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Bunnings' inspired makeover proves a smash hit with Bluey fans

Bunnings' latest Bluey inspired makeover has proven to be a hit among fans, as they brought to life part of the cartoon-world. The hardware giant collaborated with the hit children's cartoon and rebranded six of its Australian stores and one New Zealand outlet with the moniker "Hammerbarn." This is an homage to a popular episode with the same name, where the cartoon heelers go to a hardware store that looks exactly like Bunnings. “We’re excited to be working with BBC Studios and Ludo Studio to bring Hammerbarn to life in stores across the country,” says Ryan Baker, chief customer officer of Bunnings. The rebranding goes beyond the exterior with special Hammerbarn merch, Bluey-branded trolleys, and Bluey-themed workshops, meet-and-greets and scavenger hunts every weekend. “Our team across Australia have had kids and parents referring to Bunnings as Hammerbarn ever since the episode aired, so making this a reality in our stores for customers is really special," Baker said. “We wanted the Hammerbarn experience to be accessible to as many ‘Bluey’ fans and customers as we could, so it’s great to have a Hammerbarn transformation in each state – even down to the kids’ trolleys that have been rebranded." Hammerbarns resemblance to Bunnings is no coincidence as the episode reportedly took inspiration from a real store in Keperra, Queensland. “The design of Hammerbarn draws inspiration from the Bunnings Keperra store in Brisbane, the home of Bluey, which adds an extra layer of significance," Ludo Studios, the creators of the series said. “We are thrilled to offer fans the opportunity to experience Hammerbarn for real life; it’s everything we’ve ever wanted!” Images: Perth Now

Home & Garden

Kids dressing up as older people is harmless fun, right? No, it’s ageist, whatever Bluey says

