"Can’t even trust Peppa Pig anymore": Netizens react to American parents claiming British cartoon is bad influence for kids

Peppa Pig, a popular British cartoon, is in hot waters after the television series was criticized by American parents, claiming that it is a bad influence and teaches bad behavior to their children.

Peppa Pig, a cartoon about a piglet named Peppa, has become popular for its emphasis on family. A small British show that started 20 years ago has now become a global phenomenon. According to the Daily Mail, the cartoon has been broadcast in over 180 countries and translated into more than 40 languages.

The show has theme parks in the United Kingdom and the United States. The cartoon has often been in controversy for teaching American children British accents. But, now, it has drawn ire for allegedly making children 'unruly.' Netizens criticized the cartoon, with several people saying:

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Netizens react to American parents claiming Peppa Pig is a bad influence on kids

As per the Times, American parents have claimed protagonist Peppa is "a brat, bully and a malign influence on impressionable minds." Kayla Tychsen, a parenting coach from Texas, talked to the Times, encompassing the experiences of a nanny and a mother herself of the show. Tychsen said:

"Some argue that Peppa is just like any other four-year-old. I think that’s probably true. Four-year-olds can be rude and demanding and whiny. But for me, the issue is that I don’t want to be modelling that behaviour for my children, to sit them in front of a show where that’s what’s happening and Peppa is bossing people around, or telling her parents what to do… or making comments about people’s weight."

Tyschsen also said she banned her children from watching the cartoon show. Another American mother calls Peppa "a little snotty," a behavior she doesn't want her children to learn.

On Wednesday, February 28, ITV's Good Morning Britain aired a segment titled "Is Peppa Pig a bad influence on Children?"

On the segment, Hosts Susanna Reid and Richard Madeley talked to author and influencer Brittany Balinsky and podcaster Lewis Oakley. Both of them presented two different viewpoints about the controversy. After the show, netizens took to X to express what they felt about the controversy. Here are some of the reactions:

Balinski agreed that the show was a bad influence. She said every episode shows negative behavior, which she doesn't want as a role model for her children.

"The show in itself has got lots of negative stereotypes. The dad is often considered to be like fat and lazy and those words are used on the show and it's not some language that I want my children to have in their vocab."

Balinski referred to several moments in the cartoon series when Peppa Pig teased his father, Daddy Pig, for his weight.

As per the Independent, in a 2017 episode, Peppa sets her treehouse password as "Daddy's big tummy." In another episode, Peppa's father is dismayed after finding his shirt is dyed pink and remarks that pink "isn't a good color for a football shirt."

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Another perspective on Peppa Pig

In Good Morning Britain, Host Susanna Reid quoted Esra Cafer, senior vice president of Hasbro, who produced Peppa Pig:

"She is a confident young girl empowered to speak her mind and express how she feels."

Guest Lewis Oakley, however, said that if the children start calling Daddy fat or something similar, then one can teach them that it's not a good thing. Oakley said:

"I don't want to shield my kids, they're going to see this behavior in real life. I don't want to show them some sort of sanitized version where everyone's well behaved and it's just unrealistic."

Consultant Ms Boucher-Giles spoke to Daily Mail and said that a single cartoon show like Peppa Pig can't be held responsible for children's behavior. She said:

"It is just a show and your child's main role model is you. I don't think we can hold Peppa Pig or other shows singularly responsible because it's the parents that allow that behaviour to perpetuate.

Boucher-Giles further said that children hear language all around them; even if they hear things you don't want your children to learn, you can always teach them that.