Credit: LudoBluey is one of the most streamed shows currently running, and Disney+ has brought the adventures of Bluey, Bingo, Bandit, Chilli, and all their canine companions from their native Australia into our hearts and living rooms. As much as the show has amassed a following of thousands, some fans recently called out a glaring flaw.
One common descriptor about Bluey’s world of cartoon dogs is that it’s a show about parenting that kids can watch too. While that’s undoubtedly apt, many parents find themselves living in the shadows of Bandit and Chilli, the show’s lead parental figures that set the bar for moms and dads everywhere. However, all that glitters might not be gold.
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A post on Bluey’s subreddit reveals that fans have found an overlooked factor that tanks Bandit and Chilli’s gold standard of parenting by doing the one thing that the show does best. It makes them more relatable to the parents watching by introducing real, recognizable, and relatable flaws.
Deconstructing Bluey
Countless parents watching the show admit to falling short compared to the power couple of Bandit and Chilli. However, u/Hexigonz on r/Bluey shares an overlooked detail that has many older viewers looking back at the pair through a different set of eyes.
The user writes,
“Recently, quite a few parents in my circle have kids that became Bluey aged. The consensus seems to be that Bandit and Chilli are the gold standard of parenting. Patient, attentive, engaged, gentle…everything we want to be as parents. However, there’s something that make both of them, but especially Bandit, so much more relatable.”
“He complains. It’s a small thing, but it’s a huge reason why this show is so different for parents, and so much more relatable. Every time I hear “ooooh not Hotel” or “not hospital” or “is it too late to bend over”, I chuckle. I get that. Kids can be frustrating. We love them with everything we’ve got, but, as Chilli points out in the sheep episode, sometimes you just need 20 minutes.”
Many other viewers seem to put Bluey’s mum and dad up on a pedestal, and that’s certainly natural given how open they are to their games and antics. That said, Joe Brumm and the rest of the Bluey production team at Ludo Studios go the extra mile in depicting them as real, relatable parents.
A Realistic Depiction
Given the show’s immense following, it’s no surprise that the fans were able to point out even more of these tells. In the comments, multiple users come forward and share how much this depiction of parenting has shaped their admiration for the show.
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u/DafniDsnds writes,
“The first thing I noticed when I caught a few seconds of an episode the first time was the mess in the back seat of their car. And then I saw another episode and it was a DIFFERENT mess in the back seat of the car. I’ve been sold ever since! That “not perfect parent” vibe is REAL and RELATABLE.”
Further down, u/Supermanhome writes,
“All the parents I know love this show just as much as their kids. I was talking about it with another mom awhile ago and I told her that I have never related to a TV character more than I have Chilli in the episode where she is trying to get the kids in the car or the episode where they keep getting out of bed. The way the family operates and interacts just feels so real.
Not even Bandit is immune from the elements that make him more human, especially in episodes like “Stickbird” and “Exercise.” The latter of which points out social and personal obstacles that many adults wrestle with.
Related: Bandit’s Battle: Men’s Mental Health in ‘Bluey’
u/Responsible-Sea-423 points out in their post,
“Another thing I love because of how relatable it is is how Bandit is shown to have body image issues (the grumpy granny episode) and his weight is brought up a few times over the course of the series. They even address that because they are heelers, they are stubbier than other breeds. The details in this show are unmatched.”
As depicted in episodes like “Whale Watching,” “Mini Bluey,” and “Pass the Parcel,” parents are flawed individuals, no matter how much we love them and no matter how hard they try to match Bandit and Chilli’s energy. It’s this attention to detail and sense of reality that continues to keep Bluey neck-deep in a steady stream of viewers, as well as separate it from other kids’ shows.
What Bluey episode had you hooked? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!