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An unfortunate casualty of our increasingly fragmented media marketplace is parents’ ability to keep on top of the content their children might be consuming.
Because everything is available everywhere, all at once, it is not merely unrealistic to expect parents to vet every reel, short, YouTube channel, streaming series, Insta feed and video game — it is literally impossible. Netflix alone currently has 2.2 million minutes of content available, which translates to about 36,000 hours of programming. YouTube uploads approximately 700,000 hours of videos every day.
And because it is impossible to pre-screen everything your child might potentially see across a multitude of platforms, services and devices, we rely on parental controls, content ratings and other tools that were supposedly instituted to help flag potentially problematic content. We learn to look for the “Y” or “Y7” or “G” or “PG” to know whether something is suitable and age-appropriate for our children.
It is not ceding responsibility; it is accepting our limitations as finite beings with finite amounts of time.
When a parent sees that an animated series on Netflix is rated TV-Y7, they can hardly be blamed for assuming that the content is generally suitable for a child aged 7 and above, as the rating indicates. You would think issues of sexuality or so-called gender identity would be nowhere near this rating, but you would be wrong.
Here’s a dialogue from the TV-Y7 animated Netflix program, “Dead End: Paranormal Park:”
“It’s not the park. It’s — it’s me. I’m trans, Norma. And everyone at school knows, and everyone at home knows. And being here? It’s like, I can just be Barney, and I can choose if and when I tell people. I’ve never been happier. And that’s saying something when I spent the day chased by terrifying zombie mascots. Pugsy reminded me how important it is to live your life without apology. So, I think I’ve got to give living here a shot. Don’t you?”
After this clip went viral, internet sleuths set to work digging up other examples of Netflix series pushing LGBTQ and trans ideology on children, and there were plenty to be found.
“Transformers EarthSpark” (rated Y-7), featured this conversation:
“Hey, it’s OK. I know I’m safe when I’m with my friends or other nonbinary people.” “Nonbinary?” “People who aren’t female or male. Oh, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have assumed …” “I always knew my pronouns felt right, but … what a wonderful word for a wonderful experience.”
“Strawberry Shortcake: Berry in the Big City” (TV-Y) introduces children to Lime Chiffon’s two fathers: Banoffee, a transgender character, and Raisin Cane, who is nonbinary. Banoffee enters a drag show, and says, “As a trans berry, I love living out loud as my most authentic self, and I wanted to dress as bold and unique as I am, which, let’s face it, is a tall order.”
But here is the real problem: most of these clips are several years old. The clip from “Dead End: Paranormal Park” is at least three years old. Most of those (myself, included) who are now commenting on it were unaware of its existence until recently, when series creator Hamish Steele invited scrutiny by posting a vitriolic response to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s tweet about Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
That means these programs have been flying under parents’ radar for three years, getting an automatic pass, or at the very least, the benefit of the doubt because of the Y, Y7, and PG ratings.
It is difficult to know how many children have already seen these episodes because Netflix does not release audience numbers or demographic data. But it begs the question, how many children are now left to wrestle with questions about gender identity and sexuality that shouldn’t even be on their radar? How many are already starting down an irreversible path toward self-harm and body mutilation because of this political and social activism masquerading as harmless children’s entertainment?
It is inexcusable.
What’s the takeaway for families?
An oft-cited quote attributed to Maya Angelou says, “When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.”
This is not Netflix’s first brush with controversy, and it will not be the last. In May, Netflix released the final season of “Big Mouth,” an animated series that sexualizes pubescent children. In September 2020, Netflix lost subscribers over sexualized depictions of children in the movie “Cuties.” In 2019, Christians boycotted Netflix over blasphemous depictions of Jesus in “The First Temptation of Christ” and “The Last Hangover.” And in 2017, Netflix faced a backlash due to the depiction of a teen girl’s suicide in “13 Reasons Why.”
A recent Babylon Bee headline ran, “Conservative Family Cancels Netflix Account Forever for the Fifth Time.”
But it begs the question, how many children are now left to wrestle with questions about gender identity and sexuality that shouldn’t even be on their radar?
It would be easier for most of us to laugh if it did not strike so uncomfortably near the truth. “Netflix has declined to comment” about recent criticism, according to Variety.
As parents, it is time for us to be honest with ourselves about the compromises we are willing to make for the sake of entertainment. We cannot anticipate every potential risk, every horrific piece of content to which our children might be exposed, but time and time again, Netflix has shown us who they really are. It is time for us to believe them.
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