It was a fine Saturday morning, and my mom had charged me with watching my little brother Andrew for the morning. You may be thinking to yourself: “that’s not too bad, one kid for a couple hours…” which I would normally agree with, but you might think differently upon meeting this particular four-year-old. The best way I can describe him is in comparison to a tornado that destroys everything and everyone in its path and only gains energy as it goes. I don’t quite understand it, but I love him however much he is a menace to society. So my only hope after an hour of terror was the television which works as a tranquilizer to our youth and saves many more lives than people know. He begged for his favorite show Bluey, and I collapsed on the couch next to him, unsure if I would ever be the same again and thanking the Australians for creating a show not about trucks or dinosaurs that my brother liked.

The intro was charming and catchy; I found myself settling deeper into my seat, no longer on guard for surprise attacks from Andrew. I was expecting a Max and Ruby style show with predictable writing and the suspicious lack of parents, but what I got instead was a perfect blend of nostalgia, humor, and wholesomeness. The premise is super simple, a family of four: “Mom,” “Dad,” Bluey, and Bingo Heely as they go about their ordinary life. Bluey and Bingo are super imaginative and love to play games of make-believe wherever they are, and their parents always play along. The parents usually play characters in the games who are in love with each other, and I won’t lie: they are a really cute couple. Bingo and Bluey are not super talented or different, they’re honestly just normal kids. And that’s exactly what makes the show so good.

What Bluey does is paint an accurate picture of childhood in a way that captures all the best bits. When you and your little sister would pretend to be queens and both wanted to be the butler but would pretend that being the queen was the best so that you could have a turn doing what you wanted. (S2 E23)When you’d have to stay after school because your mom couldn’t pick you up in time and you end up having a great time and making new friends. (S2 E25) Or when your dad would read you stories and use funny voices, by your commands, and skip over bits so that he could get you to bed quicker. (Bluey Short 9) Bluey displays the beauty in ordinary life and the simplicity of childhood, highlighting the importance of giving of yourself and unconditional love.

All of the games that Bluey and her sister play require a little imagination and openness to others. When Bluey finds a tree stump she wants to use as a helicopter, she has to learn to let her friends at least take a ride on, if not drive, the helicopter. She often finds that she has more fun when she is playing with other people. Of course Bluey has alone time too, but the times that she chooses to sacrifice a little of her time to play with Bingo teaches watchers that the best gift we can give is the gift of ourselves. Yes, new toys and cake and coloring pencils and candy are great, but often what’s actually most exciting is time spent with other people.

Which leads me to my second point, that Bluey features unconditional love as shown through actions. The parents are often caught up in the games of their children, and most of the time, the kids are pretending to control them in some way. They have a special command to make their parents dance, to freeze, to turn into a robot, among other things. It’s all harmless, and Mom and Dad Heely draw the line when it gets dangerous, but it’s beautiful how they play along. They take the time to make their kid’s games more fun or just to make them laugh, and they’re willing to make fools of themselves (sometimes in public) out of love for their kids. They’re never too busy to play along or listen or laugh, and it’s beautiful to see how they prioritize their children and make the childhood of their kids special. When Bluey and Bingo make mistakes, their parents take it in stride because they don’t expect perfection from their children. Their response is always one of love, even if they have to reprimand one of them or stop them from doing something they really want to do. Mom and Dad love Bluey and Bingo so much that they are happy to point out their mistakes because they know it will make them happier in the end.

In a time when every show has some sort of superhero or crisis, Bluey reminds kids and parents alike that ordinary life can be just as exciting as all the manufactured fun out there. It teaches its watchers the importance of giving yourself to those around and the beauty of a parent’s love for their children. Even if Andrew doesn’t quite catch the selfless actions of Bluey and Bingo’s parents, his brothers and sisters can, and someday maybe he will too. 

Theresa Marcucci ‘23, Associate Editor-in-Chief

23tmarcucci@montroseschool.org