US streaming service Disney+ has “re-evaluated” its decision to ban an episode of Bluey in which the cartoon dog’s father, Bandit, is accused of farting in Bluey’s face.
The Family Meeting episode from the third series of the hit children’s show features a mock trial with mum Chilli as the judge to determine whether Bandit went ‘squishy’ or ‘brownieed’ Bluey’s face.
The episode opens with the six-year-old Blue Heeler puppy saying “Daddy blew up in my face” and Bandit denies it. He later admits, “His face is up to his ass, it’s hard not to.”
Fans of the Emmy Award-winning Australian series, which airs on Disney+ in the US, noticed the episode was missing when it aired last week and took to social media to complain.
Disney banned the family reunion from Bluey’s episode when it’s all about farts as if almost all (or all) kids shows these days have fart jokes, I don’t get it 💀 (ps hack this episode because it’s actually so funny, Disney is crazy)
— irl Peepaw Gearloose™ (@gyroscope420) August 11, 2022
Disney Branded Television initially kept quiet about its reasons for pulling the plug on the episode, but has now confirmed that it did so because it violated Disney Junior’s “standards and practices.”
Friends of Bluey The first half of season 3 is now on Disney+. Minus the one episode – Family Reunion – because farting cartoon dogs somehow upset the ratings. pic.twitter.com/8GMmh9b3Y5
— Autobot KÃli @ TFN 2022 (@jobot935) August 10, 2022
“Family Meeting will be rolling out to US platforms soon,” a spokesperson told a US children’s entertainment blog. “Some of Bluey’s content didn’t meet the Disney Junior S&P broadcast at the time the series was acquired. Now that it’s rolling out to other platforms, it’s a great opportunity to reevaluate what we want to do “.
It’s not the only episode of the irreverent series from Brisbane’s Ludo Studio to be censored in the US. A season two episode called Dad Baby, in which Bandit acts like she’s going through labor, has never been available on Disney+ or Disney Junior.
In 2020, two episodes of Bluey were temporarily removed from ABC iView and edited after a complaint the term “ooga booga” had racial connotations.
The Macquarie Dictionary defines “ooga booga” as a derogatory noun, meaning: “A stereotypical rendering of what the speaker takes to be the language of those they regard as African savages.”
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Bluey’s producers and the ABC said it was only intended as “irreverent rhyming slang often used by children” and was removed “as soon as the ABC and outside producers realized the potentially offensive meaning of the term” .
The ABC also said it “sincerely apologized to the complainant for any distress caused”.
ABC’s most popular TV show, Bluey is an international cult show that has inspired kids and parents alike since it launched in 2018, and now has a hit album, a play, a Emmy and a podcast dissecting each episode.
Bluey won another Logie for Outstanding Children’s Program earlier this year.
Guardian Australia has approached Disney for comment.