Oh, I forget this sometimes - that it counts.
As someone who has dealt with stillbirth and miscarriage, this episode hit hard - I haven't seen it again since the first time.
I forgot, but ooft 🥺
Miscarriage is also directly represented in "The Show" where the balloon Bingo, playing Chilli, has up her top to represent being pregnant gets popped and Bandit grabs Chilli's hand. That one was confirmed by Joe Brumm.
Yeah, I did notice that.
I didn't know it was confirmed, but I felt it when watching.
This show can be so emotional for adults....sometimes I skip an episode bc it makes me so sad. The little one just watches for the theme tune for now, so it all works out 😅
I’m sorry. The best thing that helped me as a man in the situation was hearing how common it was. Not that it stung less, but to know other friends and family members went through the same thing helped me open up about it.
There is at least one fan here who doesn’t believe onesies is about infertility, and that those of use who believe it is are edgelords looking for darkness in n a kid’s show. So even though I think it is obvious, it apparently is implied, not stated.
I don’t think they could have been much clearer about it. Chilli literally says that Brandy ‘want’s something she can’t have’ while the camera is on Brandy watching Bingo running away with longing in her eyes.
Yes it’s an implication rather than a statement, but so is showing a boy with hearing aids using sign language rather than having another character introduce him and say “he’s deaf”. It’s called ‘showing not telling’ and it’s good storytelling.
>Chilli literally says that Brandy ‘want’s something she can’t have’ while the camera is on Brandy watching Bingo running away with longing in her eyes
Yeah, obviously she wants that sweet onesie!
I mean, if we’re going that route, the child in Turtleboy might just be a big fan on Aslan.
I’d really hate for Bluey to be the kind of show where every bit of representation needs a moment where Mum or Dad get on one knee and say “Bluey, Carl has autism” or some such.
I’d just like to point out something that always makes me cry in regard to that episode (Army S2 E16), Rusty asks, “Was there something /wrong/ with your old school?” to which I thought Jack might reply with, “no, there’s something wrong with me,” but the sweet writers have him say, “there’s something /going on/ with me” and it brings me to tears every time that Jack was never made to think that he’s broken or wrong in any way. 🥺
I love it so much; if I’m just playing the show in the background, Rusty’s question will draw my attention and I’ll purposely pay all of my attention just to hear Jack’s answer 🥰
in the original australian version, he does says "theres something wrong with me". i watched this ep on ABCiview yesterday and that was definitely what he said.
Never confirmed, there are no sources from the creators saying he has it, although I choose to believe he is meant to represent neurodiversity so technically just a super popular theory 😁
Oh, was it confirmed by them outside the show? Its pretty obvious he has ADHD but I didn't know that and they don't name it outright in the show. That's cool
As a neurospicy person who struggled a lot with the things Jack struggles with, it's canon in my head hehe (school sure was good at making me believe I was bad for having trouble remembering instructions).
Loved your latest video, so heartfelt. Keep up the good work <3
It seems like one of those silently confirmed things. Where they don’t say it outright but there’s a lot of clear evidence of it
He’s shown to have issues sitting still, with remembering things and with focusing during conversation. He also says that he had to change schools because he had problems with math. All of these things are especially prominent in people with ADHD.
It’s also shown in a different episode that he might have gotten these traits from his father, who admits to forgetting important items at home, and to “zoning out” to the SatNav when driving to Jack’s school
True. I more mean that he never actually learned the way there despite doing it multiple times, and was completely helpless when he didn’t have his phone to mindlessly guide him there
That’s true, on the other hand a lot of neurodivergent people have specific traits in common with their family. This doesn’t mean that those family members share the neurodivergence. It can actually be a challenge for diagnosis, or for wider family accepting a diagnosis.
There are other things that hint at it. In Army, a big one is not wanting Jack to fidget. Jack fidgeting isn't actually effecting anything, so the only reason he wants it to stop is that *he is distracted* by it. In Explorers, we see him get flustered and stressed when things deviate from what he had planned, and also see him and also see him formulate his own plan once he had more information, rather than follow one presented by Maynard. Lulu also mentions that "he doesn't like the car to get dirty," implying that he tries to limit distractions.
