If you grew up in the 1990s, you must have seen or heard of the popular show Barney & Friends. Fans of Baney can rejoice, as Mattel recently announced plans to reboot the show starring the purple dinosaur. It is accompanied by a slew of new content, toys, and merchandise. The announcement was accompanied with the first look at the revamped Barney.
However, netizens tend to be underwhelmed with the relaunch, particularly given the alteration in Barney’s appearance. One user even commented on how the dinosaur seemed to have had his “buccal fat removed.”
Buccal fat reduction is a surgical procedure that removes fat from the face in order to highlight the bone structure and make the face appear smaller.
Despite being a popular cartoon in the 1990s, Barney’s & Friends was finally canceled due to repeated lawsuits filed by the show’s creators in response to the introduction of violent content featuring the purple dinosaur, which progressively gained more traction than the show itself.
What factors contributed to the cancellation of Barney & Friends?
Sheryl Leach created the famous show Barney & Friends in 1987, based on the titular purple dinosaur. Initially, the series was taped as made-for-video projects and broadcast to the general public.
Real kids, on the other hand, were gradually introduced into the show, with the purple dinosaur teaching them lessons about friendship, family, and environment, among other things.
The first punch to the purple dinosaur happened in 1997, when San Diego Chicken began airing comic segments in which Barney was severely abused. This did not sit well with the show’s creators, who believed it was out of sync with the cartoon’s wider message.
Soon after, a website titled 150 Ways to Kill the Dinosaur published an essay on how to kill the purple dinosaur. As a result, the show’s producers filed a lawsuit against the comedy website.
According to Distractify, further incidents of dinosaur violence quickly began to emerge, with a website called Dustyfeet becoming popular for spreading the idea that the purple dinosaur must be exterminated by all means imaginable.
According to FreshersLive, another reason for the show’s cancellation was cost-cutting measures implemented after 30 episodes.
Users on social media are dissatisfied with Barney’s new style.
According to reports, the franchise will be relaunched globally in 2024. Mattel has revealed ambitions to expand into movies, YouTube content, books, and clothes in addition to Barney toys and the TV series.
Mattel revealed the revised look of the purple dinosaur on Monday, February 13, 2023. As soon as the announcement was made public, it became viral because social media users couldn’t stop reacting to it.
Netizens had a field day ridiculing the dinosaur’s new appearance, with many pointing out many changes to the character:
In an announcement, Mattel’s chief franchise officer and global head of consumer goods, Josh Silverman, stated that they will tap into the nostalgia of the generation that grew up with this show, adding:
“Barney’s love and caring message has endured the test of time.”
According to Fred Soulie, SVP and general manager of Mattel Television, it was critical to “fully reflect on the reality that kids today live in so that the series can impart relevant lessons about navigating it” when developing the new series.
Corus Entertainment’s Nelvana will produce the revival. According to reports, Fred Soulie and Christopher Keenan will serve as executive producers for Mattel Television, while Colin Bohm and Pam Westman will serve as executive producers for Nelvana.