“Bluey:” Good for children, better for adults 

“Bluey” is an animated television show meant for all ages. The story follows Bluey, a six-year-old blue heeler, and her four-year-old sister Bingo, who is a red heeler. Their loving parents, Bandit and Chilli, are also a main part of the show, teaching their two children how to get through the struggles of growing up and being a part of the real world. 

To signify how popular this show is — it is the 3rd most watched show on Disney+. On IMDB’s list of top 1000 TV episodes, Season 2, Episode 9 of “Bluey” lands a high spot, being the 22nd best TV episode in the United States. 

The episode, titled “Sleepytime,” follows Bingo in her attempts to sleep in her bed the entire night. She goes through a journey of travelling across the solar system, to which she loses her best friend, a stuffed bunny, and is desperate to return home. Adults and their teen children cannot help crying when Bingo, talking to her mother as the Sun, says “I have to go. I am a big girl now.” This resonates with all audiences, particularly those grappling with the challenges of growing-up, such as teenagers departing for college. 

However, this episode is just a sliver of the mature topics that “Bluey” delves into. It highlights topics such as bullying, complications at birth, death, evolution of humans, infertility, miscarriage, people living with disabilities, possibility of higher beings, relationship issues and vasectomies. What makes this show so refreshing is that they explain these topics in a way that kids would understand. 

Another notable feature of “Bluey” is the family dynamic. The parents, Bandit and Chilli, go through everyday problems that any parent would go through. They experience times where they are too tired to handle their kids, are losing romance in their relationship and get frustrated with each other. The show portrays healthy ways to deal with those problems, along with ways to talk to kids about it. The two are very committed to keeping their children happy, no matter how difficult. 

“Bluey” is also diverse for its time. There are characters that are a countless number of dog breeds, ranging from a tall dachshund to a tiny teacup Pomeranian. The show is excellent at showing different family dynamics and that not one family is better than another. Parents are a big part of this show, which is why “Bluey” is insightful for adults. For those doubting themselves, there is an episode, “Baby Race” where a mom of nine looks at the camera and says, “You are doing great.” Few parents get to hear that statement today. 

Unlike most popular shows such as “Cocomelon” and “Blippi,” this show is focused on talking to children like adults. There are no loud, annoying songs, or dumbing down of content for children. It is just people going through their everyday lives. It doesn’t try hard to appeal to its fans with repetitive content, it is always fresh and new. Not only that, but it is also simply cute and wholesome for all ages to watch. 

There is no doubt that “Bluey” deserves its place as one of the most-watched children’s cartoons. If more animated shows were as human as this one, future generations, whether kids or parents, could learn valuable lessons about life. It would be a missed opportunity to not watch this show and be changed by the Heeler family. 

Kenna Seegmiller

Kenna Seegmiller is a current freshman studying Theatre Education at Utah Valley University. In her free time, she loves to play video games, write stories, and listen to music.