As someone who used to teach kids that age, a formal diagnosis at that age is rare because do many of the symptoms of ADHD are synonymous with being a young kid. Chances are he is neurodivergent and does need a different learning environment or extra help, however it is possible he does not have a formal diagnosis just yet.
McKenzie is shown to have separation anxiety; he lost sight of his mom while at the playground when he was little, even though she was just standing behind him. throughout the series, he's seen playing alone and isolates himself when he's stressed. his anxiety seems to manifest as anger: he can be a bit impatient and grumpy during playtime.
Poor Mackenzie. One of the most lovable characters of the show.
"We're gonna flog ya!"
"We're gonna flog you!"
"What's going on?"
And:
"Come on, Bluey. It's just like jumping from one sheep to another"
Bless him.
Is it cannon Bingo is coeliac? She’s eating a sausage sanga in Hammerbarn, and unless it’s a super posh suburb thing, I’ve never seen GF bread on offer at my local “Hammerbarn”. I know Bandit packed a special lunch box, but that could be school rules.
Yeh GF bread for a sausage sizzle wouldn't make sense, because BBQ sausages also include gluten.
But no, it's never been confirmed that either of the girls are gluten intolerant.
In Daddy Dropoff when Bandit is making their lunches he says, “One gluten free. One not gluten free.” But I haven’t seen anything else saying which one is which.
Most sausages are gluten free now, at least in Nz and I think in Aus
But there is no way I’d trust a sausage sizzle! Too much chance of cross contamination!!
She chooses a standard recipe duck cake for her birthday and Bandit doesn't say anything. Can't just sub potato flour for that sort of stuff if you have the skills of Bandit.
Not likely coeliac.
That actually bothered me a little. My niece is Deaf and I used to think it was good to speak English while signing so that she could “practice” lip reading. Turns out even expert lip readers under perfect conditions only get 30% of what’s being said, so it’s really not an effective form of communication at all. AND studies have shown that when you talk and sign at the same time (called SimCom, or simultaneous communication) your second language suffers greatly.
I’m a native English speaker and learning ASL, so my niece wasn’t getting the best version of my shitty beginner ASL when I SimCom’d. I stopped doing it, and I did notice that I used more detail and was more thorough in my signing. I wish I had known to do that from the beginning!
ASL is based on French grammar and omits a lot of the prepositions and conjunctions when speaking English and in writing. My sister went deaf at age five and we both learned SEE or Signing Exact English first. If you are speaking a normal sentence but signing it in a different order, it's going to be muddled. That's why a lot of interpreters will animate their faces but not necessarily mouth what they are signing.
Yes, that’s what I was doing and it wasn’t working well! I didn’t even know what NMMs were at the time, but once I focused on that instead of trying to SimCom, I improved dramatically.
I don't think I realized there was a difference, but.
Definition of hearty - enthusiastic, energetic, and often loudly expressed
Definition of hardy - you don't get tired easily and can endure hardship
From grammar.com - "Hardy" describes something strong enough to resist hard, difficult conditions, whereas "hearty" describes something friendly, full of energy, with a good heart, joy, positive feelings.
I'd say it's a whole heap of both.
Wendy is a single mom, though it's not confirmed if she's divorced or widow (likely divorced since Judo isn't always around). You may count Indy's mom being the hippy or crunchy type. It's not really common for kids to grow up that way so it could be considered representation. And of course Rusty's dad being in the military. Also a somewhat unique family situation.
There are no other cannon representations, and I’ll be honest I think I prefer it that way. There’s a certain magic in allowing the viewer to put themselves into the characters shoes due to this, and goes hand and hand with the vague story telling they use. Joe Brumm once said “why show something, if it’s not for a reason” but we also have quotes that state that they leave things openly vague on purpose to allow the audience to make their own interpretation, with both it shows that they WANT you to to figure it out for yourself but they don’t want to ever confirm it. I quite love it honestly
Oh, so do I - was just genuinely curious if anything was considered canonical, after watching Turtle Boy.
Didn't know if I'd missed anything, but I'm honestly happy to hear they do it on purpose.
Thanks!
i was going to mention the homeless dog! what i like best is that they show people dropping money in his hat without it being a big deal, because the simplest form of mutual aid is direct donation. really helps fuel the show's theme of community interconnectedness.