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lisa-mitchell-1143692">Lisa Mitchell</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/deakin-university-757">Deakin University</a> A child once approached me, hunched over, carrying a vacuum cleaner like a walking stick. In a wobbly voice, he asked: "Do you want to play grannies?" The idea came from the children’s TV show Bluey, which <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ABCKidsCommunity/videos/bluey-grannies/468144817266668/">has</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ABCKidsCommunity/videos/new-bluey-episodes-the-grannies-are-back-abc-kids/371436135028190/">episodes</a>, <a href="https://www.bluey.tv/products/grannies-book/">a book</a>, <a href="https://www.discountmags.com/magazine/bluey-september-1-2023-digital">magazine</a> editions and an <a href="https://www.facebook.com/OfficialBlueyTV/videos/grannies-filter-bluey/5728362390510269/">image filter</a> about dressing up as “grannies”. Children are also dressing up as 100-year-olds to mark their first “100 days of school”, an idea <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/old-people-s-home-for-five-year-olds-prep-students-don-senior-citizen-attire-20230801-p5dszb.html">gaining popularity</a> <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/education/cardigans-wigs-and-canes-why-kindy-students-are-dressing-up-as-100-year-olds-20230720-p5dpu8.html">in Australia</a>. Is this all just harmless fun? <h2>How stereotypes take hold</h2> When I look at the older people in my life, or the patients I see as a geriatrician, I cannot imagine how to suck out the individual to formulate a “look”. But Google “older person dress-ups” and you will find <a href="https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/dress-up-like-youre-100-years-old-100thdayofschool--15199717464361356/">Pinterests</a> and <a href="https://www.wikihow.com/Dress-Up-Like-an-Old-Person#:%7E:text=Dress%20in%20comfortable%2C%20loose%2Dfitting,older%20people%20may%20wear%20include%3A&text=Oversized%20sweatshirts">Wikihow pages</a> doing just that. Waistcoats, walking sticks, glasses and hunched backs are the key. If you’re a “granny”, don’t forget a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/OfficialBlueyTV/videos/games-you-can-play-at-home-grannies-bluey/645964056227345/">shawl and tinned beans</a>. You can buy “old lady” <a href="https://www.spotlightstores.com/party/costumes-and-accessories/costume-accessories/wigs-hair-accessories/wigs/spartys-kids-old-lady-wig-with-curlers/80578132?gclsrc=aw.ds&gclsrc=aw.ds&gclid=Cj0KCQjw0vWnBhC6ARIsAJpJM6emZHoNxO72pUa80Wc8ihYYiq3AohZ_w72jmuWBBDlficdCMy_rsK8aAj47EALw_wcB">wigs</a> or an “old man” <a href="https://www.bigw.com.au/product/facial-hair-set-old-man-3-pieces/p/305026">moustache and bushy eyebrows</a>. This depiction of how older people look and behave is a stereotype. And if dressing up as an older person is an example, such stereotypes are all around us. <h2>What’s the harm?</h2> There is <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/hypa.12170">some debate</a> about whether stereotyping is intrinsically wrong, and if it is, why. But there is plenty of research about the harms of age stereotypes or ageism. That’s harm to current older people and harm to future older people. The World Health Organization <a href="https://www.who.int/health-topics/ageism#tab=tab_1">defines ageism</a> as: "the stereotypes (how we think), prejudice (how we feel) and discrimination (how we act) towards others or ourselves based on age." Ageism <a href="https://www.who.int/health-topics/ageism#tab=tab_1">contributes to</a> social isolation, reduced health and life expectancy and costs economies <a href="https://academic.oup.com/gerontologist/article/60/1/174/5166947">billions of dollars</a> globally. When it comes to health, the impact of negative stereotypes and beliefs about ageing may be even <a href="https://academic.oup.com/gerontologist/article/60/1/174/5166947">more harmful</a> than the discrimination itself. In laboratory studies, older people perform <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4360754/">worse</a> than expected on tasks such as memory or thinking after being shown negative stereotypes about ageing. This may be due to a “<a href="https://www.simplypsychology.org/stereotype-threat.html">stereotype threat</a>”. This is when a person’s performance is impaired because they are worried about confirming a negative stereotype about the group they belong to. In other words, they perform less well because they’re worried about acting “old”. Another theory is “stereotype embodiment”. This is where people absorb negative stereotypes throughout their life and come to believe decline is an inevitable consequence of ageing. This leads to biological, psychological and physiological changes that <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2927354/">create</a> a self-fulfilling prophecy. I have seen this in my clinic with people who do well, until they realise they’re an older person – a birthday, a fall, a revelation when they look in the mirror. Then, they stop going out, stop exercising, stop seeing their friends. Evidence for “stereotype embodiment” comes from studies that show people with more negative views about ageing are more likely to have higher levels of stress hormones (such as cortisol and C-reactive protein) and are <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7182003/">less likely</a> to engage in health behaviours, such as exercising and eating healthy foods. Younger adults with negative views about ageing are <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2666386/">more likely</a> to have a heart attack up to about 40 years later. People with the most negative attitudes towards ageing have a lower life expectancy by as much as <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12150226/">7.5 years</a>. Children are particularly susceptible to absorbing stereotypes, a process <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2007-09385-010">that starts</a> in early childhood. <h2>Ageism is all around us</h2> <a href="https://www.who.int/health-topics/ageism#tab=tab_1">One in two people</a> have ageist views, so tackling ageism is complicated given it is socially acceptable and normalised. Think of all the birthday cards and jokes about ageing or phrases like “geezer” and “old duck”. Assuming a person (including yourself) is “too old” for something. Older people say it is harder to <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-06/senior-job-seekers-struggle-to-get-a-foot-in-the-door/102563144">find work</a> and they face discrimination in <a href="https://www.hcnsw.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Ageism-in-Health-Care_final.pdf">health care</a>. <h2>How can we reduce ageism?</h2> We can reduce ageism through laws, policies and education. But we can also reduce it via <a href="https://www.who.int/health-topics/ageism#tab=tab_1">intergenerational contact</a>, where older people and younger people come together. This helps break down the segregation that allows stereotypes to fester. Think of the TV series <a href="https://iview.abc.net.au/show/old-people-s-home-for-4-year-olds">Old People’s Home for 4 Year Olds</a> or the follow-up <a href="https://iview.abc.net.au/show/old-people-s-home-for-teenagers">Old People’s Home for Teenagers</a>. More simply, children can hang out with their older relatives, neighbours and friends. We can also challenge a negative view of ageing. What if we allowed kids to imagine their lives as grandparents and 100-year-olds as freely as they view their current selves? What would be the harm in that?<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/212607/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lisa-mitchell-1143692">Lisa Mitchell</a>, Geriatrician working in clinical practice. PhD Candidate at The University of Melbourne studying ethics and ageism in health care. Affiliate lecturer, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/deakin-university-757">Deakin University</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/kids-dressing-up-as-older-people-is-harmless-fun-right-no-its-ageist-whatever-bluey-says-212607">original article</a>.

