The internationally acclaimed Australian children’s show Bluey is making (adults) older adults cry over her portrayal of three new characters.
Key points:
- Ludo Studio worked with Deaf Connect to authentically create the Auslan interaction in Turtleboy
- Dougie is profoundly deaf and uses Auslan to communicate with her hearing mother
- Viewers also praised the show for its sensitive portrayal of fertility issues on Onesies
Bluey, made by Ludo Studio, based in Brisbane, is known for its unexpected and forceful moments on topics such as friendship, parenting, pregnancy and even death.
Two new episodes of last season, Turtleboy and Onesies, are no exception.
At Turtleboy, Bingo finds a toy turtle in the yard and wants to take it home, but his father Bandit says “it’s not the fact.”
Fans have described their pleasure watching the episode feature newcomer Dougie and her mother, voiced by actress Miranda Tapsell.
Dougie, based on a cavoodle, is profoundly deaf and uses Auslan to communicate with his listening mother, who signs and speaks.
Bluey’s official Facebook page is full of praise from viewers to the creators for including signatories in the show, but not making it the focus of the episode.
“Thanks for the baby turtle. My 5 year old suffered an unknown hearing loss last year and now uses hearing aids. My favorite part of this episode is that you didn’t even do it. Bluey at best “Things are not crying, you are crying (yes dear, tears of happiness)”, wrote Elspeth Singe.
“I loved this episode for our hearing-impaired son. It was great to see it for our whole family. I love watching more of this character,” Nic Ky wrote.
“Thank you so much for including the character signing and the AUSLAN performance. The performance is really important. And just when you think Bluey can’t get better … you all cried for me,” Megan Louise wrote.
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Ludo Studio worked with consultants for nonprofit service provider Deaf Connect to authentically create the Auslan interaction between Dougie and her mother, which includes 62 hand shapes and Auslan signs.
Alex Fisher of Deaf Connect told ABC Kids Early Education that there were challenges in helping create the animated Auslan.
“Bluey’s characters have four fingers on each hand, which means we were limited in some of the signs we could use, especially if they required spelling (if there is no Auslan sign for a word, the word is’ write with handwritten letters). / hands), “said Mrs. Fisher.
“In addition to the considerations of hand shape, it is important to use the correct orientation, location, movement, and non – manual functions.
“There were some changes along the way to reflect that properly after the scenes started coming together.”
You can watch Turtleboy in ABC view in regular format with full translation of Auslan.
After releasing Turtleboy, Bluey hit his viewers directly with Onesies.
The episode was long awaited by fans of the show because it includes for the first time Chilli’s mother’s sister, Brandy, with the voice of Australian actress Rose Byrne.
There had been fan theories about why Brandy and Chilli hadn’t talked for years, but no one saw it coming.
Brandy’s long-awaited arrival (ABC TV)
After coming to visit and give his nieces Bluey and Bingo some monkeys, it is clear that Brandy is uncomfortable with the children and his sister, and tries to leave.
Later, Bluey asks his mother why Brandy is sad and why he has only been seen once in his life.
On a montage of Brandy playing Bingo, Chilli alludes that her sister cannot have children:
“There’s something Aunt Brandy wants more than anything else, but she can’t have it, and there’s really nothing anyone can do.”
Viewers have shared their struggles with fertility on Bluey’s Facebook page and have thanked the show for tackling the issue with empathy.
“Wow, that really hurt this IVF mom. This is the first time I’ve felt ‘seen’, and I’m just sad that it takes a child’s drawing to make me feel that way. Thanks to the writers for dealing with such a topic. intensely emotional, for so many, with so much kindness, empathy and consideration, “wrote Allana Handley.
“I wasn’t ready for this episode. Such a sensitive subject treated by Bluey’s team with the kindness and grace with which they are known. Very well done. I’m sure there are a lot of viewers this morning with great feelings.” , Rhiannon. Connon wrote.
Manuela Toledo, director of the Fertility Society of Australia and New Zealand, said the episode was a great way to start a conversation with children about fertility.
“Every prep classroom has at least one or two children who are there as a result of fertility treatment, so it’s an incredibly common thing,” Dr. Toledo said.
“There are many different causes of fertility, this program is not appropriate to explain why Brandy did not have a baby or wants to have a baby and cannot have a baby at this time.
“It’s very important to understand that it’s not just medical infertility, where people try it and can’t have a baby.
“There are also many social factors that can play a role.
“She may be single and has not been able to find a sperm donor, or she may be in a same – sex relationship and may not have been able to use sperm or have been unsuccessful with a sperm donor.
“There are a lot of other things that could be going on in the background, but I think the important thing is that it really opens up that conversation.”
Onesies is not the first Bluey episode to address fertility.
In the episode of the second season, The Show, Bingo pretends to be his mother during an impromptu Mother’s Day performance and has a balloon tucked under his shirt like “a baby in his belly.”
When the balloon accidentally explodes, Bandit stretches out and touches his wife’s hand.
Although the show does not state it explicitly, viewers commented that it was a subtle and sensitive way to represent pregnancy loss.
Bluey is available in Australia at ABC kids and iview.