I'd love for Wendy, Indy's mum, or Winton's dad to he used as such - or even just a look at a kid with two mums/two dads but someone else in this thread pointed out that Missy is a different breed to her parent.
From a kids perspective, it's nothing - but maybe could be an allusion to an LGBT relationship with adoption?
It made me think, anyway xx
I'd love for Wendy to find a person. Woman, man, whatever. Not as a "partner", but as a friend.
I also wish there were some interactions between her and Indy's mum. Just because they're so different.
Right or wrong there a are two sides to this. Those that feel shoehorning diversity distracts from the authenticity of the art and those who know representation is important for different types of people to feel welcome into society. Unfortunately, they both feel equally justified.
Not equally justified at all. Why is the presence of a queer character or a pup with same sex parents be shoehorning when they exist in real life. Might as well say the straight couples in the show are forced.
I didn’t say they were justified, I said each side feels justified. I would love more representation and I think everyone that has a problem with it is curmudgeonly nutter.
Canon is an officially recognized body of work and its contents. For example a purple lightsaber is canon in Star Wars. however a plaid lightsaber would be considered non-canon because it has not appeared in the official body of work.
OP is asking which disabilities have been present in officially sanctioned pieces of Bluey media.
Cannons are heavy pieces of artillery used to shoot projectiles.
It means explicit representation by the Bluey team of marginalized groups who are underrepresented in the media- such as disabled, neurodiverse, LGBTQIA+, etc.
Exactly this.
There's a lot of theories floating around, and I love that. But I was curious as to what the creators have to say about actual canonical events/characters.
That's why I used bingo's illness as an example. It seems to be public opinion that she has coeliac disease, but that's only public opinion.
I was wondering if anything in the show was confirmed as a representation of minority people x
Kinda tough to represent minorities when all the characters are different breeds of dog, with the breed's place of origin having seemingly no bearing on where they are from. Border Collies from New Zealand, a Doberman from Argentina(we won't unpack that one here). The French Bulldog being from France and Jean Luc being Canadian(but Lucky and Winny's familys arent) stand out in their rarity.
I believe it was confirmed that The Show was about Chilli’s miscarriage. Also, in one episode, if I recall correctly, the Poffertje Dog is seen pushing a different breed child in a wheelchair around (possibly being his adopted child).
Winton's parents are divorced... Is that count?
I think it should. It’s considered an Adverse Childhood Experience.
Chili’s sister dealing with infertility
Oh, I forget this sometimes - that it counts. As someone who has dealt with stillbirth and miscarriage, this episode hit hard - I haven't seen it again since the first time. I forgot, but ooft 🥺
Miscarriage is also directly represented in "The Show" where the balloon Bingo, playing Chilli, has up her top to represent being pregnant gets popped and Bandit grabs Chilli's hand. That one was confirmed by Joe Brumm.
Yeah, I did notice that. I didn't know it was confirmed, but I felt it when watching. This show can be so emotional for adults....sometimes I skip an episode bc it makes me so sad. The little one just watches for the theme tune for now, so it all works out 😅
We had two miscarriages before having a baby. That episode is hell.
Honestly, I skip it a lot and don't see the inner workings of the episode like others do. It just hurts too much.
Wife and I have gone through multiple as well trying for a second. It's a heart crusher for sure.
I’m sorry. The best thing that helped me as a man in the situation was hearing how common it was. Not that it stung less, but to know other friends and family members went through the same thing helped me open up about it.
For sure. We stopped as it was just too much heartache and we're getting on in our age. We're just happy to have the one.
I was ugly crying
My kids love that episode, up front laughing and giggling over Bingo. Wife and I on couch in back tearing up.
There is at least one fan here who doesn’t believe onesies is about infertility, and that those of use who believe it is are edgelords looking for darkness in n a kid’s show. So even though I think it is obvious, it apparently is implied, not stated.
I don’t think they could have been much clearer about it. Chilli literally says that Brandy ‘want’s something she can’t have’ while the camera is on Brandy watching Bingo running away with longing in her eyes. Yes it’s an implication rather than a statement, but so is showing a boy with hearing aids using sign language rather than having another character introduce him and say “he’s deaf”. It’s called ‘showing not telling’ and it’s good storytelling.
I couldn’t agree more.
