"Peppa Pig going WOKE": Netizens react to children's TV-show introducing same sex couple

Peppa Pig introduced its first same-sex parents.

The couple was introduced on a September 5 episode called Families, where Peppa's friend Penny the Polar Bear, revealed that she had two mothers. She drew a family portrait with both her parents wearing dresses and said:

"I'm Penny Polar Bear. I live with my mummy and my other mummy. One mummy is a doctor and one mummy cooks spaghetti. I love spaghetti."

In the episode, Penny was accompanied by Peppa, Danny Dog and Suzi Sheep, with all the kids drawing pictures of their families.

The episode received massive attention on social media, with users claming that the show is "going woke." Needless to say, netizens are divided with their feelings about the introduction of the new characters.

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Twitter users are divided about same-sex couple in Peppa Pig

Peppa Pig has been an iconic show broadcast on Channel 5 since 2004. This is the first time in its 18-year history that the showrunners have introduced a same-sex couple.

Numerous users shared their discomfort regarding the episode, and slammed the show's creators for it. They said that a kids' program should not include political content.

People opposed to the episode started using #boycottpeppapig to amplify their anger at the show.

However, a different section of internet users supported the episode and commended the showrunners for it. They praised the show for providing representation to LGBTQ+ couples in a children's show.

Robbie de Santos, director of communications and external affairs at LGBT rights charity Stonewall, shared his views about the episode while talking to the BBC. He said:

"Many of those who watch the show will have two mums or two dads themselves and it will mean a lot to parents and children that their experiences are being represented on such an iconic children's programme."

His views were echoed by many other users who took to Twitter to laud the makers of the series.

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Same-sex parents have been petitioning for more representation in the show

Beth G and Lacey K started a petition in 2019, demanding same-sex couple representation on the show. The petition had the goal of collecting 25k signatures. It acquired 19k supporters in 2019, which has since grown to 23k in 2022.

The petition reads:

“Despite there being six series and over 250 episodes produced so far, none of the families feature same-sex parents. Children watching Peppa Pig are at an impressionable age, and excluding same-sex families will teach them that only families with either a single parent or two parents of different sexes are normal."

It further adds:

"This means that children of same-sex parents may feel alienated by Peppa Pig, and that other children may be more likely to bully them, simply through ignorance. Peppa Pig is not just for entertainment, children are inevitably learning from it."

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The program was created by British animators Mark Baker and Neville Astley and has been running since 2004. It is currently broadcast in 180 countries and translated into 40 languages.

UK citizens can view the show on Channel 5 and Nick Junior, US citizens can watch it on Nickelodeon/Nick Junior and people in Australia can view the program on ABC 4 Kids.

The show is a massive franchise with its own line of toys, apparel and other children's products. It also has its own tourist attraction called Peppa Pig World.

Hasbro acquired Entertainment One, including the Peppa Pig franchise, for $3.8 billion on 31 December 2019.