An innocent reference to Jesus never made it into a hit children’s show.
In a June interview with The Hollywood Reporter, “Bluey” creator Joe Brumm revealed that he planned to mention Jesus in one of the show’s episodes, only to encounter resistance from major networks.
“It wasn’t proselytizing, it wasn’t insulting,” Brumm said, and yet “it got quickly shot down.”
The show revolves around the titular animated dog and her family, and it has made quite an impression. In fact, “Bluey” ranks among the most popular shows in the English-speaking world.
In the U.S., where the show is available on Disney+, it was one of the most streamed programs of 2022.
What happens or does not happen on “Bluey,” therefore, has an impact on thousands of young viewers.
Brumm explained that his intended reference to Jesus stemmed from his days as a Catholic school student.
He recalled that “you mixed with a lot of kids who were Catholics, but also with a lot who weren’t.”
Some students, therefore, knew little or nothing about Jesus. Brumm found humor in the exchanges that could occur under those circumstances, and he wanted to bring that humor to “Bluey.”
He planned to have one character refer to Jesus walking on water, followed by Bluey asking, “Who’s Jesus?”
The Australia Broadcasting Corporation, the BBC and Disney nixed the idea.
For what it’s worth, Brumm agreed with the decision on age-appropriate grounds — that is, 3- and 4-year-olds might not understand the joke.
“It doesn’t belong in a preschool cartoon. It’s too weird. But it still made me laugh,” he said.
In this particular instance, the exclusion of a Christian reference might have stemmed from benign motives.
After all, one Christian reviewer hailed “Bluey” as a family-friendly outlier in modern woke children’s television.
Still, Christians have good reason for skepticism regarding the entertainment industry.
Earlier this month, for instance, Christian actor and “Sound of Freedom” star Jim Caviezel revealed that Disney tried to remove references to God from the 2002 film “The Count of Monte Cristo.”
Indeed, Hollywood makes no secret of its hostility toward Christians.
Until that changes, Christians should not be surprised by the exclusion of references to Christ, even innocent ones.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.