Retirement Life

Bluey toast takes the internet by storm

While some have a hard enough time trying to make toast without setting off the fire alarm, others are always dreaming just that little bit bigger. Like the parents who call themselves the Bluey Mums on Facebook, who have found a source of endless entertainment in the form of Bluey toast - or more specifically, Bluey’s younger sister, Bingo. Their inspiration comes from a cookbook titled Bluey and Bingo’s Fancy Restaurant Cookbook: Yummy recipes, for real life. And with an ingredients list that seems simple enough on the surface - toast, some fruit, and a spread of their choice - many set to work trying to spoil their children with a fun-filled breakfast plate. However, as many soon came to learn, it can often be better to stick to what we know. Or at the very least to remember that practice makes perfect, and sometimes our first attempts are better served as a warning. And for the Bluey Mums, sharing became the theme of the day, with members finding bucketloads of amusement in posting their creations with each other. Some were spot on, and others were a little more abstract - but all were valiant efforts, and at the end of the day, came only from the best intentions. “Our ‘attempt’ at Bingo toast,' wrote one mum, Madison, alongside her images of what the toast should have looked like, and what she’d managed to come up with. Her masterpiece wasn’t far off the intended portrait, just a little off in proportion, but it was enough to draw laughter from the crowd, and some good-natured commentary at the shocked character on the plate. “Bingo has seen things,” someone declared. “Looks better than the picture I'd say!” wrote one supportive user. Meanwhile, others were happy just to know what it meant to their children, with one even getting a surprising - and welcome - result out of it all. “I have zero skills to do this stuff! But my daughter loved it and ate all the bread,” she wrote, before adding that her daughter had been “refusing bread for a while”. “My daughter loved it though,” another wrote of her own attempt, “and that’s all that matters.” One parent, who shared her creation to Reddit, was met with similar enthusiasm from commenters, with one writing “expectation vs reality … And the reality ain't that bad! Nice”. “Now do Muffin!” encouraged one, eager for another round of terrific toast. Images: Bluey Mums / Facebook, Reddit

Food & Wine

“The stuff of nightmares”: Baked to imperfection

Some people are destined for the kitchen, while others may be better suited to a career in comedy, if these cake decorating disasters are anything to go by. Even armed with a visual guide and the world’s best intentions, some bakers are just in for a wild time - and thanks to some good-natured social media posts, we can all enjoy the colourful consequences right along with them. Lucy was one such baker to face a betrayal from her cake. Posting to the Facebook page Woolies/Coles Mudcake Hacks, she shared her experience trying to follow professional baker Tegan ‘Tigga’ Maccormack’s Bluey birthday cake tutorial. Needless to say, their end results weren’t exactly mirror images. "Enjoy this absolute abomination - it looked easy on TikTok," Lucy wrote, attaching a picture of her hilarious creation. Fellow Facebook users loved her attempt, with some even trying to make Lucy feel better. One informed her that although it was nothing like the inspiration picture, it was “very cute”. “OMG I genuinely love it!” another declared. “It made me smile, thank you for sharing.” Meanwhile, one mum wrote that her seven-year-old encouraged Lucy to “keep trying!”, before stating that “it looks so bad she should probably eat the whole thing.” On Reddit, someone had another unfortunate cake story to share - though this time they weren’t the baker responsible, simply the customer who got something they certainly hadn’t paid for. “The ice cream cake we ordered vs what we received,” they wrote, sharing the image of two monkey cakes. One, the ‘expectation’ image, was a smoothly iced monkey head. The second, the ‘received’ product, was at least discernible as a monkey, even if the ‘smooth’ icing job left a lot to be desired. “This was an ice cream cake from Baskin Robbins," it was explained. “They usually come out exactly as pictured online, but this time was truly spectacular." And while many thought this particular approach to replicating the vision was hilarious, most were of the opinion that this had not actually been a failure, but instead an improvement. According to the majority in the comments, “frosting tastes much better than fondant” anyway. Another Reddit user referenced a tweet they’d seen of another cake disaster, this time of a Minnie Mouse cake that someone had purchased for their niece, and the nightmare they’d gotten in return. “I saw that it was posted in Arabic on Twitter, and it was pretty funny,” the Reddit user said, “so I just wanted to share it with a wider audience!" “The cake's shininess is the stuff of nightmares,” was all one had to say about it. “I would not have paid for that abomination,” another said. Thankfully for the individual who had dealt with the cake firsthand, they were able to return it for a full refund. "The cake was for my sister for her birthday," they told TODAY. "In the beginning, it was a horrible shock for us, but after I posted the picture on Twitter, I was laughing because of people's reactions." Images: Instagram, Facebook, Reddit, Shutterstock

