By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2024-11-19 20:57:27 | Updated at 2024-11-19 23:48:40
3 hours ago
Barney the Dinosaur was hated by men because he 'offered up a different model for masculinity,' a bold new theory has claimed.
Created by Sheryl Leach, Barney & Friends originally debuted in 1992 and revolved around the purple dinosaur and his group of pals.
While he was adored by children, the dinosaur was less popular among adults, and in particular, men.
And now, Dr Emily Contois, a media studies professor at the University of Tulsa, has argued that the hatred for the giant purple character is arguably somewhat down to masculine archetypes of the decade.
She shared her theory on the Generation Barney podcast, hosted by Sabrina Herrera, who also pointed out that understanding why adult men didn't like Barney reveals a lot about gender and power in our current society.
Looking at the cultural landscape of the 90s, Sabrina kicked off the segment by noting how actors like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis were the pinnacle of manhood at the time.
Barney, on the other hand, was the complete antithesis.
'He [Barney] talked about love and empathy, instead of being the strong and silent type,' she said.
Barney was hated by men because he 'offered up a different model for masculinity', a bold new theory has claimed
Barney & Friends originally debuted in 1992 and revolved around the purple dinosaur and his group of friends
'He wasn't exactly what people pictured when people thought about masculinity back then.'
Emily argued that Barney offered up a different model for masculinity, even as a purple dinosaur and not a human.
She explained: 'This message about love, about empathy, about looking after others, these are emotions and social practices and responsibilities that in our culture are understood as feminine and feminizing.'
'Barney could be understood as resisting that, pushing back against that, offering a different model of sexuality and gender and size all coming together,' she continued.
'And so, for some of these men who reacted very poorly to him, that could be a piece of their reaction...
'A part of that white masculine sort of set of authorities is also this incredible resistance to homosexuality.'
Barney was a runaway hit that aired for 14 seasons between 1992 and 2012.
Elsewhere in the episode, Barney & Friends' principal writer Stephen White said that his fellow colleagues were not bogged down by the hatred from adults.
Dr Emily Contois has argued that the hatred for the giant purple character is arguably somewhat down to masculine archetypes of the 90s
Barney 'wasn't exactly what people pictured when people thought about masculinity back then'
'We were too busy making the show to worry that much about what various critics and trolls had to say,' he said.
'And we also knew the integrity of the project we were working on, which was top to bottom.
'The Barney community that was making this show really was like a family.
'We all knew why we were there: we all wanted to make a show that was genuinely wholesome, so when we heard these criticisms, it made it easier to shake off.'
In 2022, Peacock released the documentary series I Love You, You Hate Me, which explored how Barney the beloved purple dinosaur became the subject of hate and hostility and led to a popular movement called 'Barney bashing.'
Last February, Mattel, Inc. announced it will be relaunching the Barney franchise as it unveiled their modernized new version of the beloved Tyrannosaurus rex.
