14 ms·

‘Bluey’s World’: How a Cute Aussie Puppy Became a Juggernaut

349 points by adrian_mrd 2y ago

resource_waste 2y ago
>“The parents were so relatable and mirrored the parent I wanted to be,” Ooof fiction teaching Idealism. From Nietzsche to Plato, its agreed, fiction corrupts. One day the floury idealism will be seen not to work, and the damage will have already been done. I've seen Bluey, it was funny, it taught some general concepts... but if my kids are going to watch TV, why not Bill Nye the Science Guy or similar? Remember that these children's characters are corporate mascots, not friends.
- Centigonal 2y ago
  how is Bill Nye any less of a character than Bluey's parents?
  - 01100011 2y ago
    Let your kids watch Bill Nye and then next thing you know they'll be into speedwalking and designing burger guns in the basement. IYKYK.
    - jjulius 2y ago
      God bless Almost Live!
- hylaride 2y ago
  Sir, it's a show for toddlers that adults can watch and relate to. Watch the repetitiveness of Daniel Tiger or the brain destroying Cocomelon (which should be banned) then get back to me.
  - bitwize 2y ago
    I was rewatching Max Headroom recently and my favorite episode stood out to me. It's about an addictive game show called "Whacketts" which is so mind-numbingly insipid that even the punk operator of the pirate TV station that runs the show wonders why it's so popular. Turns out that the Whacketts broadcast is interlaced with a signal that looks like rapidly changing hexadecimal numbers and functions as a "drug" that induces euphoria in anyone who is visually exposed to it. When I was a kid I thought this was somewhat dodgy science fiction. As an adult in the age of Cocomelon and Skibidi Toilet, I'm not so sure.
    - TeMPOraL 2y ago
      Yeah, we imagined brainwashing would involve rapidly flashing hidden messages. In reality, it involves a head sticking out of a toilet. Hearing some of the things my elder daughter hears from other kids in the kindergarten, I sometimes wonder if we haven't jumped into some bizarro alternate universe.
      - Apocryphon 2y ago
        Are they all using tablets?
        TeMPOraL 2y ago
        No, but some kids have slightly older siblings in primary school, and learn all kinds of crap from them.
        hylaride 2y ago
        That's a tale as old as time, though. In the 1980s, I got in trouble for using "this sucks" or "this blows" around grade one or two. It's now common slang, but it was still too close to its sexual origins at the time (which of course was over my head, but I of course wanted to emulate the older graders).
      - shadowgovt 2y ago
        Having actually sat down to watch Skibidi Toilet, it's fine. It's basically a series of over-the-top action sequences done with Garry's Mod assets. It's watching someone mashing action figures together that they kit-bashed out of other action figures. I'm looking forward to hearing the story of the animator that got inspired to go into the field by watching Skibidi Toilet. It's going to happen.
- fkyoureadthedoc 2y ago
  Bluey considered harmful? I won't hear of it. Get his ass.
  - prawn 2y ago
    I have a morbid fascination with trying to predict the most down-voted comment theme for any given HN thread. I was quite excited to find out how someone would inevitably manage to enrage people in a Bluey thread, but someone managed!
    - Braxton1980 2y ago
      I didn't see any comments about her being blue
- jasonjayr 2y ago
  "I'm not going to take advice from a cartoon dog" - is exactly one of the lines in the show. There are shows geared to teach science in appropriate ways to kids in this same demographic. But that's not the point of Bluey -- it's modeling an ideal family, in a way that's understandable to young children, while being relatable for their parents to watch and appreciate along side with them. They represent a loving, functional family, that likes to have fun, and sometimes has hard issues to deal with, that children get to see. For some families it's an unattainable ideal, and for others it's a mirror of a modern 20-30yo parents raising young kids, complete with modern situations. It's hard to stress out just how perfectly they nail a show that both kids + parents can watch, that they both find enjoyable, in this demographic, without pandering, or being annoying about it, because it's such a rare find. The praise this franchise receives is extremely well deserved.
- jjulius 2y ago
  >... but if my kids are going to watch TV, why not Bill Nye the Science Guy or similar? This comparison almost makes me wonder if you have kids.
  - jamiek88 2y ago
    Right? Completely different shows, ages, approach, intentions etc. Might as well have said ‘watch masterchef instead’.
  - stuaxo 2y ago
    (Or have watched much Bluey).
- mikeocool 2y ago
  Somebody doesn't have kids
  - resource_waste 2y ago
    I have 5.
    - audunw 2y ago
      And do they only watch science shows teaching STEM subjects? Or do they get to watch shows that have some emotional lessons as well? If so, what shows? I think people are reacting because Bill Nye is not even remotely in the same category. It has a different kind of value, and frankly it’s not as important as the kind of value kids get from Bluey. It’s very nice if kids learn science. Great even. But the most important things kid can get from TV shows (if anything, it’s okay to watch things for fun as well) is to learn social skills. Bluey has a lot of that, and it does it without being annoying about it like Daniel Tiger. It’s a good balance
      - infecto 2y ago
        It also feels like a show for kids graduating out of Bluey.
    - skinkestek 2y ago
      Hi another person with 5 kids :-)
    - sanderjd 2y ago
      lol, funniest comment I've read on here in a long time.
- kentonv 2y ago
  Fiction gives us a channel to explore problems we wouldn't otherwise regularly see in our day-to-day lives, and learn about the right ways to answer them, so that when we are confronted with them for real, we have a better framework for dealing with them than our basic instincts provide. Real-world ethical problems tend to be much more complex than those presented in fiction, but that's exactly why we need fiction to provide us with the building blocks via easier-to-understand case studies.
- mcphage 2y ago
  > but if my kids are going to watch TV, why not Bill Nye the Science Guy or similar? “There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”
- infecto 2y ago
  Because Bluey is for 3-6 year olds or around that range and the most important thing for them to learn at this age is social skills. There is plenty of time after for Bill Nye.
- light_triad 2y ago
  Nietzsche and Plato were some of the best fiction writers ever produced. Storytelling, allegory, dramatic dialogue, compelling narratives, and 'myth making' can have different goals - sometimes it's to teach the glory of science. Other times it's about social relationships and how to be a functional human. Bluey works so well because the combination of kids' entertainment with adult themes and storylines portraying positive role models feels unforced - some folks may not enjoy it, that's fine.
  - shadowgovt 2y ago
    Right? Plato criticizing fiction has to be one of the funniest things I've read. "We must stop making up stories. Now, have you heard about how we're all sitting in a cave watching a shadow-play of the actual reality happening outside the cave?"
- Vaskivo 2y ago
  There's an episode where the father is trying to teach Bluey to play chess. It is implied by the mother that he's only doing that because "all smart kids play chess, therefore she should learn chess." The teaching fails, not because she doesn't understand but because she and Bingo end up making up the fantasy of the game. (To the point that sacrificing a piece is a shock and abhorrent). It ends up with the mother intervening, beating the dad at the game and saying "Work on the heads later, for now, just hearts." So to you, I say: Bill Nye, yes. Bluey, yes too. Each in their own time... If the kids feel like it.
- oluckyman 2y ago
  [flagged]
- squigz 2y ago
  Storytelling has been integral to humanity's progression through the ages since day 0.
- shadowgovt 2y ago
  Plato wrote more fiction in his life than Joe Brumm has had a chance to yet.
deleted 2y ago
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Verdex 2y ago
As a kids show bluey is adequate. However, I suspect its secret is that it's really a show for parents with young children that just happens to hold the attention of kids. My daughters like bluey (ages 3-8). But they also enjoy many things on TV and bluey doesn't stick out that much. On the other hand, I happened to be in the room for an episode where blueys dad is having a hard time making some sort of cake and bluey cleans up something to help him out without being prompted. I most definitely felt heard watching that episode.
- owenfi 2y ago
  Agree, except I think you missed the beginning of that episode. Like there are no overnight successes, there are many prompts and maybe not the best strategies (such as “I’ll give you a dollar if you clean up”).
- slothtrop 2y ago
  I think that's it. They've found a balance in "family" entertainment that is sophisticated enough to please adults, much the way Pixar and 90s Disney films had. The Simpsons at outset was also sort of like this for older kids. There was moral panic at the time, but it didn't prevent the show from being an incredible phenomenon, heavily merchandised the way Bluey is now. I must have been obsessed with the Simpsons since 7-8 years old.
- wijwp 2y ago
  > However, I suspect its secret is that it's really a show for parents with young children that just happens to hold the attention of kids. That's how a lot of successful children's movies/shows work in a way. Have you ever rewatched older kids movies as an adult and realized how many adult-level jokes they slipped in that you never noticed as a child? If you're asking parents to spend 1.5 hours at a movie theater, you better throw in some adult humor in there as well.
  - Cyph0n 2y ago
    I don’t think inserting innuendo is necessary. In fact, I personally find it distasteful and nothing more than an easy way out. I think the proper way to do it is to include themes and/or characters that adults would relate with too. Ghibli movies are one example where this is done well (most of the time).
_mlbt 2y ago
What I really appreciate about Bluey is that it’s one of the few children’s shows with a really great and relatable Dad character. The Dad in most children’s shows is either barely present or a total idiot that nobody respects.
- doh 2y ago
  Hear hear
- bombcar 2y ago
  Bluey may have done more for fathers (and families) than anything in recent history. So many are dealing with fatherhood without having a role model themselves, and everything on TV being "fat dumb lovable idiot" sitcom-types. The episode "The Sign" is an incredibly deep story from multiple angles.
  - zeroonetwothree 2y ago
    One of the best episodes of any show I’ve ever seen.
  - op00to 2y ago
    He also normalizes farting in your kids’ faces. More seriously, Bluey is so enjoyable because the characters have dimensions and seem way more real than just about anything else on TV.. at least that you’d watch with kids.