Food & Wine

Bluey blasted over extravagantly “wealthy” home

A concerned parent has blasted the canine family in Bluey for living in a house that they deemed too wealthy. The viewer said it is “discouraging” to see the animated family of dogs living in a home worth several millions of dollars, but also believes the dog parents’ humility in their riches has given them the freedom to be “such amazing parents”. The show depicts the Heeler family of Bandit and Chilli and their two children Bluey and Bingo, with one passionate viewer pondering whether their parenting skills are due to the dogs being “millionaires”, sparking a debate online. “Confession: it bothers me that the Heelers are wealthy,” the concerned parent began on Reddit. “It’s been estimated that the Heeler home is worth at least $1-$2 million, if not more. It’s hard to say exactly because the floor plan changes to fit the needs of the story.” “A few real estate articles say $4 million, but $1-2 million seems to be the most realistic answer.” “Every once in a while, the thought creeps into my mind that the reason they are such amazing parents is because they are millionaires.” The parent did clarify that they do believe the animated Heelers to be “fantastic people who live frugally and they don’t flaunt their money”. “They live in a great neighbourhood, send their kids to fantastic schools, and their jobs seem to be very flexible so they spend a lot of time home with their kids.” They concluded saying that “as a parent who isn’t wealthy, it’s a little discouraging”. Fans were divided with the Reddit post, with some entertaining the parent’s theory, while others thought the children’s show was being “overanalysed”. “They’re also talking dogs which I’ll never be,” one user pointed out. “Please don’t compare yourself to a cartoon dog, especially one you only see for six-minute segments. Anyone can be an involved parent for seven minutes,” a second wrote. “Dear god, it’s a cartoon. Are you also upset that SpongeBob lives in a two-story home by himself off a fry cook salary?” another said. Another joked, “I’m getting really sick of explaining this over and over again. Their house is worth a lot of money NOW, but that’s only because the housing market in Brisbane has exploded over the last 10 years.” Image credits: ABC iView

