Barney was meant to be a figure for children that was full of love, kindness, and acceptance. It’s hard to watch that show as a child, or as an adult, and find a problem with that right? Wrong.
According to the new two-part docuseries I Love You, You Hate Me , many Americans were unwilling to accept that message. Barney wanted to preach about inclusion, but not everyone was ready to be as welcoming as the giant purple dinosaur .
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Without giving too much away, I’m here to tell you why I Love You, You Hate Me, is a must-watch.
‘I Love You, You Hate Me’ gives viewers an explosive look at the big purple dinosaur and all the terrible things that came with him.
While the intention behind Barney was to create a positive force for good, kindness, and a welcoming community, not everyone was ready to preach those same things. In fact, the documentary also explores how Barney’s kindness was actually a way for some people to figure out how not to act. Barney was, to some, too feminine for a male fictional character, and so that fed into the narrative that men shouldn’t act as gentle, or as kind as Barney. It probably also explains why people (particularly men) loved to beat Barney up (yes, seriously).
The documentary goes down a rough road that the creators and actors of Barney dealt with during Barney’s fame. If you think I’m exaggerating, here’s a spoiler-free quote from the trailer. Bob West, who voiced Barney, admitted that he got “violent and explicit” threats, including the “death and dismemberment of my family.”
Overall, the documentary is well worth the watch.
I wasn’t sure what I was getting into, because I, like many out there was thinking: what bad things could have possibly happened behind the scenes of Barney? But as it turns out, more than I ever imagined. Between death threats, conspiracy theories, drug abuse, public beating sessions of Barney, and so much more, my head was spinning by the end of it.
I do suggest preparing yourself or some potentially triggering content, but if you’re ready to stomach it, then it’s an informative and interesting watch.
While it will certainly ruin any childhood niceties you had left about Barney and his friends, it was a beyond-interesting documentary, full of shocking revelations and facts I doubt you knew.