    - grepfru_it 2y ago
      The dad is who you want to aspire to be when you see his relationship with his kids. Definitely sighup’d my idea of parenting after watching a few episodes
      - op00to 2y ago
        I think it sets a high bar, which is ok because they also show the parents at low points without making them look pitiful or less worthy of love.
sylens 2y ago
Different Bluey episodes resonate with different people for different reasons, but the Cricket episode from Season 3 is just about as perfect an episode of a kid's show as I've ever seen. In about 7 minutes it manages to tackle how being passionate about one of your interests or hobbies and sticking with it even when you experience setbacks pays off.
- grokkedit 2y ago
  my god cricket is the best episode, and it’s crazy that no information about any character is even remotely needed to appreciate it the authors created a great character in rusty
  - yannyu 2y ago
    Fun fact, Rusty was originally going to be the main character. And if you put Bluey next to Rusty, you'll see they're the same shape, just colored differently. And yeah, absolutely amazing episode.
  - whatusername 2y ago
    I'll echo this for anyone else in the comments -- You can watch the cricket episode with 0 knowledge of the show and 0 knowledge of cricket. If you haven't ever seen Bluey - it's a great example as to why so many speak so highly of it. If you haven't seen bluey but want to see what the fuss is (and especially if you have any interest in sports) -- it's only 7 minutes long and absolutely worth watching.
- deleted 2y ago
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- relaxing 2y ago
  The way they leave it up to the viewer to infer the reason Rusty practiced cricket on so many different surfaces was because his dad was stationed in Iraq in the Australian Army and therefore wasn’t around to pick him up after school is heart-wrenching, perfect writing.
markus_zhang 2y ago
Bluey is the best kids show we found. Or, maybe it's the best show for the parents. I'm literally watching it by myself after my kid goes to bed. I really appreciate that the show doesn't hesitate to include some ordinary parenting interactions like Muffin took Stripe's phone and he chased her through the whole house, and Bandit making shenanigans.
- bombcar 2y ago
  I think "FaceyTime" might be one of the best examples of where they COULD have gone standard and instead, went gold. It COULD have ended with a timeout and then Muffin being sulky and then cheering up, but it didn't. It COULD have ended with "Mom's right, Dad's wrong," but it didn't. It ended with gold. (The use of the cousins to display other child activities is also brilliant, they can have "bratty Muffin" without forcing Bingo or Bluey to be "overly bratty".)
  - markus_zhang 2y ago
    Yeah there was really a lot of thoughts going into that episode. They don't have to show the ukulele but showing it confirms Muffin's characteristics. They don't have to show Bandit stretching himself at the beginning of the episode, either. Also the multi window camera is a bit unique but fun. I'm surprised how they managed to pull that out without making a whole mess when Muffin starts running.
    - bombcar 2y ago
      As the family tech guy, I felt it when the screen started going bonkers as Muffin ran through the various wifi areas. And that final sad flip and dive ... pocketbooks not yet BORN felt that one.
- RALaBarge 2y ago
  I and my kids like Daniel Tiger, but admittedly I watched a lot of Mr. Rogers
- legitster 2y ago
paxys 2y ago
My family loves Bluey, but considering we're at the stage where an entertainment publication is describing it as a "$2B juggernaut", I'm afraid American capitalism is well on its way to ruining another good thing.
- OccamsMirror 2y ago
  I think Joe Brumm stepping down is a signal that the magic is gone and the suits at Disney have taken over. Oh well, at least a handful of people got to become really really rich.
  - sanderjd 2y ago
    This makes me sad :( But there are already so many great episodes!
- Apocryphon 2y ago
  Technically it’s an Australian production
johng 2y ago
I loved the Hank the cowdog books when I was a kid. Anyone else?
- gallamine 2y ago
  All my kids listen to those audiobooks on repeat. Narrated (and sung!) buy the author.
- paradox460 2y ago
  Yup. They've become somewhat difficult to acquire through legitimate means, unfortunately
jboggan 2y ago
One thing I really appreciate about the show is the music - so many of the best episodes are extended musical variations on great themes from classical music, and done so skillfully that you don't realize you're listening to Mozart's "Rondo Alla Turca" or Saint-Saens' "Organ Symphony" until you're at the emotional climax of the episode when the entire piece is restated, which has been priming you for a big theme or breakthrough in the story. This is strongest in the "Sleepytime" episode which is based on the "Jupiter" movement of Holst's "The Planets" . . . honestly I have to skip this episode when it comes up because it makes me tear up so much, and most parents I know who also watch the show have similar reactions. "Sleepytime" is really art.
- phillmv 2y ago
  oh wow we watched this episode a few days ago; i missed the Holst connection, and yes I also felt tears in my eyes at the denouement. definitely hugged my kids harder after that one.
  - danielvaughn 2y ago
    I’ve seen the episode a few times with my infant daughter, and honestly it might be my favorite tv episode of any show, ever.
- simonsquiff 2y ago
  Oh yes the music is amazing. ‘Rain’ is a particularly lovely original composition. The soundtracks are on Spotify etc and well worth a listen
  - thefreeman 2y ago
    rain is my favorite episode. it so perfectly encapsulates the curiosity and innocence of childhood and the music is incredible. so much emotion for an episode with basically no dialogue.
    - NoNotTheDuo 2y ago
bitwize 2y ago
I and especially my sister grew up on Sesame Street, Mister Rogers, and a near endless supply of low-key foreign animation shown through that primordial Nickelodeon show, Pinwheel. (The Magic Roundabout, Paddington Bear, that sort of thing.) The difference in quality between children's programming then and more recently was such that when my nephew was little, my sister outright banned him from watching certain "age-appropriate" shows and even entire networks like Nickelodeon. It's refreshing to see shows like Bluey that are thoroughly modern, but produced with old-school values: respect kids' intelligence, show positive role models, be realistic about feelings and conflict, and keep everything low-key and don't amp the kids up.
- deleted 2y ago
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alberth 2y ago
Bluey is like Seinfeld. It's timeless, everyone gets a laugh (including parents) and is a "show about nothing" (just the daily lives of family dynamics). As a parent, I really appreciate the show and no other show can compare. (For those who haven't seen it, it's more akin to a family sitcom than a traditional kids show/cartoon)
- hnlmorg 2y ago
  > For those who haven't seen it, it's more akin to a family sitcom than a traditional kids show/cartoon That’s a really good way of describing it. It really does have that kind of vibe to it.
- WorldMaker 2y ago
  Some of this comes from watching Bluey in a literal fever binge and believing I wrote a PhD dissertation on the show because it touched so many half-forgotten things from my Masters Degree's "individual studies": I think an interesting thing to Bluey is that it is not just a "show about nothing". It's not just the daily lives and family dynamics, it actually has a central point embedded in even the studio name (Ludo Studios), which is the importance of play and games (Ludo relates to the latin for play from which we also get modern fancy terms like ludology, the study of games, and ludonarrative dissonance, the difference between what a game's story is trying to tell and what its mechanics and play style is telling), not just for fun (but also for fun), but in learning good conflict resolution and safely exploring your identity and your relationships with others and things you might want to be or grow up to do and understanding complex systems by analyzing their rulesets and playstyles and more. There's always at least one game in every episode. It hit me early in my fever dream of a binge watch: even the intro is itself a game. One of the many simple "freeze"/"simon says"/"red light/green light"/"musical chairs" variants (the show calls it "statues" in one episode), dance while the music plays and freeze when the music stops and if you move while you are supposed to be frozen you lose. (I cheered loudly at the first episode where Bluey doesn't win the intro game. It was a lovely reward for never skipping the intro.) There's so many good lessons about games as a lifelong tool scattered across nearly every episode, as a part of what makes the family dynamics so bright and exciting.
quercusa 2y ago
So, better than Caillou?
- manmal 2y ago
  For parents, most definitely. I have a hard time sitting through a Caillou episode. Bluey is also way more authentic, in that interactions could really happen exactly like that in real life. Compared directly, Caillou seems synthetic.
- Gothmog69 2y ago
  is it nicer to lick a cupcake than satan's asshole?
mandalorianer 2y ago
I don't why Bluey is so popular whereas almost nobody knows "Pete the cat" which has a way better message to kids, families, siblings.
- Cyph0n 2y ago
  +1. I think Bluey is great for parents, but I can think of many shows that are better for children. Better in the sense that they teach children how to deal with challenges at their age and how to navigate the world around them.
  - mcphage 2y ago
    What are some that you enjoy?
    - Cyph0n 2y ago
      It depends on age, but almost anything by PBS Kids is excellent. Prime and Netflix have a few good ones too. Some good shows I found for my son: * Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood - spiritual spinoff from Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood * Elinor Wonders Why * Word World * Peg + Cat * Numberblocks and Alphablocks for learning about numbers and words * Guess How Much I Love You * Trash Truck * Hero Elementary * Mecha Builders * Stillwater * Sid the Science Kid
      - relaxing 2y ago
        Numberblocks goes hard in the later seasons, but sadly Netflix no longer has those. I really enjoyed the adaptation of El Deafo on AppleTV. Its brilliant use of audio effects to explain the evolving technology of the little girl’s hearing aids had me in tears.
        youainti 2y ago
        Colourblocks is another great one from the BBC. The two things I really like about CB and NB is that 1. they are designed to be part of a curriculum and so they build across episodes. 2. Every so often the songwriters decide to remind you that they are capable and not just ripping off old songs like other shows do.
dustbunny 2y ago
My favorite episodes are Army, Sleepy Time
mmmlinux 2y ago
Am I the only one that thinks it's crazy that an extremely popular children's show, with all kinds of merch and what not. is only worth 2B. When websites are getting sold in the 10s of B range.
