The season three finale of Bluey has everyone talking about the beloved show, but did you notice the important LGBTQ+ moment in the episode?
Those who haven't watched the popular Aussie cartoon Bluey may be wondering why the show is so popular. But for both the kids and the parents who watch and love it, there's no question and the show's latest episode illustrates why perfectly.
Viewers, critics and experts in child development can't stop raving about Bluey's brilliant depiction of modern parenting which has firmly set it up as one of the top options for kids movies and TV shows available.
And, even with season three now neatly wrapped up, we're still discovering more about the show. While some were worried that, come the finale, Bluey would be ending (but we've debunked those rumours) and others were ecstatic over the possibility that Brandy could be pregnant, other eagle-eyed fans noticed something that a lot of us missed.
As pointed out by Them, the final episode of season three, for the first time in the show's history, introduced a LGBTQ+ family. In the episode, Bluey is talking with her friend, a chihuahua named Pretzel, when he mentions having two mums.
Talking about how his pet guinea pig ran away, Pretzel said, “My mums told me he might come back, but he didn’t." With over 150 episodes of Bluey having now been released, the show finally including some LGBTQ+ characters has delighted parents whose kids love the show.
Commenting on a TikTok clip of the short moment, one fan exclaimed, “This is what I’ve been waiting for,” while others brought up their own experiences living in LGBTQ+ households, praising the show for giving them some representation. One wrote, “As a gay chihuahua mum, that makes me happy," while another excitedly added, "We’re a lesbian family who loves Bluey!!! This is EVERYTHING!!!"
Not everyone enjoyed the short moment, but critics certainly did. The episode, called The Sign, is currently the highest-rated episode of the Australian show to date with a rating of 9.9/10 on IMDb.
And experts are impressed too. Inclusivity like this in media is highly important for young children. As Action for Children explains, "Inclusive storytelling in children’s media can have a huge impact.
"It’s undeniable that, like adults, children and young people are influenced by what’s around them. They’re impressionable. At a time when they are exploring who they are, and where they fit in society, they’ll use the examples and stories presented to them to inform their own perspectives.
"For children who are exposed to television and other media from a young age, positive representation matters. Seeing themselves authentically represented in the media, helps LGBTQ+ children and young people validate their experiences. And it fosters a society in which they feel comfortable being their true selves."
While we wait for the next season of Bluey to grace our screens, there are plenty of other shows to keep kids, and their parents, entertained like the new Netflix film Orion and the Dark that encourages kids to confront their fears. We've also got Disney’s Inside Out 2 to look forward to and it has a new character that's sure to get kids talking. But if nothing but Bluey will do, you're in luck as the show has released a celebrity-stacked spin-off 'Bluey Book Reads'.