Real Estate

Aussie TV icon Bluey's home recreated in real-life

The home of the popular titular character in children’s show Bluey has been brought to life in Brisbane - and one lucky family has the chance to experience it for themselves in a one-off experience.Bluey, created by Joe Brumm and created entirely in Brisbane, has become a global sensation, distributed in over 60 countries by the BBC.The Heeler family home was recreated in real-life by Airbnb and BBC Studios and was “entirely customised to bring the cartoon experience to life”.Bluey fans are sure to recognise some of the home’s quirky details from the show, including a red letterbox, standout bay window and bone-shaped chimney.<blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF;border: 0;border-radius: 3px;margin: 1px;max-width: 540px;min-width: 326px;padding: 0;width: calc(100% - 2px)" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CZsnV6ooEBT/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"><div style="padding: 16px"><div style="flex-direction: row;align-items: center"><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4;border-radius: 50%;flex-grow: 0;height: 40px;margin-right: 14px;width: 40px"> </div><div style="flex-direction: column;flex-grow: 1;justify-content: center"><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4;border-radius: 4px;flex-grow: 0;height: 14px;margin-bottom: 6px;width: 100px"> </div><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4;border-radius: 4px;flex-grow: 0;height: 14px;width: 60px"> </div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0"> </div><div style="height: 50px;margin: 0 auto 12px;width: 50px"> </div><div style="padding-top: 8px"><div style="color: #3897f0;font-family: Arial,sans-serif;font-size: 14px;font-style: normal;font-weight: 550;line-height: 18px">View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0"> </div><div style="flex-direction: row;margin-bottom: 14px;align-items: center"><div><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4;border-radius: 50%;height: 12.5px;width: 12.5px"> </div><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4;height: 12.5px;width: 12.5px;flex-grow: 0;margin-right: 14px;margin-left: 2px"> </div><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4;border-radius: 50%;height: 12.5px;width: 12.5px"> </div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px"><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4;border-radius: 50%;flex-grow: 0;height: 20px;width: 20px"> </div><div style="width: 0;height: 0;border-top: 2px solid transparent;border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4;border-bottom: 2px solid transparent"> </div></div><div style="margin-left: auto"><div style="width: 0px;border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4;border-right: 8px solid transparent"> </div><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4;flex-grow: 0;height: 12px;width: 16px"> </div><div style="width: 0;height: 0;border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4;border-left: 8px solid transparent"> </div></div></div><div style="flex-direction: column;flex-grow: 1;justify-content: center;margin-bottom: 24px"><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4;border-radius: 4px;flex-grow: 0;height: 14px;margin-bottom: 6px;width: 224px"> </div><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4;border-radius: 4px;flex-grow: 0;height: 14px;width: 144px"> </div></div><a style="color: #c9c8cd;font-family: Arial,sans-serif;font-size: 14px;font-style: normal;font-weight: normal;line-height: 17px;text-decoration: none" href="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CZsnV6ooEBT/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Bluey (@officialblueytv)</a></div></blockquote>“Inside, the interior has been re-imagined with a breezy mid-century aesthetic coupled with playful pops of colour,” Airbnb said <a href="https://news.airbnb.com/bluey/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in a statement</a> on its website.“The girls’ playroom with its signature rainbow canopy, kiwi rug and numerous toys - including Bluey’s beloved Chattermax toy and magic xylophone - is the ultimate setting for creative play and make believe.”The kids’ bedroom, modelled after Bluey and Bingo’s room, has two single beds, colourful hanging lanterns, cloud cushions, a handcrafted watermelon rug and a custom stained-glass window.As for the master bedroom, it mirrors Bandit and Chilli’s plant-filled retreat seen on the show, with a queen-sized bed, rattan furnishings and neutral colours.“The backyard is a verdant oasis for family games - like Horsey Ride and Keepy Uppy - with a BBQ, kiddie-sized trampoline, Grannies’ car, custom toadstool seats and bespoke dog garden gnomes. Yummy snacks can be found in the fridge, including Bandit’s famous duck cake,” the statement said.For the family lucky enough to <a href="http://airbnb.com/bluey" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stay the weekend</a>, they will also get to enjoy a behind-the-scenes tour of Ludo studios where Bluey is created, a Chinese takeaway feast in the backyard, an afternoon decorating the famed duck cake, and a puppet making craft session with the Bob Bilby character from the show.To top it all off, the two-night stay for two adults and two kids will only cost $20, plus taxes and fees.“We’re delighted to add Bluey, Bingo, Chilli and Bandit to our growing community of Airbnb hosts,” <a href="https://news.airbnb.com/bluey/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Susan Wheeldon, the country manager of Airbnb Australia and New Zealand.“And while we have some incredible homes on Airbnb, there will be nothing quite like waking up in the Heeler house and getting to live and breathe in Bluey’s magical world for one wondrous weekend.”But those who miss out on the stay or who live overseas can still experience the home, by booking a coveted spot in an <a href="http://airbnb.com/blueyexperience" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Online Experience</a> hosted from the house by one of the Bluey composers, Jazz d’Arcy, and children’s choreographer, Cherie Lange.Images: Hannah Puechmarin (AirBnb)

Real Estate

Beyond Bluey: why adults love re-watching Australian kids’ TV from their childhoods

