The popular British cartoon Peppa Pig has ignited a wave of fury among American parents, who indicated the movie was teaching their children rudeness and impatience.
On social media platforms, the parents have expressed their concern about some of Peppa Pig's scenes promoting rudeness, impatience, and reinforcing negative stereotypes.
The cartoon, which was first released in 2004, has gained significant popularity and has become one of the most streamed shows, with a high demand from audiences.
Peppa Pig is about a pig named Peppa who lives with his father, mother, and brother and tells stories about their daily lives.
The cartoon became popular worldwide, often appearing in theme parks and even being franchised for clothing and toys.
According to reports, in 2022 alone, Peppa Pig earned $1.7 billion in retail sales and is the fourth most popular animated series in the world, behind only Masha the Bear, SpongeBob SquarePants, and Paw Patrol.
Several American parents have expressed their concerns about the behavior of their children who have imitated the British voice and style from watching Peppa Pig.
A 41-year-old mother recalled an incident where her son, influenced by Peppa Pig, commented on their neighbor's physical appearance, saying, "Look, David's got a big tummy!"
This incident made her realize that her son had picked up these rude behaviors from the cartoon.
Some other parents said their children were using words with such a Peppa-like tone every day that they started calling 'cookies' 'biscuits.'
This cultural influence has raised concerns among parents who worry about the impact on their children's language development and identity.
Mothers said the character Peppa often becomes irritable with her parents and argues back.
In addition, they also said that the characters often take actions that disparage other people's appearance, such as criticizing and laughing at someone's big belly.
Peppa Pig is also said to reinforce gender stereotypes.
In another episode, the father pig expressed disappointment when his shirt turned pink in the wash, stating that pink is not a suitable color for a football shirt.
Peppa frequently informs her younger brother in their tree house that boys are prohibited from entering.
Some parents have taken a stand by banning Peppa Pig in their homes, citing concerns about the characters' rudeness, stupidity, and poor values.
Many parents emphasized that children are impressionable and tend to imitate what they see and hear, which has resulted in their kids becoming more aggressive and rude after watching Peppa Pig.
To the outrage of American parents, Hasboro, the company that owns Peppa Pig, released the response their film had received.
In the statement, Hasboro said they tried to improve the series and portray Daddy Pig as a good father.
In addition, the company also emphasizes that Peppa has natural, authentic reactions to the world and freely expresses her emotions.
Although some parents see Peppa's attitude as direct or rude, we think of it as confident and self-determined.
