The “anti-woke” crusaders are coming after Netflix’s animated preschooler show Cocomelon.
Netflix’s Cocomelon is a huge hit among the two-year-old and over demographic. The brightly colored animated series focuses on preschooler issues like missing your parents while at school and how to share toys. Instead of solving things through talking, they relay everything through songs. Every song sounds similar to a lullaby or another popular kids song, with the words sometimes altered to better fit the scenario in the show. It may not be enjoyable for parents, but kids adore it. Cocomelon consistently lands on Netflix’s top 10 streamed series list.
The spinoff series, Cocomelon Lane, recently became the target of angry conservatives. Cocomelon Lane is essentially the same as Cocomelon, even featuring the same characters, only it has more dialogue and story. Netflix released the episode in question back in November, but it caught the attention of the “anti-woke” crowd in December when a clip of Cocomelon Lane hit the social media platform X.
Conservatives create Cocomelon “controversy”
The “controversial” clip shows a little boy trying to decide what to wear for a fun photo shoot. The boy has his choice of costumes, but can’t decide what would be best. He asks his two dads which outfit he should wear. They sing a song called “Just Be You,” and encourage their son to wear something that represents him. Since he likes being helpful, they suggest a firefighter costume. He likes to cook, so he puts on a chef’s outfit. He cycles through various outfits while taking pictures. The boy also likes to dance. For a brief moment, he dances like a ballerina in a tutu and a tiara before finally deciding on a mashup of a bunch of different hats.
The short clip of the boy wearing the tiara and tutu while dancing for his two dads has enraged conservatives. We will not link to the angry tweets but they include reactions like “I would put these people in prison,” “This is disgusting,” and “Netflix deserves the Bud Light treatment.” They argue this scene is meant to appease the “woke” crowd by dressing a boy up “like a girl.” Conservatives worry this may indoctrinate toddlers since Cocomelon is so popular amongst that age group. Plus the child has two dads who care about their son, and that is “too woke” for conservatives to handle.
Of course, right-wing social media would ignite with outrage over a kid playing dress up. Anyone who has been around a preschooler playing dress-up would realize this is completely natural behavior. Children grab whatever they think looks interesting or fits what they are trying to act out. “Ballerinas” and “dancing” are almost synonymous to children, so a tutu and tiara fit the idea of dancing. The conservatives are ignoring the other outfits that are traditionally considered masculine in their precious gender binary. They also seem to miss Cocomelon‘s message to love your child and encourage them to be themselves, no matter what that looks like.
(featured image: Netflix)