Due to the COVID-19 extended lockdowns this year, as well as greater accessibility on streaming services, many adults have been returning to their childhoods via nostalgic kids’ TV viewing. As part of our research project, <a href="https://www.actcresearch.com/">Australian Children’s Television Cultures</a>, we surveyed over 600 adults about their viewing habits — and it turns out some viewers never forget the joy of the television shows that they raced home to watch after school. Many survey participants confessed they had simply never stopped watching children’s shows in the first place. Australia’s own <a href="https://actf.com.au/news/view/17433/7-australian-kidsa-tv-shows-that-parents-will-love">Dance Academy (2010-2013)</a> was frequently mentioned in the responses as a show that even adult viewers “can watch… anytime and feel connected with,” as one respondent put it. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/427087/original/file-20211018-18-l9c9vw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/427087/original/file-20211018-18-l9c9vw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="The cast of Dance Academy." /></a> Australia’s Dance Academy (2010-2013) is popular with adults today. IMDB <h2>Streaming Nostalgia</h2> For those who didn’t keep their old VHS tapes or DVDs, it has been the advent of streaming services, from YouTube to Netflix, that has enabled viewers to rediscover their cherished kids’ shows of old. Nearly two thirds of adult respondents have revisited Australian children’s shows in recent years, most often via online clips and streaming services. In our survey, <a href="https://theconversation.com/round-the-twists-fans-grew-up-and-their-love-for-the-show-grew-with-them-167695">Round the Twist (1989-2001)</a> emerged as the favourite Australian children’s television show to revisit, with Lift Off! (1992-1995), Lockie Leonard (2007-2010) and <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/culture/tv-and-radio/there-s-a-55-year-old-bear-in-there-happy-birthday-play-school-20210708-p587xr.html">Play School (1966-)</a> also highly placed. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/427090/original/file-20211018-38329-zawqys.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/427090/original/file-20211018-38329-zawqys.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> Lift Off! (1992-1995) is a popular show for adults to find clips from on YouTube. IMDB <a href="https://actf.com.au/news/view/18318/14-ozkidstv-series-to-stream-on-netflix">Netflix has licensed a swathe of Australian kids shows</a>, among them Round the Twist and Lockie Leonard. Our survey showed that these classic programs not only turn up as recommendations on Netflix kids’ profiles, but in adults’ recommendations as well, whether or not they have children. Indeed, <a href="https://cstonline.net/family-watch-together-tv-netflix-and-the-dark-intergenerational-fantasy-by-djoymi-baker-jessica-balanzategui-and-diana-sandars/">Netflix has been keen to license and commission nostalgic content</a> with intergenerational appeal. While there’s nothing new about adults getting swept up in nostalgia for childhood viewing, the streaming era has made it even easier to pass on these family viewing traditions. <h2>Kids’ shows in lockdown</h2> The heightened nostalgic urge to <a href="https://cstonline.net/reuniting-with-friends-during-a-pandemic-by-simone-knox-and-kai-hanno-schwind/">return to old TV shows</a> has also been linked to the COVID-19 lockdowns many of us have recently been through, or indeed are still experiencing. In our survey, many respondents mentioned the lockdown made them more likely to revisit children’s TV from their youth. As one survey respondent noted, “in these strange and chaotic COVID-19 times, I’ve been really feeding into the nostalgia.” Nostalgia emerged as a term in 1688 to describe a <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/08/when-nostalgia-was-a-disease/278648/">disease</a> primarily associated with soldiers longing to return home, even though upon their return, home was never quite the same. The word itself reflected this bittersweet combination, forged from the Greek nostos (homecoming) and algos (pain). In popular culture, nostalgia is frequently associated with warm and fuzzy feelings, but, as <a href="https://newleftreview.org/issues/ii14/articles/timothy-bewes-an-anatomy-of-nostalgia.pdf">Svetlana Boym influentially suggests</a>, nostalgia is also a type of grieving for a past that has been lost. Returning to kids’ TV is a way of both grieving for and celebrating our own <a href="https://library.oapen.org/viewer/web/viewer.html?file=/bitstream/handle/20.500.12657/25965/1004118.