Bluey Has Been Criticised For Not Being Diverse Enough

Bluey is an award-winning Australian animated series that is also critically acclaimed and loved by families across the country.

It has been praised for helping teach important family values and instil notions of respect and the importance of helping each other out.

However, one woman has questioned whether there needs to be more diversity on the programme.

ABC journalist Beverley Wang hopes the producers of the legendary series will inject new characters into upcoming episodes to showcase the rest of the Australian population.

Credit: ABC

She criticised the show on the ABC’s Everyday Life website, saying: “My question is this: Can Bluey be more representative? (And yes, I’m aware that Bluey’s Border Collie pal Mackenzie is from New Zealand.)

“As a parent of colour, I am always conscious of the presence – or absence – of diverse representation in kids’ pop culture, what it means for children and the conversations we have around that. I sincerely believe you don’t have to be ‘Other’ to think about this too.

“We live in a world where the majority of main characters on children’s television are white; where there are more animals than people of colour protagonists populating the pages of children’s books.

“Where are the disabled, queer, poor, gender diverse, dogs of colour and single-parent dog families in Bluey’s Brisbane? If they’re in the background, let them come forward. (Maynard, voiced by Sean Choolburra, I’m looking at you.)”

Credit: ABC

Ms Wang admits the show has taught her so much about how to carry herself and how to look after her children.

But she reckons it would be incredible if there were just a few more characters spliced in with everyone.

“I’m aware this may come across as asking too much of a show that’s already so tender, nuanced and joyful. But it’s exactly because Bluey has demonstrated depth and range that I can’t help asking anyway,” she wrote.

“I understand that for the most part Bluey’s creators don’t view their show through a political lens.”

Time will tell if Ms Wang’s message gets through to the producers, animators and writers of the series and they enact some change in the script.