Credit: Edited by Inside the MagicBluey has tangoed with tough subjects before, but body shaming and fatphobia aren’t exactly something we’d ever expect from Australia’s beloved blue heeler.
Season 3C just dropped on Disney+ and Disney Junior, and Bluey buffs are naturally excited to get their next fix. However, the second episode in the latest serving of cartoon dog goodness has something missing, and fans definitely noticed.
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This episode of Bluey is called “Exercise,” and the first few minutes of the episode were reportedly censored due to allegations surrounding fatphobia and body shaming. Contrary to popular belief, however, this wasn’t exactly all Disney’s doing.
Yes, Bluey got Cut for Fear of Fatphobia
“Exercise” was previously under media scrutiny for its opening minutes in which Bandit, Bluey’s dad, finds himself looking a bit pudgy in the bathroom mirror, leading to playful banter about weight loss and exercise that reportedly came off as insensitive. A report from The Guardian reads,
“There was a backlash against the episode from body image experts, saying it could pass on weight stigmas and fatphobia to children. The episode now starts abruptly at the previous 1 minute 13-second mark, with Bandit doing some exercise – or trying to, while Bluey and Bingo try to turn it into a game – in the backyard.”
Any Bluey fan worth their salt knows that Disney is notorious for getting a little too trigger happy with its American censorship, but here’s the twist. Disney had nothing to do with the decision, and it was all on the part of Australia’s ABC.
The Guardian shares a quote from the ABC that reads,
“The recent episode of Bluey, Exercise, has been republished by the ABC following a decision by the makers of the program… As the home of Bluey, the ABC supports the decision to re-edit the program and we have updated the episode on our platforms. BBC Studios will use this revised version for global distribution and also support this decision.”
While the scene’s dialogue was certainly nothing explicit, it does poke fun at a real issue for millions of people. It hardly seems likely that Bluey creator Joe Brumm, his team, or anyone involved at Ludo Studios would want to insult any of their fans, but an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Do you think the episode needed to slim down? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!