The Gist

THE INTERNET IS PRAISING ‘BLUE’S CLUES’ FOR ALL THE PRIDE MONTH CONTENT THEY’RE LAUNCHING FOR LITTLE KIDS

Blue's Clues has always been ahead of its time in storytelling for little kids, but this Pride Month, this is taken to a beautiful next level as it uses the show to teach its young audience all about the LGBTQ+ community.

PAULINE NACAR / 9 June 2021

Children’s show “Blue’s Clues” has always had a special place in several generations’ hearts, with characters that played a huge part in our childhood, and a reliable storyline in each episode that we could all easily sit back and enjoy, even years down the road. As the world grew to demand more inclusivity, especially for LGBTQIA+ communities, shows targeted for such a young demographic were never truly part of the conversation. This is all changing now as the new generation of “Blue’s Clues” staff comes out to celebrate Pride Month with flying and unabashed colors through the show’s huge platform.

Firstly, they released The Blue’s Clues Pride Parade, with a sing-along song led by Drag Queen Nina West teaching young kids about the different LGBTQIA+ groups. The video featured furry animal families with two mommies or two dads, and other ways to depict inclusive households that are proud of who they are. The parade also waved various flags of the community, from the lesbian flag to transgender colors.

Something that was also greatly appreciated by the Internet was Blue’s Clues’ iconic segment “Mail Time” being dedicated to showcasing video entries from LGBTQIA+ families. The first video, already, showed a little girl explaining all the different flags, and why it’s important to celebrate Pride in order to inspire kindness for one another. What’s more touching is that it’s the kids who proudly talk about why these celebrations mean so much to them, their families, and the whole community. Having it come from the kids themselves will also be more effective in teaching the young audience on the other side of the screen to think and feel the same way.

In celebration of Pride this June, many brands, corporations, and TV shows are also joining the party with their own content and products marketed to show their ally-ship with the LGBTQIA+ community. A few of these “participating” brands have gotten flack from the general public as their celebration is often seen as “performative” or even just a means to advance their capitalist agendas. This is more true for corporations that stick on rainbow flags in their products in June, and then go back to ignoring or oppressing the community after the celebrations come to a close.

However, for a children’s show such as “Blue’s Clue’s” where it’s arguably riskier to put out Pride-oriented content than to stay silent, it’s this lack of a capitalist agenda that has gained them the Internet’s adoration, respect, and praise. After all, for a series as beloved among families, it’s a gamble to show support for the LGBTQIA+ community, especially as conservative parents are very much likely to complain and stop their households from watching it any further.

But this didn’t stop “Blue’s Clue’s” from proudly showing their support to the community, and the Internet is all here for it. Clips from the Pride Parade and Mail Time segments went viral on Twitter upon release, with older generations expressing their surprise and delight over this initiative and the varying levels of representation in these videos.

A lot of people also commented how they wish they saw this level of acceptance and love from the shows they grew up with, but they’re nonetheless ecstatic that the new generation will have their eyes opened in this way.

 

 

It’s truly a beautiful time to be alive when children’s shows are also taking part in spreading love and acceptance for marginalized communities that are oftentimes portrayed as a joke or a threat by mainstream media. Something as huge as this initiative from “Blue’s Clues” is an even stronger affirmation for all members of the community to embrace who they are, and be proud of who they love. Not just during Pride Month, but for the rest of their lives.