

Like everything on the Internet, the “Anti-Barney” campaign is only funny if you don’t take it seriously. Patrick Leach grew up to resent his mother’s show in 2013, he was arrested in Malibu on charges of attempted murder.
BARNEY AND FRIENDS CAST SERIES
The show’s creator, Sheryl Leach, came up with the idea to entertain her young son, Patrick, but the strains on her marriage and the pressure of the series ended up destroying the family. A Marine Corps University professor, Douglas Streusand, even discovered that online searches for “jihad” were often linked to searches for Barney & Friends.Īs the docuseries notes, there was nothing about Barney that was done in bad faith. Although frat boys’ tradition of holding “smashing” parties for Barney toys seems like it was all in fun, the hatred inspired some haunting online parodies and extremist groups. There were death threats against the show’s creators and composers, and many of the children who were featured in the series were relentlessly bullied.

I Love You, You Hate Me explores some of the disturbing ramifications of the controversy. Is there anything more obnoxious than hearing this purple monster sing with a group of children? The new Peacock original docuseries I Love You, You Hate Me explores the deep well of “Barney hatred” that swept the nation.ĭuring the dawn of the internet, Barney & Friends inspired some of the first online trolls and hate groups. The educational series began shooting in North Texas when it debuted on PBS in 1992.īarney & Friends became a phenomenon that quickly drew the ire of irritated parents. Barney & Friends has its origins in Plano. Off the top of your head, what’s the most obnoxious children’s television show of all time? While some people might think of Caillou, Teletubbies or Max & Ruby, the image that probably jumps to mind is one of a certain purple dinosaur.
