Live data from Hacker News

How Australia’s ‘Bluey’ conquered children’s entertainment

ft.com

351–360 of 461 posts

Re: How Australia’s ‘Bluey’ conquered children’s entertainment

#351

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Good children's programming often presents characters somewhat older (in affect, if not truly in age, e.g. Big Bird) than the target audience, to act as role models. You don't want a typical 3-year-old to look to a typical 3-year-old as an example for what to aspire to, you want them to look at well-developing 4-, 5-, and 6-year olds. This works well anyway, since children often look up to older kids and are interest…

Sure, but the content of Bluey is not going to understandable to a 2 year old. I would guess 3 is when some basic understanding starts, but 3.5 to be safe. In my experience, below 3.5 or so, more sing song-y and basic repetitious stuff is digestible. Bluey episodes have a plot and lots of dialogue that has to be followed.

>> I would guess 3 is when some basic understanding starts

My son is 2.5 and he absolutely understands what's happening in cartoons. He will comment on action saying clear things like "daddy he hit him in the head!" And then you have to pause it and actually explain it's not nice and you shouldn't do that. I wish shows clearly aimed at small children didn't have those moments.

Re: How Australia’s ‘Bluey’ conquered children’s entertainment

#352
post #18

Bluey is a godsend in our household. It's not annoying and the amount of classical and original music woven into each episode is wonderful. There's one particular episode - "Sleepytime" - which I cannot bring myself to watch anymore because I get so emotional. Every parent I talk to with young kids who has seen the episode agrees and knows what I mean. It's really that good, and despite being a fun little show there…

I guess I better not mention there's a really nicely printed book version of "Sleepytime" then. https://www.bluey.tv/products/bluey-sleepytime/

Which my child demands almost every night and I struggle to not choke up when I get to the "because I love you" part.

Re: How Australia’s ‘Bluey’ conquered children’s entertainment

#354

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How come your kids are watching a show that you haven’t even seen a single episode of?

My wife is a stay-at-home mom, so she's mostly the parent with the kids in the middle of the day. I think my wife first showed Bluey at the recommendation of one our friends. When I'm working from home, I'm not in the same room as the TV, but I do hear when things turn to mayhem so I think I was the first to suggest that we stop showing Bluey.

I’m sorry. I think my question above was an overstep from me.

Re: How Australia’s ‘Bluey’ conquered children’s entertainment

#355
post #155

Earlier quoted context omitted.

yes, acceptance of others is an overly political message to those of a certain political persuasion. can’t have kids running around thinking whatever they grow into might be ok if it doesn’t comport with mommy and daddy’s worldview.

It goes both ways. Maybe you'll teach your kids to be open and tolerant to everything but they'll grow up, convert to Catholicism, and -- gasp -- vote conservative.

Perhaps you mean 'vote reactionary', as the religious tend to do? Voting conservative means the Democratic party these days - general support of institutions, the United States's standing in the world, law and order, individual freedoms, fiscal responsibility. The contemporary Republican party has rejected these things, instead focusing on some imagined idyllic past and pushing for radical change towards it. The Democratic party certainly has its things it wants to change, but they're much more incremental and not the sweeping sea change of the current Republican agenda.

Re: How Australia’s ‘Bluey’ conquered children’s entertainment

#356

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My wife is a stay-at-home mom, so she's mostly the parent with the kids in the middle of the day. I think my wife first showed Bluey at the recommendation of one our friends. When I'm working from home, I'm not in the same room as the TV, but I do hear when things turn to mayhem so I think I was the first to suggest that we stop showing Bluey.

I’m sorry. I think my question above was an overstep from me.

No problem. I could see where the question came from.

Re: How Australia’s ‘Bluey’ conquered children’s entertainment

#357
post #111

Earlier quoted context omitted.

By the previous commenters opinion I assume it is. The point being to have people interact with the world instead of passively accepting high levels of stimulation for doing nothing. I believe it’s healthier for all humans of any age to engage with the input->output model of the world.

Nope, it stands out among kids shows, which are typically a wasteland of formulaic stories that amount to nothing and require no introspective thinking. One thing I think that illustrates this is that my daughter will often have questions for me after watching Bluey. Like actual meaningful questions about life or how the world works. If she’s watching TOTS, she’s just sitting there mouth agape and maybe getting bored…

Again I think the premise here is that this sort of engagement with the world is better done, for example, as a conversation with an adult that can lead them to the same interesting questions and observations. I did this endlessly as a kid. I'd be sitting bored in a car and look at clouds and ask my parents how clouds worked. This wouldn't have happened if I was given a smart phone.

Re: How Australia’s ‘Bluey’ conquered children’s entertainment

#359
post #68

I live in the area where the show is set (the Morton Bay region north of Brisbane) and it’s delightful how many details we recognise in the show. Having lived in the US for 10 years and returning couple of years ago (with my first 30 years in Australia), I feel like Bluey does a great job of showing some key cultural differences between these countries. I’ve seen some American viewers get quite cross by what they see…

I'm Australian but never seen the show, what about it do some Americans find it totally unrealistic?

Re: How Australia’s ‘Bluey’ conquered children’s entertainment

#360

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

[flagged]

He never said he was offended by those things.

Just those things don't always need to be in all kid shows.

You can support those ideals and not want pandering in your show.

Crazy, I know.

Post reply on HN