- markus_zhang 2y ago
  Wait until some VC or other funds jump on the wagon.
- bombcar 2y ago
  Media like TV shows, etc, is easy to exactly work out how much "it'll make" - in merchandising, movie deals, etc. Especially when established. Websites and businesses are much harder to predict. You might have the next Google, or you might have the next Pets dot com.
- geodel 2y ago
  You may be only one. Because businesses that deal in pure software/vaporware have been priced much higher for long time compare to businesses that deal with lot of people / physical products.
- sanderjd 2y ago
  Ha good point. If there was any justice in the world, Bluey would be worth about as much as Amazon.
- youainti 2y ago
  $2B across approximately 40 hours of content. That puts each 7 minute episode at value of about $5.8 million.
- manduz 2y ago
  [dead]
john2x 2y ago
A couple of other great kid/parent shows: - Hilda on Netflix - more appropriate for 9+ year olds but my 5 year old loves it. Has some genuinely scary moments though especially the later seasons - The Gruffalo, Stick Man, Snail and the Whale, etc - based on the books - Avatar the Last Airbender - for older kids but has one of the best character arcs
- elsonrodriguez 2y ago
  Same here, it's been so difficult to find good shows after Bluey and Avatar. The gap between those two shows and everything else is almost breathtaking.
- prawn 2y ago
  Maybe review for appropriateness for your kids, but my kids and I like watching these little animal shorts. https://www.naturalhabitatshorts.com/shorts https://www.naturalhabitatshorts.com/shorts We quote this one especially all the time. https://www.naturalhabitatshorts.com/shorts?pgid=ku471zfv-b9fc58b9-4d1b-4d8b-ad21-db68df6ab3b6 https://www.naturalhabitatshorts.com/shorts?pgid=ku471zfv-b9... "Gerald... That's not a proper hello." "Jason, get in there."
  - resoluteteeth 2y ago
    A lot of them are pretty dark. I'm not sure I would show them to young kids.
- sanderjd 2y ago
  Yes! We also love Hilda. It's not great in the relatable way Bluey is, but it's just good art, in a way that is also appealing to kids.
- donatj 2y ago
  Hilda is absolutely fantastic! I enjoy it and my daughter is enthralled by it. Steven Universe is a similar and fantastic show. Maybe a little more mature, particularly in later seasons, but I'm more than happy to let my young kids watch it. I didn't particularly enjoy the follow up Steven University Future however. For Younger kids, Puffin Rock is unbeatable in my book.
bag_boy 2y ago
I became a better parent from watching the show. I take role playing with my daughter more seriously now. I used to feel a little uncomfortable being really silly (hard after a stressful day). Now I try to embrace how silly she is and try to play along. It takes A LOT more concentration. What a wonderful show. Contrast this with Cocomelon, which is basically screen crack for kids. I hate that my daughter watched one second of Cocomelon!
fma 2y ago
Can we get a discussion going on where other parents are finding high quality media for kids to consume? YouTube Kids is a definite no. YT Kids feels like it's intentionally made to brainwash your child and having unsuspecting parents let their guard down with the "Kids" in the app name. From my experimentation it is far worse than regular YouTube. YouTube, need to watch them carefully and catch the YT algorithm trying to insert bad videos. I have been mainly relying on Epic & PBS Kids - but feel an expansion is needed.
- deleted 2y ago
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- clickitongue 2y ago
  I'd like to put a good word in for Trash Truck. We all love it. I guess it can't quite compete with Bluey in the life lessons department - they're more simple, maybe better for younger kids. But it's definitely lovely and friendly and fun.
  - wisemang 2y ago
    It’s very calm, which I really appreciate about it compared to the wild energy in other shows. Sadly my toddler is more drawn to the intense colours and action of Paw Patrol. Which is a whole other thing in this age of streaming.. when they know you could just pick something else, they will immediately complain and ask for that instead of just needing to accept what is being shown.
- legitster 2y ago
  YouTube Kids is legitimately awful. And the content filters are a joke. We've been using the Dude Perfect app lately. It's got ads, but it only features a select few YouTubers that focus on kid friendly content. And everything is screened by a real person. So it lets our kids watch YouTube without the "endless trash" content feed.
  - ziml77 2y ago
    I've heard about videos being marked as kids content automatically simply because it's animated. It not only sucks for people who expect YT Kids to be kid-friendly but it also sucks for the creators who don't want their adult-oriented content being shown to kids and who get less ad revenue due to less valuable ads being show against their video. It would be better for everyone if Google would turn YT Kids into a manually curated service. I think that even Google would benefit from getting more people trusting YT Kids. But unfortunately having humans in the loop is not the Google way, so it will never happen.
doctorpangloss 2y ago
From the article: > “How you going, Bingo? I can feel my sausages burning,” Bandit implores. Bingo replies, “I started just doing a wee, and now it turned into poo.” > “I’d never seen a children’s show talk about real life like that,” says Kay. “I thought, ‘This is charming, funny and real.’” From https://theonion.com/next-episode-of-girls-to-feature-lena-dunham-shitting-h-1819574677/ https://theonion.com/next-episode-of-girls-to-feature-lena-d... Next Episode Of 'Girls' To Feature Lena Dunham Shitting Herself During Gyno Exam While Eating A Burrito > “When a naked Hannah dribbled hot sauce all over herself in front of the doctor, shit in every corner of the office, cried, became angry with the doctor, had sex with the doctor, finished her burrito, had sex with the doctor again, shit herself again, and then realized who she was really angry at and sexually attracted to was Adam, I just closed my eyes and said, ‘Thank you.’ These are real girls with real bodies doing things that real girls do.”
croisillon 2y ago
Related: A look at the creative process behind Bluey and Cocomelon (9 days ago - 216 comments) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43339206 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43339206
Sohcahtoa82 2y ago
I first heard a bunch about Bluey from TheOdd1sOut, a fun YouTuber featuring humorous and relatable slice-of-life content. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEQHiJVH79o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEQHiJVH79o One of the things he talks about is something other commenters have mentioned - It's just as much a show for the parents, and in some cases, directly addresses the parents, but not in a fourth-wall-breaking way. They're not really talking to the parent, but it's one character talking to another, but it's drawn so that the character is looking at the viewer.
legitster 2y ago
For a road trip we put on the Ramona Quimby audiobooks and I was shocked at how much better they were than I remembered, and how similar of a feeling they gave me to Bluey. It comes from the minutiae and details of childhood psychology. To a small child, a pair of new red boots is so much more than a pair of red boots. It's not only relatable to kids, but the magic is that it reminds me what it's like to be a kid, and helps me relate to them.
- paradox460 2y ago
  Beverly Cleary was a staple of my early reading, heavily pushed on me as a grade schooler because she lived in Los Alamos, where I grew up. I still remember Ralph the motorcycle riding mouse, as well as more mature books like tiger blood. I've got a few copies stashed away for when my kids are a bit older, and I'm glad I do, as the kids sections of the local b&n is dire
- ip26 2y ago
  It was amazing how riveting my kids found Henry Huggins. In those pages, for them, saving money to buy a football became as compelling as anything.
tomhoward 2y ago
For those not aware… The voice actor for Bandit, Dave McCormack, was not previously known as an actor or voice artist, but he has been known in Australia since the early 90s as an indie rock band frontman. The band he fronted, Custard, started getting airplay on Australia’s national youth radio station, Triple J, in about 1993, and they became a staple of the live music scene - especially uni student bars, live rock pubs and summer festivals - for all the 90s. They quit in 2000 but reformed in 2009 and are still recording albums and playing gigs. They’re worth checking out [1] if you were into quirky 90s bands like Ween, Dino Jr, Flaming Lips, Ben Folds Five, etc. Full of grungy chords and riffs but mostly major key, happy/fun/funny compositions and lyrics. Very high energy and entertaining. Some nice slower jangly country ballads thrown in there too. I think they’re the only band I ever stage-dived to, so I guess technically I’ve been “on stage with Bluey’s dad”. Most music lovers in Australia now in their 40s knew of them, and I’m sure it was a factor in the casting to tap into the nostalgia of the people who are now parents of the kids Bluey is aimed at. [1] It’s all on Spotify/Apple Music etc. Wisenheimer and Wahooti Fandango are their peak albums and Apartment, Lucky Star, Pack Yr Suitcase and Singlette are the songs that best convey their vibe.
- drekipus 2y ago
  I told my father-in-law about this, he didn't know anything about custard, but he pulled out a CD that he had of "Dave McCormack and the Polaroids" Sure enough same guy, played at a pub down the road from us last year or so. Very musically talented guy. It's so strange being a younger Australian and realising that we don't have to import fame/stardom from America. We got talent right here.
  - naikrovek 2y ago
    I’m American and I lived in Sydney for two years from 2001-2003. > we got talent right here You have no idea how right you are. Or maybe you do… There are writers and musicians and … every kind of talent on par with anything anyone else in any country has ever done. It was extremely eye opening for me to listen to TripleJ or whatever station I would tune to after hearing some American pop junk, and hear music I’ve never heard, before or since, by bands I never heard before or since, play some of the best music I have ever heard, every single day I was there. And, that music was unlike a lot of other stuff on the radio, which was so refreshing. So new! So good! And so much! My girlfriend (who was Australian and is why I moved there) pulled out her CDs and I was lost in them for weeks. I was roommates with a guy, and worked with him, for six months before he texted me and told me to turn on the radio. Three minutes later I heard his voice followed by 45 minutes of the best DJ mixing set I have ever heard. He composed the best music I have ever heard, live, by ear, and it was something he did every damn week. Australia is fucking amazing.
hackbuildroam 2y ago
