Produced by Ludo Studio and released in 2018, Bluey is an animated television series geared towards preschool-aged children that has taken the world by storm. Set in Brisbane, Australia, the show follows the Heelers, a family of anthropomorphic dogs, featuring father (Bandit), mother (Chilli), and their two daughters (Bluey and Bingo, ages seven and five, respectively), as they learn various lessons through imaginative play scenarios and other life experiences.
As someone who is not a mother, nanny, or young child, my discovery of this show was completely by accident. I remember absentmindedly flipping through television channels and landing on Bluey and pausing for a moment. Despite not being the target demographic, the cute and colorful animation style caught my eye and instantly drew me in. Before I realized it, I had completed an entire set of episodes!
One thing that I never expected was for the show to tackle heavy topics in an incredibly gentle way. Episodes like Copycat, Onesies, and Space tackle rather intense topics from death to infertility to abandonment, but in a metaphorical sense that goes beyond the minds of younger viewers. “Who was this written for? What the hell is this show?!” I exclaimed through tears, shocked that a show about an animated dog family was making me bawl my eyes out. That’s just part of the magic of Bluey, however, and one of the main reasons why so many teenagers and adults have begun to use it as a way to heal their inner child. I could write an entire media analysis about the aesthetic details of the show alone—the animation style, the musical scores, the voice actors, the pillow shots—but for this article, I specifically want to focus on the psychology behind Bluey and three episodes that have changed my life the most.
One episode, titled Camping, deals with the difficult topic of losing a friend. The episode focuses on a camping trip with the Heeler family, specifically when Bluey meets a French-Canadian Labrador named Jean-Luc at a neighboring campsite. Despite the extreme language barrier, they find a way to communicate with each other, resulting in a budding friendship between the two young pups. Their fun ends rather abruptly, however, when Jean-Luc’s French “goodbye” message isn’t understood by English-speaking Bluey, who is devastated to find the Labrador’s campsite empty one morning. When Bluey asks her mother why Jean-Luc’s family had to leave so soon, Chilli responds with, “Sometimes, special people come into our lives, stay for a bit, and then they have to go.” Bluey comments on how sad it is, which Chilli concurs with before mentioning, “But the bit where they were together was happy, wasn’t it?” and how maybe that time spent makes it all worth it.
My first time seeing this episode was immediately after two painful friend breakups that had happened within the span of a 24-hour period. I was already feeling emotionally raw and this episode was so impactful that I immediately burst into tears. I needed to hear Chilli’s words of comfort during that time though. Sure, I missed my two friends and was depressed over having lost their friendships, however, Chilli reminded me that I needed to cherish the good times we had together and recognize that sometimes, relationships just end because it’s time.
Another episode, titled Stickbird, focuses on the topic of emotional regulation. In this episode, the Heeler family is enjoying a day at the beach together, except for the father, Bandit, who seems to be lost in thought. Despite his clear state of distraction, Chilli and the pups still convince Bandit to join in on the fun, and Bingo makes what she calls a “stickbird” using sand for the body and an oddly-shaped stick for the head. They briefly step away from Bingo’s stickbird to gather more supplies, only to return to find that another kid stole the stickbird’s head, effectively destroying it. Bingo is devastated, citing that the other kids were mean, but Bandit offers his words of wisdom, “He was beautiful. But when you put something beautiful out into the world, it’s no longer yours really.”. This doesn’t seem to really help until Bluey joins in and shows Bingo a trick a friend taught her. “You have to collect all the upset and all the angry,” Bluey explains, “You just feel where it is and go get it. Now you’ve got all that upset and angry in your hands.” Bluey then shows Bingo how she can throw those feelings away and they both run off happily together afterwards. Bandit pauses for a moment and pantomimes collecting his own negative feelings before hurling them into the ocean and turning to chase after the pups.
This episode was healing for me because, not only did it teach me a new coping mechanism for those times when I’m stuck in a negative mindset, but it also was a beautiful reminder that whatever I put out into the world—whether it’s an idea, an article, or some other creative project—no longer truly belongs to me and I need to accept that whatever happens to it is out of my control.
A third episode and my favorite by far is titled, Sleepytime. This specific episode highlights the journey of growing up focusing specifically on topics such as individuation, separation anxiety, and secure attachment. The episode starts with Chilli and Bingo reading an outer space-themed storybook before bedtime. As Chilli leaves the bedroom after the story, Bingo mentions that she wants to do a “big girl sleep” and wake up in her own bed. Chilli responds encouragingly, reminding her to do her best, but that she’s still there if needed. The remainder of the episode follows Bingo through her space-themed dream, while she sleepwalks her way through the house, interacting with various family members or obstacles along the way. There’s not a ton of dialogue in this episode, however, the message is just as impactful despite the lack of spoken words. Through her dream, Bingo overcomes obstacles and becomes her own person, but Chilli’s comforting presence remains, “Remember, I’ll always be here for you, even if you can’t see me, because I love you.”
Even though this episode didn’t really help me heal from any specific life trauma, it reminded me that I am my own person and, even though I have to face scary things alone sometimes, I will always have a support system I can fall back on. Additionally the episode, emphasizes the journey of finding yourself, becoming your own person, and growing. Three themes still present in my life today. It’s an absolute masterpiece of an episode and one that I’d highly recommend everyone to watch at least once.
So, why are so many teens and adults in love with a show that isn’t for their age demographic? Bluey feels more relatable and authentic than most other children’s shows, which are frequently referred to as annoying and repetitive. However, research has shown that there are deeper reasons involved in why there’s such a diversity in viewers. Psychologist Dr. Tamara Soles said, “Exploring universal themes as well as a wide range of emotions, children’s shows often validate emotional experiences, and provide a way for so many of us as adults to be seen and to reflect on our own emotional responses.” Not only is it a comfort show, but it allows viewers the opportunity to heal their own childhood wounds. Furthermore, Bluey has been proven to teach viewers healthier communication methods and coping mechanisms, while simultaneously reconnecting them with fun and imagination.
For me, personally, Bluey is a form of therapy, teaching me things that I wasn’t taught during my own childhood and providing me with a comforting escape from reality. Never in a million years did I think I’d fall in love with a children’s show to such an overwhelming degree, but I’m so glad I did, because it’s truly changed my life for the better.
[One final tip: after you’ve finished watching emotional episodes like the ones I’ve listed above, I highly recommend recovering with some of the funnier episodes like Unicorse and any episodes featuring the grannies. Trust me, you’ll need them.]