While a third shared: “Imagine tweeting outrage at a children's cartoon because the Dad grabs his tummy and weighs a bit more than he'd like. Apparently to some it's irresponsible of Bluey to send a message that it's important to maintain a healthy weight and do exercise. Ok then.”
LADbible has approached ABC for comment.
Featured Image Credit: Ludo StudioTopics: News, Australia, TV and Film, Health, Mental Health
