Here's the White House @PressSec lamenting cancel culture's impact on Paw Patrol, Live PD and Legos: pic.twitter.com/jLvFpJ69h7
— Andrew Solender (@AndrewSolender) July 24, 2020
Originally published: Thursday, June 11, 2020.
Television has already seen some changes as protests against police brutality following the tragic death of George Floyd have continued around the U.S. and the world.
On Monday, Cops was canceled after 32 seasons on the air. LivePD, which airs on A&E, was also canceled after it was originally placed on hold, according to Deadline. HBO Max also drew criticism for pulling the Civil War-era film Gone With the Wind from its library due to its depiction of black people. The streaming platform says the film will be re-uploaded once the Oscar-winning film is given "historical context."
Now, many people are pushing to change PAW Patrol, the Canadian CG-animated preschool series about a group of rescue dogs that work together to solve problems and protect a seaside town which airs on Nickelodeon. Could PAW Patrol be next?
The controversy started when the show tweeted out a message of solidarity toward the Black Lives Matter and #amplifymelanatedvoices movements. The post said it would be muting its content until June 7 “to give access for Black voices to be heard so we can continue to listen and further our learning.”
In solidarity of #amplifymelanatedvoices we will be muting our content until June 7th to give access for Black voices to be heard so we can continue to listen and further our learning. #amplifyblackvoices pic.twitter.com/NO2KeQjpHM
— PAW Patrol (@pawpatrol) June 2, 2020
The post drew some criticism from other users, albeit some of it was in jest.
“All dogs go to heaven, except the class traitors in the Paw Patrol," one user tweeted.
“How much will Paw Patrol be donating to bail funds?” another posted.
"Euthanize the police dog," a fan wrote. "Defund the Paw Patrol," another said. "Chase merchandise gonna sell poorly now," one person quipped.
"You've already brainwashed a bunch of kids into thinking law enforcement is a noble and just profession," a third chimed in. "Better to scrap production forever if you want to make lasting change"
"For a paramilitary organisation Chase breaks so many privacy laws it's ridiculous. Sky also in direct violation of international standards preventing dogs from flying helicopters," one Twitter user noted.
However, some thought getting rid of Chase, who is always on the case on the children's show was unnecessary. "My kids love Chase. Leave him on. Enough is enough. It's a cartoon. If people don't like Chase they don't have to watch," one Twitter user insisted.
"To the people who think canceling @pawpatrol is called for, have you lost your mind? It's a children's show! It teaches them to always lend a hand no matter who needs it. Stop making everything political and just be parents," another wrote. "A bunch of horrible people in these comments! You shame the human race. Chase should be the standard for a cop to follow, he's a good dog," a third added.
The response lead the New York Times to publish a opinion piece on the backlash against the children’s cartoon, its police dog Chase and other good cops on TV sitcoms.
Critic Amanda Hess wrote in the article:
“Even big-hearted cartoon police dogs — or maybe especially big-hearted cartoon police dogs — are on notice. The effort to publicize police brutality also means banishing the good-cop archetype, which reigns on both television and in viral videos of the protests themselves. 'Paw Patrol' seems harmless enough, and that’s the point: The movement rests on understanding that cops do plenty of harm.”
With Hess’ column bringing attention to the outcry, others on social media noted that things had gone too far.
While the Paw Patrol protests may not be totally real, Eric Trump and Sen. Ted Cruz seem to think fans are serious: both tweeted that the protests for Paw Patrol are “truly insane,” and they blasted the left for “targeting” cartoons. As a result of the back and forth — is the Paw Patrol protest real, or do Eric Trump and Ted Cruz just not understand humor? I'm guessing the former rather than the latter.
Despite the “protests” against the show, there are no signs that Paw Patrol is in danger of being canceled any time soon. Chase is one of the franchise's most popular characters, with the police K9 regularly making live costumed appearances for meet and greets at events. He even has his own cereal in the U.K. The franchise also generates millions of dollars from toy sales. In fact, Nickelodeon recently renewed the series for an eighth season and a theatrical film Paw Patrol: The Movie is scheduled to be released in August 2021.
Sources: PennLive, Decider, Newsweek, Fox News, Snopes, @NickAndViacomCBSUpdates.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Have your say by leaving a comment below! NickALive! welcomes friendly and respectful comments. Please familiarize with the blog's Comment Policy before commenting. All new comments are moderated and won't appear straight away.