After Mattel’s recent announcement that it is bringing back a new and improved Barney, conservatives have whipped themselves into a frenzy that the revamped purple dinosaur could be “woke.”
Mattel announced Barney’s return on Monday, explaining that the modern-day version will be an animated series “centered on love, community, and encouragement.”
“Barney’s message of love and kindness has stood the test of time,” Josh Silverman, Chief Franchise Officer and Global Head of Consumer Products at Mattel, said in a statement. “We will tap into the nostalgia of the generations who grew up with Barney, now parents themselves, and introduce the iconic purple dinosaur to a new generation of kids and families around the world across content, products, and experiences.”
Fred Soulie, SVP and General Manager of Mattel Television, said the show will “reflect the world that kids today live in so that the series can deliver meaningful lessons about navigating it.
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Soulie called it a “modern take on Barney” that will “inspire the next generation to listen, care, and dream big.”
Conservatives have long protested children’s shows that promote the acceptance of others, and it seems there is fear among some that Barney might be equally embracing of people’s differences.
Following the reboot announcement, Brigitte Gabriel, who runs the anti-Muslim hate group ACT! for America, tweeted, “Barney is returning. They better not make him woke.”
And Twitter had a field day.
As other conservatives voiced their concerns over a possible “woke” Barney, people simply could not contain the jokes, with many also pointing out that Barney has always been progressive.
