As you probably know, The Daily Wire has expanded into a bunch of avenues, including TV. On Monday, they announced the launch of their children's network, Bentkey. On Tuesday, Guardian writer and children's program aficionado Janine Israel ran a piece criticizing the "right-wing" kids' show "Chip Chilla."
The Guardian is accusing Chip Chilla of being a blatant Bluey knock-off. But it is different; for one, it's chinchillas, not dogs. They are right, though, that it uses a family of talking animals and bright colors -- things Bluey invented.https://t.co/pgMciCXpfO
— Frank J. Fleming (@IMAO_) October 17, 2023
I'm a fan of Bluey, but you have the problem with it you have with all modern shows: How sure are you they aren't going to give in to pressure to tell little kids about "alternative lifestyles"? With Bentkey, you have someone you can trust to tell those weirdoes to take a hike.
— Frank J. Fleming (@IMAO_) October 17, 2023
So many kids shows these days feel that part of their audience is left-wing adults, and that's who they need to appease. What we're trying to make here at Bentkey is a new studio focused just on kids with no agenda. We want to earn your trust.
— Frank J. Fleming (@IMAO_) October 17, 2023
"Have I died and woken up in the 1950s? Why is this happening now?" asks Steph Harmon, setting up the attack on woke Disney+ and shows where they can sneak in queerness wherever they can.
One of Bentkey’s four original series is Chip Chilla: an animated show about a family of chinchillas who are homeschooled by their parents, voiced by embattled former-Broadway actor Laura Osnes, and actor and culture war warrior Rob Schneider. The pastel colour palette bears a resemblance to a certain beloved Australian animated preschool series, and the three kids and parents in the series engage in elaborate role play. You’ll notice the music in the teaser also rings distinct Bluey bells.
Well, chinchillas are actually furry rodents native to South America. But there’s nothing vaguely Latino about the American-accented characters in Chip Chilla, who – in the six episodes I watched – inhabit a very wholesome, heteronormative, patriotic slice of US suburbia.
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It gets worse:
"Take gender roles, for instance. While Chilli, the mother in Bluey, is engaged outside the home with work, the father, Bandit, is an active and relatively equal caregiver to the two kids. The parents in Chip Chilla, meanwhile, embody more traditional roles: the mother, Chinny (voiced by Osnes), does a lot of the feeding, nurturing and affection-giving, while the distinctly alpha father Chum Chum (Schneider) leads the charge (while Chinny assists) in teaching topics such as Frankenstein, the Three Musketeers and America’s heroic role in the moon landing."
Oh no! A children's cartoon that reflects traditional American values.
The horror pic.twitter.com/p6NxVDxtNM
— Flappr (@flapprdotnet) October 17, 2023
I grew up in the 1980s. Every cartoon looked like every other cartoon, because they all came from the same two or three studios.
— Fungusaur (@Fungusaur) October 17, 2023
It's actually working like a bit of an advert for guardian readers who just read the headline who wouldn't have otherwise heard about it. Lots of parents enjoy bluey, and would be interested in exploring a similar program.
— Esther Smith (@EstherS20817270) October 17, 2023
Who cares, if the knock-off is also awesome? I love Bluey, but I don't care if someone else makes something sort of similar. I laughed out loud several times during the first few episodes of Chip Chilla. Is it a knock-off? Maybe, but the question is both boring and irrelevant.
— Mark Holt (his majesty/his majesty's) (@madmardy) October 17, 2023
Bluey is already quite conservative to begin with. It’s a nuclear family, hard-work promoting show. Ragdoll, Magic Claw and Grumpy Grannies are pure capitalist episodes…
— Dr D (@GottaBeDrD) October 17, 2023
— Mr Miyagi (@MrMiyag08320124) October 17, 2023
Well, The Guardian is just a knock-off of dozens of other shitty rags pretending to be journalism. Hardly original.
— Super Journalist (Ret) - JOURN-L of Skrypton (@Magnum_CK) October 17, 2023
They’re jealous.
— Ryan Fouts (@Rybotec77) October 17, 2023
Have these people seen anything that has come out of The Daily Wire's studios? It's not all "right-wing," although conservative values are on tap. Good to know The Guardian is on top of this kids' propaganda push.
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