20k hertz did some interviews with the Bluey creators, https://www.20k.org/episodes/thesoundofbluey https://www.20k.org/episodes/thesoundofbluey Neet to see something start from a idea and grown to be so big and still manage to keep humble.
_spduchamp 2y ago
Bluey helped me out immensely at my research job. I was watching it with my daughter and in the episode, the father says, "Obstacles don't block the path. They are the path." It was a big ah-ha! moment that completely changed my attitude about the frustration I was having in my research. Then looking at my journal notes, it was all about obstacles and how to work through and around them, and that shift in perspective really accelerated my work.
- h0l0cube 2y ago
  You'd like this book https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Obstacle_Is_the_Way https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Obstacle_Is_the_Way
  - robotnikman 2y ago
    Seconding this book, this is one I go back to every once in a while.
  - Tyr42 2y ago
    Thanks, bought it. Turns out it's on sale now too: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=tOzwEAAAQBAJ https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=tOzwEAAAQBAJ
- SkittlesNTwix 2y ago
  > "Obstacles don't block the path. They are the path." This is a modern translation of what Marcus Aurelius said in "Meditations", his private diary. This particular paraphrasing and interpretation is by Ryan Holiday, a modern stoic with many books on the topic to his name. You would enjoy them. The original quote: "In one respect man is the nearest thing to me, so far as I must do good to men and endure them. But so far as some men make themselves obstacles to my proper acts, man becomes to me one of the things which are indifferent, no less than the sun or wind or a wild beast. Now it is true that these may impede my action, but they are no impediments to my affects and disposition, which have the power of acting conditionally and changing: for the mind converts and changes every hindrance to its activity into an aid; and so that which is a hindrance is made a furtherance to an act; and that which is an obstacle on the road helps us on this road." Meditations, 5.20 Marcus Aurelius https://lexundria.com/m_aur_med/5.20/lg https://lexundria.com/m_aur_med/5.20/lg
harry8 2y ago
In Aus, among the most traditional and emotionally hardest of hard men includes the cricket community. It involves physical pain “suck it up!” And psychological warfare and abuse. Bluey reduced most of them to tears in episode 47 of season 3. Directed right at them and if you’re not a cricketer it will be tough to see why it’s extraordinary. Just a huge wow of a piece of writing for those of us who grew up with the game and its associated culture. In Bluey, it’s all great, all of it. But the writing is something beyond that.
king_magic 2y ago
Bluey has made be a better father and partner. Unicorse was ZERO help as usual though.
october8140 2y ago
Bluey is a show for everyone. Even if you don’t have kids it’s worth watching.
grahar64 2y ago
1. Cricket 2. The sign 3. Sleepytime 4. Old ladies
- sanderjd 2y ago
  hahaha love Old Ladies.
naikrovek 2y ago
That this show came from Australia is telling, to me. TV execs in the US would never greenlight a show like this for production, and if they did, they would not be as hands-off as this show appears to be. This show is created 100% by creative people, and they are doing a bang-up job. Zero entertainment executives in the USA would ever allow a show to be made without their own shitty changes stapled on.
shirro 2y ago
Bluey was funded by the Australian ABC and British BBC. Both public broadcasters with a strong commitment to quality children's programming. It wasn't created to sell Hasbro toys or Disney merchandise or increase children's Youtube watch time. The merch and Disney streaming came later because the show is obviously brilliant. Bluey isn't just good family programming. It is a snapshot of Australian culture and family values which would likely never be made in a world controlled by huge multinationals.
- bolognafairy 2y ago
  Bluey is unusually good even for the ABC, but the floor on children’s programming is just so much lower in the US. Sure, America’s obsession with Bluey stems in part from its on-again off-again fetishisation of Australia. But, Christ, I’m Australian and recently spent a few weeks in the US, and, fuck me, American TV just sucks so much.
- tomaskafka 2y ago
  Came to say this - it’s good because it was made with love and respect for kids and parents rather than to just turn children into frogs and sell them plastic figurines. Rare sight.
keepamovin 2y ago
OMG everyone is so gushing over this. I have to see this! How have i never seen this? where can I see it?
- tobyhinloopen 2y ago
  Disney+ for me, but it might differ per country
manduz 2y ago
[dead]
waltbosz 2y ago
I found this thread really interesting because of the variety of peoples' favorite episodes and particularly which episodes evoked an emotional response. Some episodes named don't resonate with me at all, which just goes to show how we all have such different life experiences. "Rain" is my favorite. The shots, the story, the music, the lack of dialog. "The Sign" was my biggest tearjerker. Also, I came across this musician who makes great EDM remixes of Bluey songs, I recommend checking him out: https://www.youtube.com/@MicJaiy/search?query=bluey https://www.youtube.com/@MicJaiy/search?query=bluey
donatj 2y ago
We have two young kids, and have friends and family who are enamored with Bluey. Every time we're over they put it on because they need us to like it too. I've seen so many episodes because everyone puts it on when we're over and I just... don't... get it. My children's attention isn't captured by it, and neither my wife nor I enjoy it. The kids in the show are just kind of annoying, needy and of out of control. Things I don't want my kids to emulate. The parents feed into it and treat the behavior like it's ok. I also don't feel like the stories have particularly great takeaways for kids most of the time. It's a minor gripe but I really find the staccato melodica theme song full of awkward pauses to be quite grating. Everyone is free to like what they like. You are free to love Bluey. I just wish people would stop trying to make us like it, and stop making us watch it.
- jhrmnn 2y ago
  May be down to parenting style indeed. > kind of annoying, needy and of out of control. […] The parents feed into it and treat the behavior like it's ok. Not how I would characterize it.
- shadowgovt 2y ago
  The behavior is ok. What is acceptable varies from household to household.
- jbd28 2y ago
  either you've seen the wrong episodes over and over, or you're just not approaching it with any sort of an open mind. even in the opening song you don't like the "staccato melodica" theme song, its just a small snippet of a longer song their musical director composed that the creator decided to snip down and turn into a game of musical statues...its just supposed to be fun! and there are episodes like Cricket where it is nothing but kids behaving ideally and overcoming real challenges
  - donatj 2y ago
    So I pulled up Cricket just now and watched through it, as I'd seen it mentioned a few times in here. I can see why someone would enjoy that particular episode. It's lighthearted and sappy. However, a sizable portion of the episodes short runtime is Rusty smashing a cricket ball against the side of his parents house, visibly damaging the siding, with zero on-screen repercussions. That's exactly the sort of thing I don't want my child emulating, and the show makes it seem like it's an ok behavior. Children copy things they see. If you're going to show a child doing something they shouldn't it needs to be at the very least shown in a negative light. All the show needed to do was have the final couple seconds of the episode be his mom standing next to the damage yelling "Rusty!", it would have made for a good comedic closer and shown kids that it's a problem.
froggertoaster 2y ago
https://archive.is/U9zh6 https://archive.is/U9zh6
lproven 2y ago
Nobody seems to have mentioned it, so I thought it deserved credit... I am fairly sure that the episode "Handstand": https://www.bluey.tv/watch/season-2/handstand/ https://www.bluey.tv/watch/season-2/handstand/ ... in which Nana can't actively help with the party, and nobody will take the time to watch Bingo's handstand, is an intentional homage to an (at the time) award-winning Ariston TV advert from 1970s. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUVs7vXNZiw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUVs7vXNZiw Its video-game themed music, and ground-breaking video editing, looping a clip while adding more and more characters and action each repetition, was mind-blowing ~40 years ago.
- markus_zhang 2y ago
  Pavlova is also homage to some NZ band I think. Bandit is basically speaking the same lines.
  - lproven 2y ago
    NZ and Aus have a history of arguing the toss over who invented drinks and foodstuffs. E.g. they both claim to have invented the style of coffee called a Flat White: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flat_white https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flat_white Pavlova is a popular fruit-and-meringue dessert invented by... let's be neutral: one of them. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pavlova https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pavlova Allegedly it was named for, or inspired by, the ballerina Anna Pavlova: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Pavlova https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Pavlova This itself is in turn a reference to another fruit-based dessert named for a classical music performa -- the Peach Melba: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peach_Melba https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peach_Melba That was named in honour of opera singer Dame Nellie Melba: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nellie_Melba https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nellie_Melba ... who was from Melbourne. (Pronounced MEL-bun by its locals, I'm told.)
- lproven 2y ago
  And now I discovered what inspired the Ariston advert: Zbigniew Rybczyński's video short Tango from 1980. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z27z7oLQb3o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z27z7oLQb3o
nomilk 2y ago
Interestingly, the 'episodes that made me want to cry' link (second paragraph) seems to be missing a src attribute, so it behaves like a link but when clicked doesn't go anywhere. I hadn't encountered that before: <a>episodes that made me want to cry </a>
sota_pop 2y ago
We are big fans of bluey. Also interesting to note that, it’s my understanding that it was a conscious choice to keep the identities of Bluey and Bingo secret in an effort to shield them from any ill effects of fame at such a young age. You don’t hear that very commonly for other shows.
blobbers 2y ago
Bluey is the type of show that you're not afraid to let your kids watch because the lessons it teaches are helpful. It also has enough silliness to keep them engaged without being didactic! And enough inside jokes that parents can have a laugh as well. It may very well be the best family show for small kids.