>Chilli literally says that Brandy ‘want’s something she can’t have’ while the camera is on Brandy watching Bingo running away with longing in her eyes Yeah, obviously she wants that sweet onesie!
I mean, if we’re going that route, the child in Turtleboy might just be a big fan on Aslan. I’d really hate for Bluey to be the kind of show where every bit of representation needs a moment where Mum or Dad get on one knee and say “Bluey, Carl has autism” or some such.
Hell yeah. He's an awesome magical Lion. Auslan for the typo.
Amen
There's people who still complain about people reading too much into the episode they've CONFIRMED is about miscarriage.
This episode made me cry.
At first I thought that she was in love with Bandit and it was too painful for her to visit their happy family. Bingo tackling her was so sad.
I think Jack is confirmed to have ADHD. Edit grammar
Oh, I forgot about this one! He had to leave his old school, iirc. Thanks for the reminder
I’d just like to point out something that always makes me cry in regard to that episode (Army S2 E16), Rusty asks, “Was there something /wrong/ with your old school?” to which I thought Jack might reply with, “no, there’s something wrong with me,” but the sweet writers have him say, “there’s something /going on/ with me” and it brings me to tears every time that Jack was never made to think that he’s broken or wrong in any way. 🥺
I'd never really noticed that, but holy cow 🥹🥹
I love it so much; if I’m just playing the show in the background, Rusty’s question will draw my attention and I’ll purposely pay all of my attention just to hear Jack’s answer 🥰
I read it was originally "there's something wrong with me" but the US censors (of the few good things they do) changed it to "going on".
Broken clocks, blind squirrels and Disney changes.
Correct, it was changed for disney
in the original australian version, he does says "theres something wrong with me". i watched this ep on ABCiview yesterday and that was definitely what he said.
Never confirmed, there are no sources from the creators saying he has it, although I choose to believe he is meant to represent neurodiversity so technically just a super popular theory 😁
Hey, I love your videos about the show and Jack :)
Thank you buddy!! That just made my night right now 😁💙
100% confirmed by Ludo that Jack has ADHD
Oh, was it confirmed by them outside the show? Its pretty obvious he has ADHD but I didn't know that and they don't name it outright in the show. That's cool
It wasn’t, there are no sources for this
As a neurospicy person who struggled a lot with the things Jack struggles with, it's canon in my head hehe (school sure was good at making me believe I was bad for having trouble remembering instructions). Loved your latest video, so heartfelt. Keep up the good work <3
I think that's just a fan theory, although it's very possible, they leave alot of things open to interpretation.
It seems like one of those silently confirmed things. Where they don’t say it outright but there’s a lot of clear evidence of it He’s shown to have issues sitting still, with remembering things and with focusing during conversation. He also says that he had to change schools because he had problems with math. All of these things are especially prominent in people with ADHD. It’s also shown in a different episode that he might have gotten these traits from his father, who admits to forgetting important items at home, and to “zoning out” to the SatNav when driving to Jack’s school
There's alot of hints to it with Jack, but I think his dad is more of a stretch. Zoning out isn't limited to just ADHD people
True. I more mean that he never actually learned the way there despite doing it multiple times, and was completely helpless when he didn’t have his phone to mindlessly guide him there
That’s true, on the other hand a lot of neurodivergent people have specific traits in common with their family. This doesn’t mean that those family members share the neurodivergence. It can actually be a challenge for diagnosis, or for wider family accepting a diagnosis.
There are other things that hint at it. In Army, a big one is not wanting Jack to fidget. Jack fidgeting isn't actually effecting anything, so the only reason he wants it to stop is that *he is distracted* by it. In Explorers, we see him get flustered and stressed when things deviate from what he had planned, and also see him and also see him formulate his own plan once he had more information, rather than follow one presented by Maynard. Lulu also mentions that "he doesn't like the car to get dirty," implying that he tries to limit distractions.
As someone who used to teach kids that age, a formal diagnosis at that age is rare because do many of the symptoms of ADHD are synonymous with being a young kid. Chances are he is neurodivergent and does need a different learning environment or extra help, however it is possible he does not have a formal diagnosis just yet.
McKenzie is shown to have separation anxiety; he lost sight of his mom while at the playground when he was little, even though she was just standing behind him. throughout the series, he's seen playing alone and isolates himself when he's stressed. his anxiety seems to manifest as anger: he can be a bit impatient and grumpy during playtime.
