Now 'Bluey' is triggering? Critics give scale-tipping scene more weight than it deserves

Have you ever stepped on a scale, looked at the number staring back up at you, and sighed? Or even said out loud, either to yourself or to someone within earshot, that it was time to resume your nightly walks or head to the gym more often?

I have. So have Bandit and Chilli.

I know what you’re thinking. Who are Bandit and Chilli?

If you have little kids, you know the answer to that question. Or if you live in a house where your daughter is away at college and will soon turn 20, but where your wife watches a certain popular animated TV show, then, like me, you also know the answer.

Bandit and Chilli are the parents on “Bluey,” a wildly popular Australian cartoon that is about a family of dogs and can be seen here in America on a few streaming services. My wife, Valerie, likes to check in on the show because the shenanigans and adorability of the two daughters on the show remind her of our nieces. Indeed, Valerie and I recently attended our niece’s fourth birthday party, which had “Bluey” as its theme. Bluey characters were everywhere at this thing.

According to a few articles I’ve seen, Bandit and Chilli got into some hot water recently when at the start of one episode they stepped onto a scale, did not like what they saw, and made that known in front of their daughters. Evidently, the father – I am not sure if that would be Bandit or Chilli – went too far and even grabbed a handful of flab that had probably been settled above his waist for years.

I too have done this, once in a while. Not in front of my daughter, mind you, but that’s because I wish to spare her things she cannot un-see. Not because I fear accusations of fat-shaming or self-loathing or creating unhealthy preoccupations about physical appearances in my child.

Such accusations, however, are what the creators of “Bluey” have faced. Apparently, our capacity for taking offense has broadened to include ... well, two cartoon dogs weighing themselves and realizing they need to eat healthier and exercise more.

A recent article on Kidspot reports, “Parents have taken to social media to voice their anger and disappointment over weight loss being the motivator for the loveable duo to exercise. Some commentators and experts are now calling for the episode to be edited.”

Why? The article explains, quoting a pediatric dietician, who called the Bandit-Chilli scene “uncomfortable” because it showed the animated parents as they “openly hate on their bodies in front of the kids.”

“Kids do not need to be watching parents hate on their bodies or exercise to get thinner,” the dietician said. “Exercising to look differently isn’t the message I want my kids to receive.”

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But is that the message the show actually sent? The article notes that “the story finishes with a nice message about exercise being important, and an activity the whole family can enjoy together.”

Even the dietician agrees.

“I love the message about being active with your kids, but this wasn’t good watching at the start,” she said.

I’ve gotta be clear. Obesity is a real issue. Eating disorders are a serious matter. Feeling healthy and having a healthy self-image are important. As a diabetic who once weighed close to 50 pounds more than I do now, I am not here to downplay or delegitimize the body struggles of others, or how sensitive we should be toward those who wrestle with their health or self-image.

I’m just here to note that our capacity for offense continues to spiral out of control – and with it, the threat of cancelation that has become prevalent in our culture. We are now going after cartoon characters – animal ones at that – because they want to take better care of themselves and are open about it with their children.

We’re just picking out little moments here – cartoon characters stepping on a scale; one of them pinching his belly – and focusing on them, instead of the overall message. Think about it. The complaints here about this scene with the parents on the scale are being expressed with a worked-up mix of outrage, disappointment and disapproval. But the healthy and valuable message of the entire episode is only given a cursory mention.

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That’s like watching a program with a strong anti-bullying message and criticizing the program for presenting an example of bullying in its opening scene. Never mind that the show could seek to inspire children and others to treat people as they would like to be treated. There’s that pesky opening scene we’ve got to focus on and get worked up about.

I’m trying to think back on my own childhood and recall if any of the family-friendly cartoons I watched ever triggered me or sparked outrage or disapproval in adults. Did Fred Flintstone ever comment about needing to lay off his beloved Bronto spareribs in front of Pebbles? If he did, I must have missed that episode. And my parents, who never watched cartoons with me, never saw it, either.

Stepping on a scale and facing that number is the first thing you do when you visit your doctor. After your doctor jots down that number on a form on a clipboard, he or she then proceeds to advise you what to do to bring that number down, if indeed that is what you need to do. Exercise is no doubt part of the prescription.

It’s okay not to like that number on the scale and want to do something about it. True, it would not be helpful to obsess over that number, or to ride the emotional rollercoaster of that number rising and falling, or to take unhealthy steps to lower it ... but it is okay to do what Bandit and Chilli did. And it’s okay to be honest with your kids about the challenges and feelings that come with wanting to be, trying to be, healthier, especially as you get older.

Sounds like the creators of “Bluey” knew this and made that part of their message. Anyone feigning outrage or disapproval is shooting the messenger.

Shawn P. Sullivan is an award-winning columnist and is a reporter for the York County Coast Star. He can be reached at ssullivan@seacoastonline.com.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Critics give scale-tipping 'Bluey' scene more weight than it deserves