349 points by adrian_mrd 2y ago

>“The parents were so relatable and mirrored the parent I wanted to be,” Ooof fiction teaching Idealism. From Nietzsche to Plato, its agreed, fiction corrupts. One day the floury idealism will be seen not to work, and the damage will have already been done. I've seen Bluey, it was funny, it taught some general concepts... but if my kids are going to watch TV, why not Bill Nye the Science Guy or similar? Remember that these children's characters are corporate mascots, not friends.

Centigonal 2y ago
how is Bill Nye any less of a character than Bluey's parents?
- 01100011 2y ago
  Let your kids watch Bill Nye and then next thing you know they'll be into speedwalking and designing burger guns in the basement. IYKYK.
  - jjulius 2y ago
    God bless Almost Live!
hylaride 2y ago
Sir, it's a show for toddlers that adults can watch and relate to. Watch the repetitiveness of Daniel Tiger or the brain destroying Cocomelon (which should be banned) then get back to me.
- bitwize 2y ago
  I was rewatching Max Headroom recently and my favorite episode stood out to me. It's about an addictive game show called "Whacketts" which is so mind-numbingly insipid that even the punk operator of the pirate TV station that runs the show wonders why it's so popular. Turns out that the Whacketts broadcast is interlaced with a signal that looks like rapidly changing hexadecimal numbers and functions as a "drug" that induces euphoria in anyone who is visually exposed to it. When I was a kid I thought this was somewhat dodgy science fiction. As an adult in the age of Cocomelon and Skibidi Toilet, I'm not so sure.
  - TeMPOraL 2y ago
    Yeah, we imagined brainwashing would involve rapidly flashing hidden messages. In reality, it involves a head sticking out of a toilet. Hearing some of the things my elder daughter hears from other kids in the kindergarten, I sometimes wonder if we haven't jumped into some bizarro alternate universe.
    - Apocryphon 2y ago
      Are they all using tablets?
      - TeMPOraL 2y ago
        No, but some kids have slightly older siblings in primary school, and learn all kinds of crap from them.
        hylaride 2y ago
        That's a tale as old as time, though. In the 1980s, I got in trouble for using "this sucks" or "this blows" around grade one or two. It's now common slang, but it was still too close to its sexual origins at the time (which of course was over my head, but I of course wanted to emulate the older graders).
    - shadowgovt 2y ago
      Having actually sat down to watch Skibidi Toilet, it's fine. It's basically a series of over-the-top action sequences done with Garry's Mod assets. It's watching someone mashing action figures together that they kit-bashed out of other action figures. I'm looking forward to hearing the story of the animator that got inspired to go into the field by watching Skibidi Toilet. It's going to happen.
fkyoureadthedoc 2y ago
Bluey considered harmful? I won't hear of it. Get his ass.
- prawn 2y ago
  I have a morbid fascination with trying to predict the most down-voted comment theme for any given HN thread. I was quite excited to find out how someone would inevitably manage to enrage people in a Bluey thread, but someone managed!
  - Braxton1980 2y ago
    I didn't see any comments about her being blue
jasonjayr 2y ago
"I'm not going to take advice from a cartoon dog" - is exactly one of the lines in the show. There are shows geared to teach science in appropriate ways to kids in this same demographic. But that's not the point of Bluey -- it's modeling an ideal family, in a way that's understandable to young children, while being relatable for their parents to watch and appreciate along side with them. They represent a loving, functional family, that likes to have fun, and sometimes has hard issues to deal with, that children get to see. For some families it's an unattainable ideal, and for others it's a mirror of a modern 20-30yo parents raising young kids, complete with modern situations. It's hard to stress out just how perfectly they nail a show that both kids + parents can watch, that they both find enjoyable, in this demographic, without pandering, or being annoying about it, because it's such a rare find. The praise this franchise receives is extremely well deserved.
jjulius 2y ago
>... but if my kids are going to watch TV, why not Bill Nye the Science Guy or similar? This comparison almost makes me wonder if you have kids.
- jamiek88 2y ago
  Right? Completely different shows, ages, approach, intentions etc. Might as well have said ‘watch masterchef instead’.
- stuaxo 2y ago
  (Or have watched much Bluey).
mikeocool 2y ago
Somebody doesn't have kids
- resource_waste 2y ago
  I have 5.
  - audunw 2y ago
    And do they only watch science shows teaching STEM subjects? Or do they get to watch shows that have some emotional lessons as well? If so, what shows? I think people are reacting because Bill Nye is not even remotely in the same category. It has a different kind of value, and frankly it’s not as important as the kind of value kids get from Bluey. It’s very nice if kids learn science. Great even. But the most important things kid can get from TV shows (if anything, it’s okay to watch things for fun as well) is to learn social skills. Bluey has a lot of that, and it does it without being annoying about it like Daniel Tiger. It’s a good balance
    - infecto 2y ago
      It also feels like a show for kids graduating out of Bluey.
  - skinkestek 2y ago
    Hi another person with 5 kids :-)
  - sanderjd 2y ago
    lol, funniest comment I've read on here in a long time.
kentonv 2y ago
Fiction gives us a channel to explore problems we wouldn't otherwise regularly see in our day-to-day lives, and learn about the right ways to answer them, so that when we are confronted with them for real, we have a better framework for dealing with them than our basic instincts provide. Real-world ethical problems tend to be much more complex than those presented in fiction, but that's exactly why we need fiction to provide us with the building blocks via easier-to-understand case studies.
mcphage 2y ago
> but if my kids are going to watch TV, why not Bill Nye the Science Guy or similar? “There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”
infecto 2y ago
Because Bluey is for 3-6 year olds or around that range and the most important thing for them to learn at this age is social skills. There is plenty of time after for Bill Nye.
light_triad 2y ago
Nietzsche and Plato were some of the best fiction writers ever produced. Storytelling, allegory, dramatic dialogue, compelling narratives, and 'myth making' can have different goals - sometimes it's to teach the glory of science. Other times it's about social relationships and how to be a functional human. Bluey works so well because the combination of kids' entertainment with adult themes and storylines portraying positive role models feels unforced - some folks may not enjoy it, that's fine.
- shadowgovt 2y ago
  Right? Plato criticizing fiction has to be one of the funniest things I've read. "We must stop making up stories. Now, have you heard about how we're all sitting in a cave watching a shadow-play of the actual reality happening outside the cave?"
Vaskivo 2y ago
There's an episode where the father is trying to teach Bluey to play chess. It is implied by the mother that he's only doing that because "all smart kids play chess, therefore she should learn chess." The teaching fails, not because she doesn't understand but because she and Bingo end up making up the fantasy of the game. (To the point that sacrificing a piece is a shock and abhorrent). It ends up with the mother intervening, beating the dad at the game and saying "Work on the heads later, for now, just hearts." So to you, I say: Bill Nye, yes. Bluey, yes too. Each in their own time... If the kids feel like it.
oluckyman 2y ago
[flagged]
squigz 2y ago
Storytelling has been integral to humanity's progression through the ages since day 0.
shadowgovt 2y ago
Plato wrote more fiction in his life than Joe Brumm has had a chance to yet.

deleted 2y ago

[deleted]

Verdex 2y ago

As a kids show bluey is adequate. However, I suspect its secret is that it's really a show for parents with young children that just happens to hold the attention of kids. My daughters like bluey (ages 3-8). But they also enjoy many things on TV and bluey doesn't stick out that much. On the other hand, I happened to be in the room for an episode where blueys dad is having a hard time making some sort of cake and bluey cleans up something to help him out without being prompted. I most definitely felt heard watching that episode.

owenfi 2y ago
Agree, except I think you missed the beginning of that episode. Like there are no overnight successes, there are many prompts and maybe not the best strategies (such as “I’ll give you a dollar if you clean up”).
slothtrop 2y ago
I think that's it. They've found a balance in "family" entertainment that is sophisticated enough to please adults, much the way Pixar and 90s Disney films had. The Simpsons at outset was also sort of like this for older kids. There was moral panic at the time, but it didn't prevent the show from being an incredible phenomenon, heavily merchandised the way Bluey is now. I must have been obsessed with the Simpsons since 7-8 years old.
wijwp 2y ago
> However, I suspect its secret is that it's really a show for parents with young children that just happens to hold the attention of kids. That's how a lot of successful children's movies/shows work in a way. Have you ever rewatched older kids movies as an adult and realized how many adult-level jokes they slipped in that you never noticed as a child? If you're asking parents to spend 1.5 hours at a movie theater, you better throw in some adult humor in there as well.
- Cyph0n 2y ago
  I don’t think inserting innuendo is necessary. In fact, I personally find it distasteful and nothing more than an easy way out. I think the proper way to do it is to include themes and/or characters that adults would relate with too. Ghibli movies are one example where this is done well (most of the time).