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y">past childhood</a>, as well as a pre-COVID world we used to enjoy. In other words, nostalgia is not as simple as we might at first assume. <h2>Family viewing</h2> Our survey responses indicate families have been uniting across the divide of lockdown restrictions and closed borders to watch old kids’ TV shows together: “In lockdown, it’s provided a connection point for my family” by rewatching Round the Twist and <a href="https://actf.com.au/education-programs/id/188/">Sky Trackers (1994)</a>, one respondent noted. They explained, “we talk about what we remember, and tell jokes about it consistently through messaging services.” Not only parents but also grandparents and babysitters revealed they enjoy sharing beloved shows from their childhood with the next generation. This strategy <a href="https://cstonline.net/intergenerational-spectatorship-doctor-who-at-the-beach-by-djoymi-baker/">isn’t always successful</a> given tastes and expectations have changed, with today’s kids finding some old shows “bonkers” or describing the special effects as dated. As one parent from the survey notes, “having children now, I want to show them some of the shows I loved (whether they like it or not!)” Many of our survey participants discussed this shared viewing across generations, but also just among other adults. So as it happens, kids’ TV isn’t just for kids. <h2>Unifying a generation</h2> Beyond family members, our participants are finding connections with their own generation on social media through old kids’ shows they still enjoy. Even young adults are already feeling nostalgic. “I have loved <a href="https://punkee.com.au/h20-just-add-water-tiktok/77899">watching on TikTok people recreating some of the iconic scenes</a>” from H2O: Just Add Water (2006-2010) and Blue Water High (2005-2008), one participant told us. They explained, “When scrolling through the comments of these videos there’s often hundreds of other young Australians that relate as they had the same fond memories of these shows which I feel unites us.” <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/427091/original/file-20211018-22-105e8dz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/427091/original/file-20211018-22-105e8dz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> H2O: Just Add Water (2006-2010 has become a popular worldwide meme on TikTok, and has spurred many people to revisit the series. IMdB With so much content now spread across broadcasting, cable and streaming television services, it’s uncertain whether today’s kids’ TV will offer this same sense of <a href="https://www.flowjournal.org/2020/03/streaming-comes-across-the-sky/">communal nostalgia</a> to future generations — though <a href="https://theconversation.com/an-idealised-australian-ethos-why-bluey-is-an-audience-favourite-even-for-adults-without-kids-168571">Bluey (2018-)</a> is surely a contender. Bluey is already the focus of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/blueyfanmemes/">popular memes</a> and a successful <a href="http://www.blueypod.com/">recap podcast</a>, so perhaps the show is a contemporary vehicle for adult viewers’ nostalgia about growing up in Australia, albeit in a new guise. Ultimately, our research indicates that engaging nostalgically with kids’ TV has been an important means of social connection during the pandemic, both between adults and within and across different generations. Although nostalgia was initially defined as a ‘disease’, today it is combating the division the pandemic has created, with locked down audiences using streaming services to reconnect with their favourite kids’ TV and each other.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/169727/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/djoymi-baker-1269345">Djoymi Baker</a>, Lecturer in Cinema Studies, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/rmit-university-1063">RMIT University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jessica-balanzategui-814024">Jessica Balanzategui</a>, Senior Lecturer in Cinema and Screen Studies, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/swinburne-university-of-technology-767">Swinburne University of Technology</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/joanna-mcintyre-333903">Joanna McIntyre</a>, Lecturer in Media Studies, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/swinburne-university-of-technology-767">Swinburne University of Technology</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/liam-burke-109751">Liam Burke</a>, Associate Professor and Cinema and Screen Studies Discipline Leader, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/swinburne-university-of-technology-767">Swinburne University of Technology</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/beyond-bluey-why-adults-love-re-watching-australian-kids-tv-from-their-childhoods-169727">original article</a>.