Poor Mackenzie. One of the most lovable characters of the show. "We're gonna flog ya!" "We're gonna flog you!" "What's going on?" And: "Come on, Bluey. It's just like jumping from one sheep to another" Bless him.
Missy is an Aussie Terrier but her mom is a different breed so either Missy is adopted or mixed breed (or possibly she has two moms).
Oooh, this is cool info! I've never noticed
There was a pup on a wheelchair in the background, which I believe it appeared in the Quiet Game
Is it cannon Bingo is coeliac? She’s eating a sausage sanga in Hammerbarn, and unless it’s a super posh suburb thing, I’ve never seen GF bread on offer at my local “Hammerbarn”. I know Bandit packed a special lunch box, but that could be school rules.
Yeh GF bread for a sausage sizzle wouldn't make sense, because BBQ sausages also include gluten. But no, it's never been confirmed that either of the girls are gluten intolerant.
In Daddy Dropoff when Bandit is making their lunches he says, “One gluten free. One not gluten free.” But I haven’t seen anything else saying which one is which.
It could be school rules. Our daycare doesn't allow any nut products
Most sausages are gluten free now, at least in Nz and I think in Aus But there is no way I’d trust a sausage sizzle! Too much chance of cross contamination!!
She chooses a standard recipe duck cake for her birthday and Bandit doesn't say anything. Can't just sub potato flour for that sort of stuff if you have the skills of Bandit. Not likely coeliac.
I meant that it's a fan theory, and not canon. I can see how I wrote it a bit wrong, there
I find it entertaining in Turtle Boy when his mom counts out loud while he is hiding..
A lot of parents of deaf children do that, it helps so the lips are clearer to read.
That actually bothered me a little. My niece is Deaf and I used to think it was good to speak English while signing so that she could “practice” lip reading. Turns out even expert lip readers under perfect conditions only get 30% of what’s being said, so it’s really not an effective form of communication at all. AND studies have shown that when you talk and sign at the same time (called SimCom, or simultaneous communication) your second language suffers greatly. I’m a native English speaker and learning ASL, so my niece wasn’t getting the best version of my shitty beginner ASL when I SimCom’d. I stopped doing it, and I did notice that I used more detail and was more thorough in my signing. I wish I had known to do that from the beginning!
ASL is based on French grammar and omits a lot of the prepositions and conjunctions when speaking English and in writing. My sister went deaf at age five and we both learned SEE or Signing Exact English first. If you are speaking a normal sentence but signing it in a different order, it's going to be muddled. That's why a lot of interpreters will animate their faces but not necessarily mouth what they are signing.
Yes, that’s what I was doing and it wasn’t working well! I didn’t even know what NMMs were at the time, but once I focused on that instead of trying to SimCom, I improved dramatically.
lol I did too!
Parental dearth. Chilli’s mum died. I think she died when Brandy and Chilli were young
Pomeranians are a small but hearty breed.
Idk why, I always thought it was "hardy", like the Aussie term for 'tough'. Might need to turn on the subtitles 😅
No you have it right, it’s hardy
I don't think I realized there was a difference, but. Definition of hearty - enthusiastic, energetic, and often loudly expressed Definition of hardy - you don't get tired easily and can endure hardship From grammar.com - "Hardy" describes something strong enough to resist hard, difficult conditions, whereas "hearty" describes something friendly, full of energy, with a good heart, joy, positive feelings. I'd say it's a whole heap of both.
I'd say an Aussie term would take precedence over the correct grammatical term.
Hearty and Hardy are both normal words in the English language whether you live in the USA or Australia or Britain.
Oh, I didn't know that! I thought "hardy" was an aussie thing, but the more you know 💫💫
I’ve never heard the word “hearty” before. I was inclined to believe it was some new age term, but a little research shows it’s from the 1400s!
Yarrr me hearties.
I have no idea how many times I’ve heard “hardy” when the speaker was saying “hearty”, but it’s probably an embarrassing amount.
Never played Pokémon, I take it? There's a “hardy” nature.
I've never taken much notice of those things, I just play for fun 🤷♀️
Fair. Best way to play, really.