_mlbt 2y ago

What I really appreciate about Bluey is that it’s one of the few children’s shows with a really great and relatable Dad character. The Dad in most children’s shows is either barely present or a total idiot that nobody respects.

doh 2y ago
Hear hear
bombcar 2y ago
Bluey may have done more for fathers (and families) than anything in recent history. So many are dealing with fatherhood without having a role model themselves, and everything on TV being "fat dumb lovable idiot" sitcom-types. The episode "The Sign" is an incredibly deep story from multiple angles.
- zeroonetwothree 2y ago
  One of the best episodes of any show I’ve ever seen.
- op00to 2y ago
  He also normalizes farting in your kids’ faces. More seriously, Bluey is so enjoyable because the characters have dimensions and seem way more real than just about anything else on TV.. at least that you’d watch with kids.
  - grepfru_it 2y ago
    The dad is who you want to aspire to be when you see his relationship with his kids. Definitely sighup’d my idea of parenting after watching a few episodes
    - op00to 2y ago
      I think it sets a high bar, which is ok because they also show the parents at low points without making them look pitiful or less worthy of love.

sylens 2y ago

Different Bluey episodes resonate with different people for different reasons, but the Cricket episode from Season 3 is just about as perfect an episode of a kid's show as I've ever seen. In about 7 minutes it manages to tackle how being passionate about one of your interests or hobbies and sticking with it even when you experience setbacks pays off.

grokkedit 2y ago
my god cricket is the best episode, and it’s crazy that no information about any character is even remotely needed to appreciate it the authors created a great character in rusty
- yannyu 2y ago
  Fun fact, Rusty was originally going to be the main character. And if you put Bluey next to Rusty, you'll see they're the same shape, just colored differently. And yeah, absolutely amazing episode.
- whatusername 2y ago
  I'll echo this for anyone else in the comments -- You can watch the cricket episode with 0 knowledge of the show and 0 knowledge of cricket. If you haven't ever seen Bluey - it's a great example as to why so many speak so highly of it. If you haven't seen bluey but want to see what the fuss is (and especially if you have any interest in sports) -- it's only 7 minutes long and absolutely worth watching.
deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
relaxing 2y ago
The way they leave it up to the viewer to infer the reason Rusty practiced cricket on so many different surfaces was because his dad was stationed in Iraq in the Australian Army and therefore wasn’t around to pick him up after school is heart-wrenching, perfect writing.

markus_zhang 2y ago

Bluey is the best kids show we found. Or, maybe it's the best show for the parents. I'm literally watching it by myself after my kid goes to bed. I really appreciate that the show doesn't hesitate to include some ordinary parenting interactions like Muffin took Stripe's phone and he chased her through the whole house, and Bandit making shenanigans.

bombcar 2y ago
I think "FaceyTime" might be one of the best examples of where they COULD have gone standard and instead, went gold. It COULD have ended with a timeout and then Muffin being sulky and then cheering up, but it didn't. It COULD have ended with "Mom's right, Dad's wrong," but it didn't. It ended with gold. (The use of the cousins to display other child activities is also brilliant, they can have "bratty Muffin" without forcing Bingo or Bluey to be "overly bratty".)
- markus_zhang 2y ago
  Yeah there was really a lot of thoughts going into that episode. They don't have to show the ukulele but showing it confirms Muffin's characteristics. They don't have to show Bandit stretching himself at the beginning of the episode, either. Also the multi window camera is a bit unique but fun. I'm surprised how they managed to pull that out without making a whole mess when Muffin starts running.
  - bombcar 2y ago
    As the family tech guy, I felt it when the screen started going bonkers as Muffin ran through the various wifi areas. And that final sad flip and dive ... pocketbooks not yet BORN felt that one.
RALaBarge 2y ago
I and my kids like Daniel Tiger, but admittedly I watched a lot of Mr. Rogers
legitster 2y ago

paxys 2y ago

My family loves Bluey, but considering we're at the stage where an entertainment publication is describing it as a "$2B juggernaut", I'm afraid American capitalism is well on its way to ruining another good thing.

OccamsMirror 2y ago
I think Joe Brumm stepping down is a signal that the magic is gone and the suits at Disney have taken over. Oh well, at least a handful of people got to become really really rich.
- sanderjd 2y ago
  This makes me sad :( But there are already so many great episodes!
Apocryphon 2y ago
Technically it’s an Australian production

johng 2y ago

I loved the Hank the cowdog books when I was a kid. Anyone else?

gallamine 2y ago
All my kids listen to those audiobooks on repeat. Narrated (and sung!) buy the author.
paradox460 2y ago
Yup. They've become somewhat difficult to acquire through legitimate means, unfortunately

jboggan 2y ago

One thing I really appreciate about the show is the music - so many of the best episodes are extended musical variations on great themes from classical music, and done so skillfully that you don't realize you're listening to Mozart's "Rondo Alla Turca" or Saint-Saens' "Organ Symphony" until you're at the emotional climax of the episode when the entire piece is restated, which has been priming you for a big theme or breakthrough in the story. This is strongest in the "Sleepytime" episode which is based on the "Jupiter" movement of Holst's "The Planets" . . . honestly I have to skip this episode when it comes up because it makes me tear up so much, and most parents I know who also watch the show have similar reactions. "Sleepytime" is really art.

phillmv 2y ago
oh wow we watched this episode a few days ago; i missed the Holst connection, and yes I also felt tears in my eyes at the denouement. definitely hugged my kids harder after that one.
- danielvaughn 2y ago
  I’ve seen the episode a few times with my infant daughter, and honestly it might be my favorite tv episode of any show, ever.
simonsquiff 2y ago
Oh yes the music is amazing. ‘Rain’ is a particularly lovely original composition. The soundtracks are on Spotify etc and well worth a listen
- thefreeman 2y ago
  rain is my favorite episode. it so perfectly encapsulates the curiosity and innocence of childhood and the music is incredible. so much emotion for an episode with basically no dialogue.
  - NoNotTheDuo 2y ago

bitwize 2y ago

I and especially my sister grew up on Sesame Street, Mister Rogers, and a near endless supply of low-key foreign animation shown through that primordial Nickelodeon show, Pinwheel. (The Magic Roundabout, Paddington Bear, that sort of thing.) The difference in quality between children's programming then and more recently was such that when my nephew was little, my sister outright banned him from watching certain "age-appropriate" shows and even entire networks like Nickelodeon. It's refreshing to see shows like Bluey that are thoroughly modern, but produced with old-school values: respect kids' intelligence, show positive role models, be realistic about feelings and conflict, and keep everything low-key and don't amp the kids up.

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alberth 2y ago

Bluey is like Seinfeld. It's timeless, everyone gets a laugh (including parents) and is a "show about nothing" (just the daily lives of family dynamics). As a parent, I really appreciate the show and no other show can compare. (For those who haven't seen it, it's more akin to a family sitcom than a traditional kids show/cartoon)

hnlmorg 2y ago
> For those who haven't seen it, it's more akin to a family sitcom than a traditional kids show/cartoon That’s a really good way of describing it. It really does have that kind of vibe to it.
WorldMaker 2y ago
Some of this comes from watching Bluey in a literal fever binge and believing I wrote a PhD dissertation on the show because it touched so many half-forgotten things from my Masters Degree's "individual studies": I think an interesting thing to Bluey is that it is not just a "show about nothing". It's not just the daily lives and family dynamics, it actually has a central point embedded in even the studio name (Ludo Studios), which is the importance of play and games (Ludo relates to the latin for play from which we also get modern fancy terms like ludology, the study of games, and ludonarrative dissonance, the difference between what a game's story is trying to tell and what its mechanics and play style is telling), not just for fun (but also for fun), but in learning good conflict resolution and safely exploring your identity and your relationships with others and things you might want to be or grow up to do and understanding complex systems by analyzing their rulesets and playstyles and more. There's always at least one game in every episode. It hit me early in my fever dream of a binge watch: even the intro is itself a game. One of the many simple "freeze"/"simon says"/"red light/green light"/"musical chairs" variants (the show calls it "statues" in one episode), dance while the music plays and freeze when the music stops and if you move while you are supposed to be frozen you lose. (I cheered loudly at the first episode where Bluey doesn't win the intro game. It was a lovely reward for never skipping the intro.) There's so many good lessons about games as a lifelong tool scattered across nearly every episode, as a part of what makes the family dynamics so bright and exciting.

quercusa 2y ago

So, better than Caillou?

manmal 2y ago
For parents, most definitely. I have a hard time sitting through a Caillou episode. Bluey is also way more authentic, in that interactions could really happen exactly like that in real life. Compared directly, Caillou seems synthetic.
Gothmog69 2y ago
is it nicer to lick a cupcake than satan's asshole?

mandalorianer 2y ago

I don't why Bluey is so popular whereas almost nobody knows "Pete the cat" which has a way better message to kids, families, siblings.

