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Comment by wijwp | Hacker News Reader

> However, I suspect its secret is that it's really a show for parents with young children that just happens to hold the attention of kids.

That's how a lot of successful children's movies/shows work in a way.

Have you ever rewatched older kids movies as an adult and realized how many adult-level jokes they slipped in that you never noticed as a child?

If you're asking parents to spend 1.5 hours at a movie theater, you better throw in some adult humor in there as well.

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Bluey isn’t just aware parents are watching, though. It’s not just cameos and a little sneaky grown up humor. It’s more like two stories, both compelling, are being told at the same time, depending on which character you identify most with.

Especially since having a second child start growing up, I've realized it's actualy four stories, often all compelling at once. There's Bluey's story, and there is the dad's and mom's story, but there is also Bingo's story, about being the younger child. My younger kid loves the episode called "Bingo", which is specifically about Bingo.

"I miss my sister, and the fridge doesn't like me"

Sooooooo cute.

There's another Bingo-focused episode, called "BBQ", that's absolute favorite of my little Bingo's. My younger daughter (3.5yo now) definitely sees herself in the Bingo character.

I don’t think inserting innuendo is necessary. In fact, I personally find it distasteful and nothing more than an easy way out.

I think the proper way to do it is to include themes and/or characters that adults would relate with too. Ghibli movies are one example where this is done well (most of the time).

Bluey doesn't do it as innuendo either. I like Bluey and Ghibli the most of all children's media I'm familiar with, for exactly this reason.

Sesame Street is this way. Watch versions from your youth and you'll see references to pop culture everywhere. From the specific 1970s rock bands, Star Wars, Monsterpiece Theater, etc. It's so obvious when I see it now, but a lot of it went over my head at the time.

That's every classic Pixar movie

Yeah Pixar does it a lot, and Bluey, and Peppa Pig a little. But it's really uncommon in kids TV shows. 99% of them are straight up dross just for kids with no accomodation for parents.

That's why Bluey is so popular. It's the only good TV program for adults that kids will also watch. (And I agree it's only super popular for adults, kids are way more into trash like Blippi.)

Oh I disagree, my kids like Blue a lot more than Blippi. But they like better-but-still-dross like "Spidey and His Amazing Friends" about the same as they like Bluey, whereas their parents like Bluey about an order of magnitude more :)

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