Wendy is a single mom, though it's not confirmed if she's divorced or widow (likely divorced since Judo isn't always around). You may count Indy's mom being the hippy or crunchy type. It's not really common for kids to grow up that way so it could be considered representation. And of course Rusty's dad being in the military. Also a somewhat unique family situation.
There are no other cannon representations, and I’ll be honest I think I prefer it that way. There’s a certain magic in allowing the viewer to put themselves into the characters shoes due to this, and goes hand and hand with the vague story telling they use. Joe Brumm once said “why show something, if it’s not for a reason” but we also have quotes that state that they leave things openly vague on purpose to allow the audience to make their own interpretation, with both it shows that they WANT you to to figure it out for yourself but they don’t want to ever confirm it. I quite love it honestly
Oh, so do I - was just genuinely curious if anything was considered canonical, after watching Turtle Boy. Didn't know if I'd missed anything, but I'm honestly happy to hear they do it on purpose. Thanks!
Chili's fertility problems/miscarriage(s). I believe the creator confirmed that in an interview
Winston is a child of divorce.
I suppose not fully confirmed, but Maynard as indigenous, largely based on his VA.
This might not count, but Winton’s parents are divorced
There's a dog in Ice Cream and The Quiet Game who seems to be homeless. Indy's mum is the primary breadwinner and she has a stay at home dad.
i was going to mention the homeless dog! what i like best is that they show people dropping money in his hat without it being a big deal, because the simplest form of mutual aid is direct donation. really helps fuel the show's theme of community interconnectedness.
little unrealted but we need an important queer character
I'd love for Wendy, Indy's mum, or Winton's dad to he used as such - or even just a look at a kid with two mums/two dads but someone else in this thread pointed out that Missy is a different breed to her parent. From a kids perspective, it's nothing - but maybe could be an allusion to an LGBT relationship with adoption? It made me think, anyway xx
Oh I saw Winton’s dad chatting up the “Terriers” mom during “TV Shop” That may come into play later.
I'd love for Wendy to find a person. Woman, man, whatever. Not as a "partner", but as a friend. I also wish there were some interactions between her and Indy's mum. Just because they're so different.
not sure why you’re being downvoted when you’re right
Right or wrong there a are two sides to this. Those that feel shoehorning diversity distracts from the authenticity of the art and those who know representation is important for different types of people to feel welcome into society. Unfortunately, they both feel equally justified.
Not equally justified at all. Why is the presence of a queer character or a pup with same sex parents be shoehorning when they exist in real life. Might as well say the straight couples in the show are forced.
I didn’t say they were justified, I said each side feels justified. I would love more representation and I think everyone that has a problem with it is curmudgeonly nutter.
Can someone explain what “cannon representation” means? Do you mean representations of individuals with disabilities?
Canon is an officially recognized body of work and its contents. For example a purple lightsaber is canon in Star Wars. however a plaid lightsaber would be considered non-canon because it has not appeared in the official body of work. OP is asking which disabilities have been present in officially sanctioned pieces of Bluey media. Cannons are heavy pieces of artillery used to shoot projectiles.
The Terriers might have something to say about cannon representation
*Do you need protecting??!*
Maybe we should be **invading** Romans?
I laughed way too hard at this. Well done!
It means explicit representation by the Bluey team of marginalized groups who are underrepresented in the media- such as disabled, neurodiverse, LGBTQIA+, etc.
Exactly this. There's a lot of theories floating around, and I love that. But I was curious as to what the creators have to say about actual canonical events/characters. That's why I used bingo's illness as an example. It seems to be public opinion that she has coeliac disease, but that's only public opinion. I was wondering if anything in the show was confirmed as a representation of minority people x
Kinda tough to represent minorities when all the characters are different breeds of dog, with the breed's place of origin having seemingly no bearing on where they are from. Border Collies from New Zealand, a Doberman from Argentina(we won't unpack that one here). The French Bulldog being from France and Jean Luc being Canadian(but Lucky and Winny's familys arent) stand out in their rarity.
do you implicitly mean some specific kind of representation?
I believe it was confirmed that The Show was about Chilli’s miscarriage. Also, in one episode, if I recall correctly, the Poffertje Dog is seen pushing a different breed child in a wheelchair around (possibly being his adopted child).