Cyph0n 2y ago
+1. I think Bluey is great for parents, but I can think of many shows that are better for children. Better in the sense that they teach children how to deal with challenges at their age and how to navigate the world around them.
- mcphage 2y ago
  What are some that you enjoy?
  - Cyph0n 2y ago
    It depends on age, but almost anything by PBS Kids is excellent. Prime and Netflix have a few good ones too. Some good shows I found for my son: * Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood - spiritual spinoff from Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood * Elinor Wonders Why * Word World * Peg + Cat * Numberblocks and Alphablocks for learning about numbers and words * Guess How Much I Love You * Trash Truck * Hero Elementary * Mecha Builders * Stillwater * Sid the Science Kid
    - relaxing 2y ago
      Numberblocks goes hard in the later seasons, but sadly Netflix no longer has those. I really enjoyed the adaptation of El Deafo on AppleTV. Its brilliant use of audio effects to explain the evolving technology of the little girl’s hearing aids had me in tears.
      - youainti 2y ago
        Colourblocks is another great one from the BBC. The two things I really like about CB and NB is that 1. they are designed to be part of a curriculum and so they build across episodes. 2. Every so often the songwriters decide to remind you that they are capable and not just ripping off old songs like other shows do.

dustbunny 2y ago

My favorite episodes are Army, Sleepy Time

mmmlinux 2y ago

Am I the only one that thinks it's crazy that an extremely popular children's show, with all kinds of merch and what not. is only worth 2B. When websites are getting sold in the 10s of B range.

markus_zhang 2y ago
Wait until some VC or other funds jump on the wagon.
bombcar 2y ago
Media like TV shows, etc, is easy to exactly work out how much "it'll make" - in merchandising, movie deals, etc. Especially when established. Websites and businesses are much harder to predict. You might have the next Google, or you might have the next Pets dot com.
geodel 2y ago
You may be only one. Because businesses that deal in pure software/vaporware have been priced much higher for long time compare to businesses that deal with lot of people / physical products.
sanderjd 2y ago
Ha good point. If there was any justice in the world, Bluey would be worth about as much as Amazon.
youainti 2y ago
$2B across approximately 40 hours of content. That puts each 7 minute episode at value of about $5.8 million.
manduz 2y ago
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john2x 2y ago

A couple of other great kid/parent shows: - Hilda on Netflix - more appropriate for 9+ year olds but my 5 year old loves it. Has some genuinely scary moments though especially the later seasons - The Gruffalo, Stick Man, Snail and the Whale, etc - based on the books - Avatar the Last Airbender - for older kids but has one of the best character arcs

elsonrodriguez 2y ago
Same here, it's been so difficult to find good shows after Bluey and Avatar. The gap between those two shows and everything else is almost breathtaking.
prawn 2y ago
Maybe review for appropriateness for your kids, but my kids and I like watching these little animal shorts. https://www.naturalhabitatshorts.com/shorts https://www.naturalhabitatshorts.com/shorts We quote this one especially all the time. https://www.naturalhabitatshorts.com/shorts?pgid=ku471zfv-b9fc58b9-4d1b-4d8b-ad21-db68df6ab3b6 https://www.naturalhabitatshorts.com/shorts?pgid=ku471zfv-b9... "Gerald... That's not a proper hello." "Jason, get in there."
- resoluteteeth 2y ago
  A lot of them are pretty dark. I'm not sure I would show them to young kids.
sanderjd 2y ago
Yes! We also love Hilda. It's not great in the relatable way Bluey is, but it's just good art, in a way that is also appealing to kids.
donatj 2y ago
Hilda is absolutely fantastic! I enjoy it and my daughter is enthralled by it. Steven Universe is a similar and fantastic show. Maybe a little more mature, particularly in later seasons, but I'm more than happy to let my young kids watch it. I didn't particularly enjoy the follow up Steven University Future however. For Younger kids, Puffin Rock is unbeatable in my book.

bag_boy 2y ago

I became a better parent from watching the show. I take role playing with my daughter more seriously now. I used to feel a little uncomfortable being really silly (hard after a stressful day). Now I try to embrace how silly she is and try to play along. It takes A LOT more concentration. What a wonderful show. Contrast this with Cocomelon, which is basically screen crack for kids. I hate that my daughter watched one second of Cocomelon!

fma 2y ago

Can we get a discussion going on where other parents are finding high quality media for kids to consume? YouTube Kids is a definite no. YT Kids feels like it's intentionally made to brainwash your child and having unsuspecting parents let their guard down with the "Kids" in the app name. From my experimentation it is far worse than regular YouTube. YouTube, need to watch them carefully and catch the YT algorithm trying to insert bad videos. I have been mainly relying on Epic & PBS Kids - but feel an expansion is needed.

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clickitongue 2y ago
I'd like to put a good word in for Trash Truck. We all love it. I guess it can't quite compete with Bluey in the life lessons department - they're more simple, maybe better for younger kids. But it's definitely lovely and friendly and fun.
- wisemang 2y ago
  It’s very calm, which I really appreciate about it compared to the wild energy in other shows. Sadly my toddler is more drawn to the intense colours and action of Paw Patrol. Which is a whole other thing in this age of streaming.. when they know you could just pick something else, they will immediately complain and ask for that instead of just needing to accept what is being shown.
legitster 2y ago
YouTube Kids is legitimately awful. And the content filters are a joke. We've been using the Dude Perfect app lately. It's got ads, but it only features a select few YouTubers that focus on kid friendly content. And everything is screened by a real person. So it lets our kids watch YouTube without the "endless trash" content feed.
- ziml77 2y ago
  I've heard about videos being marked as kids content automatically simply because it's animated. It not only sucks for people who expect YT Kids to be kid-friendly but it also sucks for the creators who don't want their adult-oriented content being shown to kids and who get less ad revenue due to less valuable ads being show against their video. It would be better for everyone if Google would turn YT Kids into a manually curated service. I think that even Google would benefit from getting more people trusting YT Kids. But unfortunately having humans in the loop is not the Google way, so it will never happen.

doctorpangloss 2y ago

From the article: > “How you going, Bingo? I can feel my sausages burning,” Bandit implores. Bingo replies, “I started just doing a wee, and now it turned into poo.” > “I’d never seen a children’s show talk about real life like that,” says Kay. “I thought, ‘This is charming, funny and real.’” From https://theonion.com/next-episode-of-girls-to-feature-lena-dunham-shitting-h-1819574677/ https://theonion.com/next-episode-of-girls-to-feature-lena-d... Next Episode Of 'Girls' To Feature Lena Dunham Shitting Herself During Gyno Exam While Eating A Burrito > “When a naked Hannah dribbled hot sauce all over herself in front of the doctor, shit in every corner of the office, cried, became angry with the doctor, had sex with the doctor, finished her burrito, had sex with the doctor again, shit herself again, and then realized who she was really angry at and sexually attracted to was Adam, I just closed my eyes and said, ‘Thank you.’ These are real girls with real bodies doing things that real girls do.”

croisillon 2y ago

Related: A look at the creative process behind Bluey and Cocomelon (9 days ago - 216 comments) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43339206 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43339206

Sohcahtoa82 2y ago

I first heard a bunch about Bluey from TheOdd1sOut, a fun YouTuber featuring humorous and relatable slice-of-life content. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEQHiJVH79o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEQHiJVH79o One of the things he talks about is something other commenters have mentioned - It's just as much a show for the parents, and in some cases, directly addresses the parents, but not in a fourth-wall-breaking way. They're not really talking to the parent, but it's one character talking to another, but it's drawn so that the character is looking at the viewer.

legitster 2y ago

For a road trip we put on the Ramona Quimby audiobooks and I was shocked at how much better they were than I remembered, and how similar of a feeling they gave me to Bluey. It comes from the minutiae and details of childhood psychology. To a small child, a pair of new red boots is so much more than a pair of red boots. It's not only relatable to kids, but the magic is that it reminds me what it's like to be a kid, and helps me relate to them.

paradox460 2y ago
Beverly Cleary was a staple of my early reading, heavily pushed on me as a grade schooler because she lived in Los Alamos, where I grew up. I still remember Ralph the motorcycle riding mouse, as well as more mature books like tiger blood. I've got a few copies stashed away for when my kids are a bit older, and I'm glad I do, as the kids sections of the local b&n is dire
ip26 2y ago
It was amazing how riveting my kids found Henry Huggins. In those pages, for them, saving money to buy a football became as compelling as anything.

tomhoward 2y ago

For those not aware… The voice actor for Bandit, Dave McCormack, was not previously known as an actor or voice artist, but he has been known in Australia since the early 90s as an indie rock band frontman. The band he fronted, Custard, started getting airplay on Australia’s national youth radio station, Triple J, in about 1993, and they became a staple of the live music scene - especially uni student bars, live rock pubs and summer festivals - for all the 90s. They quit in 2000 but reformed in 2009 and are still recording albums and playing gigs. They’re worth checking out [1] if you were into quirky 90s bands like Ween, Dino Jr, Flaming Lips, Ben Folds Five, etc. Full of grungy chords and riffs but mostly major key, happy/fun/funny compositions and lyrics. Very high energy and entertaining. Some nice slower jangly country ballads thrown in there too. I think they’re the only band I ever stage-dived to, so I guess technically I’ve been “on stage with Bluey’s dad”. Most music lovers in Australia now in their 40s knew of them, and I’m sure it was a factor in the casting to tap into the nostalgia of the people who are now parents of the kids Bluey is aimed at. [1] It’s all on Spotify/Apple Music etc. Wisenheimer and Wahooti Fandango are their peak albums and Apartment, Lucky Star, Pack Yr Suitcase and Singlette are the songs that best convey their vibe.

drekipus 2y ago
I told my father-in-law about this, he didn't know anything about custard, but he pulled out a CD that he had of "Dave McCormack and the Polaroids" Sure enough same guy, played at a pub down the road from us last year or so. Very musically talented guy. It's so strange being a younger Australian and realising that we don't have to import fame/stardom from America. We got talent right here.
- naikrovek 2y ago
  I’m American and I lived in Sydney for two years from 2001-2003. > we got talent right here You have no idea how right you are. Or maybe you do… There are writers and musicians and … every kind of talent on par with anything anyone else in any country has ever done. It was extremely eye opening for me to listen to TripleJ or whatever station I would tune to after hearing some American pop junk, and hear music I’ve never heard, before or since, by bands I never heard before or since, play some of the best music I have ever heard, every single day I was there. And, that music was unlike a lot of other stuff on the radio, which was so refreshing. So new! So good! And so much! My girlfriend (who was Australian and is why I moved there) pulled out her CDs and I was lost in them for weeks. I was roommates with a guy, and worked with him, for six months before he texted me and told me to turn on the radio. Three minutes later I heard his voice followed by 45 minutes of the best DJ mixing set I have ever heard. He composed the best music I have ever heard, live, by ear, and it was something he did every damn week. Australia is fucking amazing.

hackbuildroam 2y ago

20k hertz did some interviews with the Bluey creators, https://www.20k.org/episodes/thesoundofbluey https://www.20k.org/episodes/thesoundofbluey Neet to see something start from a idea and grown to be so big and still manage to keep humble.

