Summary
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Bluey
episodes have been banned or censored due to inappropriate content or potential harm to viewers, such as encouraging dangerous games or using offensive language. - Some episodes were edited or removed from Disney+ due to their strict content guidelines, including scenes involving bodily functions, vomiting, and controversial terms.
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Bluey
also faced controversy for an episode that perpetuated negative body image, resulting in the removal of the opening scene across all global distributors.
Bluey is known and loved for its adorable characters and valuable life lessons, but there were a number of episodes of the children’s TV show that were banned or censored. The animated show has become an absolute sensation, with people being completely drawn to the sweet family made up of dogs. It has been celebrated as a positive piece of programming, even winning an Emmy Award, but not every moment of the show has been commended.
Although mainly a completely innocent and age-appropriate show, there were a number of instances that were deemed to not be suitable for audiences, resulting in entire episodes being banned or parts being censored. Many of these changes needed to be made when the Bluey was being added to Disney+, as they have strict standards as to what their content can contain. Here is a breakdown of 11 episodes that were banned or censored and the reasoning behind the decision.
11 Season 1, Episode 8 – “Fruit Bat”
One of the earliest episodes of the show – season 1, episode 8, “Fruit Bat” – was edited in the U.S. and the U.K. In the episode, Bluey was playing a game where she pretended to be a penguin. The game involved her slipping and sliding around on the wet tile of the bathroom. This scene was edited out, as it was not setting a good example for children viewers who could recreate the game and get hurt.
10 Season 1, Episode 20 – “Markets”
Season 1, episode 20, “Markets” was edited for a reason most viewers would probably not even bat an eyelash at. In it, Bluey and Bingo are looking to spend the money they have, and they come across a “unicorn” (a pony with a horn on her head) handler. The “unicorn” ends up pooping on the grass, which causes the girls to scream and run away. In the original episode, audiences are able to see the feces, but this was changed in the Disney+ version.
9 Season 1, Episode 25 – “Taxi”
Another episode in season 1 that was edited for a seemingly small reason was season 1, episode 25, “Taxi”. In the episode, Bandit can be seen boarding an imaginary plane and learning that the pretend cab driver from before, who had driven quite recklessly, was the pilot. Upon realizing this, Bingo pretends to throw up on Bandit’s lap. When the episode made its way to the U.S., there was no vomiting scene.
8 Season 1, Episode 48 – “Teasing”
While previous episodes had been changed for what seems like silly reasons, Bluey, season 1, episode 48, “Teasing” had actual backlash that required changes to be made. In it, the term “ooga booga” was used. A viewer complained about this, as it is a term that has racist connotations and a problematic history for Indigenous Australians.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation said the use of offensive language was unintentional and that they were sincerely apologetic and committed to helping reduce discrimination and prejudice (per ABC News). ABC made the decision to remove the episode from the air, as well as a season 2 episode called “Daddy Robot,” which used the same phrase. When “Teasing” made its way to Disney+, the phrase was replaced with “shoobi-doo-wop.”
7 Season 1, Episode 51 – “Daddy Putdown”
It’s no secret that Disney tries its best to maintain a family-friendly image that does not include anything that can be construed as inappropriate. That is why Bluey, season 1, episode 51, “Daddy Putdown” was censored when added to Disney+. In the episode, Bingo asks her dad, Bandit, how babies get into their mom’s bellies. This line cannot be heard in the episode on Disney+.
6 Season 12, Episode 13 – “Dad Baby”
Bluey, season 2, episode 13, “Dad Baby” was censored for a similar reason as “Daddy Putdown.” In this case, however, the episode was banned entirely and cannot be watched on Disney+. In it, Bandit is simulating giving birth to Bluey’s younger sister Bingo. The episode is light-hearted in tone and does not get into anything explicit, but it was not in line with Disney’s strict standards for children’s television. For curious audiences what all the fuss is about, the episode is available for streaming on both Apple TV+ and Vudu.
5 Season 2, Episode 15 – “Trains”
Bluey, season 2, episode 15, “Trains” was banned in the U.S. for a very similar reason as “Markets.” The episode has Bluey playing trains with her dad, who is pretending to be a conductor. When he asks her for her ticket, Bluey hands him something and tells him to rub it all over his face. In the original version, that something was imaginary poop. In the U.S. version, the line was altered to make it an invisible slug instead.
4 Season 2, Episode 16 – “Army”
While Bluey is usually very good at dealing with sensitive subjects, many feel they missed the mark in season 2, episode 16, “Army.” In it, a character named Jack appears to have ADHD. He does not know why his brain works the way it does, but he recognizes that it’s not the same as other children. In the original version of the episode, Jack tells another character “There’s something wrong with me.” The line was later changed to “There’s something going on with me,” so as to not perpetuate the idea that having ADHD is something inherently wrong.
3 Season 3, Episode 1 – “Perfect”
Children’s television, especially that which is aimed towards preschoolers, has little tolerance for things that can be construed as sexual. That is why season 3, episode 1, “Perfect” was censored by the time it arrived in the U.S. In the episode, there is a flashback where Bandit is playing a game of boomerang with Bluey and chatting with Fido. That chat was initially about getting neutered. In the U.S. version, it was changed to a conversation about Bandit’s dog teeth having to be removed.
2 Season 3, Episode 23 – “Family Meeting”
Bluey, season 3, episode 23, “Family Meeting” presented another issue of potty talk. The episode was initially banned in the U.S. due to a number of references to passing gas. However, the decision was reversed following an outcry that highlighted “Family Meeting” is one of Bluey‘s funniest episodes and accused Disney, the same company that created Pumbaa – a character who famously passes gas throughout The Lion King – of hypocrisy. The episode was subsequently added to Disney+.
1 Season 3, Episode 29 – “Exercise”
Fat-shaming has no place on television, especially not on a kid’s show. That’s why there was so much controversy around Bluey, season 3, episode 29, “Exercise.” The episode caused major backlash, as it opened with Bandit weighing himself and being unhappy. He even goes so far as to grab his sides, visibly upset, and then Chilli does the same. The episode received major backlash with parents furious about the negative body image talk being presented to their children. The first minute of the episode ultimately ended up being removed across all global distributors.
Source: ABC
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