‘An idealised Australian ethos’: why Bluey is an audience favourite, even for adults without kids

Bluey, the <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-04-01/bluey-abc-kids-show-wins-international-emmys-childrens-award/12111308">Emmy award-winning</a> animated series about a family of anthropomorphized cattle dogs, has become a <a href="https://www.kidspot.com.au/lifestyle/entertainment/the-most-downloaded-show-on-the-abc-is-not-what-youd-expect/news-story/6c1fdef918c5890b23695538c8c136b2">ratings phenomenon</a> since it was first broadcast on the ABC in 2018. Bluey follows the eponymous six-year-old Blue Heeler, her younger sister, Bingo, and their playful parents, Bandit and Chilli. As part of our new research project, <a href="https://www.actcresearch.com/">Australian Children’s Television Cultures</a>, we are <a href="https://swinuw.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2nLAOj9X5VUfPvw">surveying audiences</a> about how they interact with Australian children’s programming. From over 700 adult responses, Bluey was the TV program parents were most keen to watch with their children. Respondents celebrated its unambiguously Australian setting, irreverent humour, and family orientated themes at a time when other children’s content, such as the dead-eyed nursey rhymes of YouTube channel <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbCmjCuTUZos6Inko4u57UQ">Cocomelon</a>, seem to only offer generic, computer-generated distractions. Indeed, many adults without children said they watch Bluey. One respondent described Bluey, which is set in Brisbane, as “representative of an idealised Australian ethos — relaxed, curious, and hard-working”. Another, an early childhood educator, emphasised that “Australian children need Australian shows”. And as a parent explained, <blockquote> It’s nice for children to see familiar landmarks and have issues that are current to them, as opposed to Peppa Pig and needing to explain why we don’t have snow at Christmas". </blockquote> One aspect of Bluey audiences consider particularly relatable is the family dynamic, including the games Bluey and Bingo play with their resourceful parents. One locked-down Australian mother has even created “<a href="https://looseparts.com.au/bluey/">50 Days of Bluey</a>”, guidelines for home activities inspired by the show. <iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EuSpVc9z3Rk?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> Bluey’s games include: “Daddy Robot” in which a “malfunctioning” Bandit teaches Bluey and Bingo the importance of tidying up; “Rug Island”, a kids-only oasis that the Heelers create in their backyard; and “Mount Mumandad”, in which Bluey and Bingo climb their exhausted parents after they have collapsed on the couch. Then there’s the humour: described by one respondent as full of Australian cultural nuances. As one parent noted, <blockquote> Bluey ‘gets’ parents perfectly … we enjoy watching it so we steer our kids towards it. </blockquote> <h2>Read on many levels</h2> The show can be read on multiple levels, which is why it can appeal to adults too. For instance, a recent Father’s Day episode saw Bluey’s dad, Bandit, discuss his conflicted feelings about getting a vasectomy with another dad. As Bandit explained, “I’m keen to get it done, but, Chilli, [his wife] she wants to keep her options open”. This adult moment in what is ostensibly a kids’ cartoon generated much discussion on social media. One fan tweeted <blockquote> I’m a grown man wondering if a cartoon dog family is going to have a baby. Weird life this is. </blockquote> From election day barbecues to Queenslander houses and backyards, early audience responses to our study agree Bluey offers a snapshot of Australia. However, many were quick to point out this snapshot doesn’t provide the full picture. Bluey has been <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/everyday/can-bluey-show-be-more-representative/100042084">gently criticised</a> for a perceived lack of diversity. The show centres on a hetero-normative nuclear family in a world largely populated by able-bodied characters, with Anglo-Australian names and accents. As one respondent noted <blockquote> We’re definitely getting better [at reflecting Australian culture] with shows like Bluey, but as a gay man I would love to see more LGBT representation in kids’ shows. It would be nice as a kid to know you’re valid. </blockquote> Nevertheless, many of this study’s early participants felt that on the whole, kids’ TV was becoming more reflective of wider Australia. Children’s content praised for providing greater diversity of representation included Indigenous Australian-led shows Little J & Big Cuz and Jarjums. National babysitter Play School was celebrated for its continued commitment to featuring hosts from a variety of backgrounds, and the greater diversity in The Wiggles’ new line-up was applauded. <h2>Taking ‘bush wees’ global</h2> One respondent wondered if the humour and references in Bluey were “lost on audiences outside of Australia”. However, since the Walt Disney Company acquired the show’s international broadcasting rights in 2019, Bluey has been reaching a wide <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2019/jun/13/australias-bluey-goes-global-after-fetching-deal-with-disney">overseas audience</a>. While some small accommodations have been made for international viewers — “capsicums” became “peppers” in the UK and a gag with a pooping pony was cut for Disney Junior — the show has resisted being watered down. As such, it is taking bilbies and “bush wees” to global audiences. At a time when the commercial broadcaster quotas that previously protected local kids’ TV have been <a href="https://theconversation.com/cheese-n-crackers-concerns-deepen-for-the-future-of-australian-childrens-television-147183">scrapped</a> and international shows like Paw Patrol and Peppa Pig can be instantly summoned by tapping on a smart-phone, the local enthusiasm for Bluey is heartening. “I have friends in the US whose kids watch Bluey and they say their kids are talking in Aussie accents,” noted one respondent with pride. Said another: “Bluey will be forever iconic not just to kids but their parents, not just in Australia but all over the world”. Our research project, <a href="https://www.actcresearch.com/">Australian Children’s Television Cultures</a>, aims to better understand the role and responsibility of local Kids’ TV. You can participate in this research by clicking on the following <a href="https://swinuw.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2nLAOj9X5VUfPvw">link</a>. You can also follow us on <a href="https://twitter.com/_ACTC_?s=20">Twitter</a>.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/168571/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/liam-burke-109751">Liam Burke</a>, Associate Professor and Cinema and Screen Studies Discipline Leader, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/swinburne-university-of-technology-767">Swinburne University of Technology</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/djoymi-baker-1269345">Djoymi Baker</a>, Lecturer in Cinema Studies, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/rmit-university-1063">RMIT University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jessica-balanzategui-814024">Jessica Balanzategui</a>, Senior Lecturer in Cinema and Screen Studies, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/swinburne-university-of-technology-767">Swinburne University of Technology</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/joanna-mcintyre-333903">Joanna McIntyre</a>, Lecturer in Media Studies, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/swinburne-university-of-technology-767">Swinburne University of Technology</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/an-idealised-australian-ethos-why-bluey-is-an-audience-favourite-even-for-adults-without-kids-168571">original article</a>. Image: ABC TV

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