_spduchamp 2y ago

Bluey helped me out immensely at my research job. I was watching it with my daughter and in the episode, the father says, "Obstacles don't block the path. They are the path." It was a big ah-ha! moment that completely changed my attitude about the frustration I was having in my research. Then looking at my journal notes, it was all about obstacles and how to work through and around them, and that shift in perspective really accelerated my work.

h0l0cube 2y ago
You'd like this book https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Obstacle_Is_the_Way https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Obstacle_Is_the_Way
- robotnikman 2y ago
  Seconding this book, this is one I go back to every once in a while.
- Tyr42 2y ago
  Thanks, bought it. Turns out it's on sale now too: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=tOzwEAAAQBAJ https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=tOzwEAAAQBAJ
SkittlesNTwix 2y ago
> "Obstacles don't block the path. They are the path." This is a modern translation of what Marcus Aurelius said in "Meditations", his private diary. This particular paraphrasing and interpretation is by Ryan Holiday, a modern stoic with many books on the topic to his name. You would enjoy them. The original quote: "In one respect man is the nearest thing to me, so far as I must do good to men and endure them. But so far as some men make themselves obstacles to my proper acts, man becomes to me one of the things which are indifferent, no less than the sun or wind or a wild beast. Now it is true that these may impede my action, but they are no impediments to my affects and disposition, which have the power of acting conditionally and changing: for the mind converts and changes every hindrance to its activity into an aid; and so that which is a hindrance is made a furtherance to an act; and that which is an obstacle on the road helps us on this road." Meditations, 5.20 Marcus Aurelius https://lexundria.com/m_aur_med/5.20/lg https://lexundria.com/m_aur_med/5.20/lg

harry8 2y ago

In Aus, among the most traditional and emotionally hardest of hard men includes the cricket community. It involves physical pain “suck it up!” And psychological warfare and abuse. Bluey reduced most of them to tears in episode 47 of season 3. Directed right at them and if you’re not a cricketer it will be tough to see why it’s extraordinary. Just a huge wow of a piece of writing for those of us who grew up with the game and its associated culture. In Bluey, it’s all great, all of it. But the writing is something beyond that.

king_magic 2y ago

Bluey has made be a better father and partner. Unicorse was ZERO help as usual though.

october8140 2y ago

Bluey is a show for everyone. Even if you don’t have kids it’s worth watching.

grahar64 2y ago

1. Cricket 2. The sign 3. Sleepytime 4. Old ladies

sanderjd 2y ago
hahaha love Old Ladies.

naikrovek 2y ago

That this show came from Australia is telling, to me. TV execs in the US would never greenlight a show like this for production, and if they did, they would not be as hands-off as this show appears to be. This show is created 100% by creative people, and they are doing a bang-up job. Zero entertainment executives in the USA would ever allow a show to be made without their own shitty changes stapled on.

shirro 2y ago

Bluey was funded by the Australian ABC and British BBC. Both public broadcasters with a strong commitment to quality children's programming. It wasn't created to sell Hasbro toys or Disney merchandise or increase children's Youtube watch time. The merch and Disney streaming came later because the show is obviously brilliant. Bluey isn't just good family programming. It is a snapshot of Australian culture and family values which would likely never be made in a world controlled by huge multinationals.

bolognafairy 2y ago
Bluey is unusually good even for the ABC, but the floor on children’s programming is just so much lower in the US. Sure, America’s obsession with Bluey stems in part from its on-again off-again fetishisation of Australia. But, Christ, I’m Australian and recently spent a few weeks in the US, and, fuck me, American TV just sucks so much.
tomaskafka 2y ago
Came to say this - it’s good because it was made with love and respect for kids and parents rather than to just turn children into frogs and sell them plastic figurines. Rare sight.

keepamovin 2y ago

OMG everyone is so gushing over this. I have to see this! How have i never seen this? where can I see it?

tobyhinloopen 2y ago
Disney+ for me, but it might differ per country

manduz 2y ago

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waltbosz 2y ago

I found this thread really interesting because of the variety of peoples' favorite episodes and particularly which episodes evoked an emotional response. Some episodes named don't resonate with me at all, which just goes to show how we all have such different life experiences. "Rain" is my favorite. The shots, the story, the music, the lack of dialog. "The Sign" was my biggest tearjerker. Also, I came across this musician who makes great EDM remixes of Bluey songs, I recommend checking him out: https://www.youtube.com/@MicJaiy/search?query=bluey https://www.youtube.com/@MicJaiy/search?query=bluey

donatj 2y ago

We have two young kids, and have friends and family who are enamored with Bluey. Every time we're over they put it on because they need us to like it too. I've seen so many episodes because everyone puts it on when we're over and I just... don't... get it. My children's attention isn't captured by it, and neither my wife nor I enjoy it. The kids in the show are just kind of annoying, needy and of out of control. Things I don't want my kids to emulate. The parents feed into it and treat the behavior like it's ok. I also don't feel like the stories have particularly great takeaways for kids most of the time. It's a minor gripe but I really find the staccato melodica theme song full of awkward pauses to be quite grating. Everyone is free to like what they like. You are free to love Bluey. I just wish people would stop trying to make us like it, and stop making us watch it.

jhrmnn 2y ago
May be down to parenting style indeed. > kind of annoying, needy and of out of control. […] The parents feed into it and treat the behavior like it's ok. Not how I would characterize it.
shadowgovt 2y ago
The behavior is ok. What is acceptable varies from household to household.
jbd28 2y ago
either you've seen the wrong episodes over and over, or you're just not approaching it with any sort of an open mind. even in the opening song you don't like the "staccato melodica" theme song, its just a small snippet of a longer song their musical director composed that the creator decided to snip down and turn into a game of musical statues...its just supposed to be fun! and there are episodes like Cricket where it is nothing but kids behaving ideally and overcoming real challenges
- donatj 2y ago
  So I pulled up Cricket just now and watched through it, as I'd seen it mentioned a few times in here. I can see why someone would enjoy that particular episode. It's lighthearted and sappy. However, a sizable portion of the episodes short runtime is Rusty smashing a cricket ball against the side of his parents house, visibly damaging the siding, with zero on-screen repercussions. That's exactly the sort of thing I don't want my child emulating, and the show makes it seem like it's an ok behavior. Children copy things they see. If you're going to show a child doing something they shouldn't it needs to be at the very least shown in a negative light. All the show needed to do was have the final couple seconds of the episode be his mom standing next to the damage yelling "Rusty!", it would have made for a good comedic closer and shown kids that it's a problem.

froggertoaster 2y ago

https://archive.is/U9zh6 https://archive.is/U9zh6

lproven 2y ago

Nobody seems to have mentioned it, so I thought it deserved credit... I am fairly sure that the episode "Handstand": https://www.bluey.tv/watch/season-2/handstand/ https://www.bluey.tv/watch/season-2/handstand/ ... in which Nana can't actively help with the party, and nobody will take the time to watch Bingo's handstand, is an intentional homage to an (at the time) award-winning Ariston TV advert from 1970s. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUVs7vXNZiw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUVs7vXNZiw Its video-game themed music, and ground-breaking video editing, looping a clip while adding more and more characters and action each repetition, was mind-blowing ~40 years ago.

markus_zhang 2y ago
Pavlova is also homage to some NZ band I think. Bandit is basically speaking the same lines.
- lproven 2y ago
  NZ and Aus have a history of arguing the toss over who invented drinks and foodstuffs. E.g. they both claim to have invented the style of coffee called a Flat White: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flat_white https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flat_white Pavlova is a popular fruit-and-meringue dessert invented by... let's be neutral: one of them. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pavlova https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pavlova Allegedly it was named for, or inspired by, the ballerina Anna Pavlova: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Pavlova https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Pavlova This itself is in turn a reference to another fruit-based dessert named for a classical music performa -- the Peach Melba: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peach_Melba https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peach_Melba That was named in honour of opera singer Dame Nellie Melba: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nellie_Melba https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nellie_Melba ... who was from Melbourne. (Pronounced MEL-bun by its locals, I'm told.)
lproven 2y ago
And now I discovered what inspired the Ariston advert: Zbigniew Rybczyński's video short Tango from 1980. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z27z7oLQb3o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z27z7oLQb3o

nomilk 2y ago

Interestingly, the 'episodes that made me want to cry' link (second paragraph) seems to be missing a src attribute, so it behaves like a link but when clicked doesn't go anywhere. I hadn't encountered that before: <a>episodes that made me want to cry </a>

sota_pop 2y ago

We are big fans of bluey. Also interesting to note that, it’s my understanding that it was a conscious choice to keep the identities of Bluey and Bingo secret in an effort to shield them from any ill effects of fame at such a young age. You don’t hear that very commonly for other shows.

blobbers 2y ago

Bluey is the type of show that you're not afraid to let your kids watch because the lessons it teaches are helpful. It also has enough silliness to keep them engaged without being didactic! And enough inside jokes that parents can have a laugh as well. It may very well be the best family show for small kids.