Some members of the public have expressed anxiety regarding one of the most well-liked characters, Bandit, following the announcement that a new season of Bluey is almost ready to be shown.
It has been said that Bandit, Bluey’s dog dad, is a “bad dad,” and that Bingo, Bluey’s younger sister, is bullied by Bandit. Both of these descriptions are accurate.
An opinion post by The Conversation raised the question of whether or not Bandit was a “loveable larrikin” or a “bad dad.”
Two professors from the University of Southern Queensland, who between them have expertise in the theatre, writing, editing, and publishing, contributed to the writing of the piece.
Since the publication of the piece, the viewpoint has been derided as “rubbish” by supporters of one of the most well-liked fictitious fathers in Australia.
The “darker side” of Bandit is discussed in some detail on this page, as the title suggests.
“Occasionally, however, we catch a glimpse of Bandit’s darker side, with his playful teasing of his young daughters sometimes devolving into bullying,” the publication said.
“Bandit never strays far from the reductive stereotype of the Australian larrikin: The likeable roguish male stuck between childhood and adulthood whose disrespect of authority and rough-and-ready masculinity reflects Australia’s emotional attachment to the working-class underdog.”
The “parenting prowess” of Bandit is contrasted with the personality of Chili, Bandit’s wife, who is described as being “figuratively and literally in the background.”
According to the information presented in the article, Bandit is a “traditional” man who “teases his wife on the pains of pregnancy and labour.”
“When he reluctantly submits to wearing make-up, he is subsequently mocked by his mates for doing so,” the professors wrote.
“He censors himself from engaging in full imaginative play when under the gaze of other men.”
This opinion was met with a strong backlash by the fans of Bluey on social media.
Look, Bandit can be a bit of a goose but at the end of the day he's just a dog dad trying his best for his little girls. And he's funny. He's enough.
— Lyndsey Jackson (@ok_lyndsey) June 12, 2022
No! Just leave Bluey and his family alone. Enjoy it with your children and grandchildren!
— Cricketmum53 (@Cricketmum53) June 15, 2022
