Everyone loves Bandit from Bluey – but is he a lovable larrikin, or just a bad dad?

The animated father of Bluey and younger sister Bingo Bandit is the darling father dog of the Australian family's favorite four-legged families. She balances the monotony of household chores with the creative adventures of her daughters altering everyday purposes and actions for imaginative play and sharing. Pandit was awarded Father of the Year in 2019 and widely cited as a role model for modern parenting the presence of a committed bandit in his daughter's life has been hailed as a defining moment in children's television. Taking a break from TVs bad dad metaphor Bandit has been adored as Father Idol and even inspired a Facebook group of 14000 dedicated dads who are known to be fans of Lowe.

Child psychologists have shown how bandits inspired their pretend play and improvisation techniques. A new article published in the Journal of Pediatrics and Child Health explains What Bluey Can Teach Us About Parenting and Grandparents. But there is a darker side to this lovable character. The bandits never depart from the reductive stereotype of Australian robbery the mischievous likable man caught between boyhood and adulthood and whose disrespect for authority and strong intelligent manhood reflect Australia's emotional attachment to a vulnerable working class.

The family strain of caterpillars

The cultural power of traitorous ideology in Australia is hard to overstate. The figure of the Stolen is generally seen as a sign of strong authentic masculinity and anti-authoritarianism and has been cast in car and beer advertisements international tourism and even conservative politics. Today the caterpillar image has been cleared for public consumption However the history of Larrikinism is firmly rooted in Australian colonial literature. The original grubs of the late 19th century were young urban rioters who occasionally ventured into violence and serious crime. At the beginning of the century, these dissident characters won hearts of gold in theater and domestic literature. In some cases, they have been domesticated as was the case with Papa and Dave of Steel Roads On Our Selection 1899. Rudd established a family dynamic that can be replicated in many Australian dramas from Kingswood Country 1980 84 to The Castle 1997 to Bluey's energetic inexhaustible children a meaningless long-suffering wife and a Larkin father who knows how to play. to the public.

From this legend, we see the birth of bandits the underdog who attacks power scoffs at ostentation regularly breaks rules to get what he wants even resorting to cheating when he cant outpace or deceive their children. In one episode Bandit prevents Bluey from the finish line so he can win an obstacle course. And in another film, he praised the win over his younger brother Streep mocking that big brothers always beat up little brothers which Bluey imitates when he taunts Bingo Big sisters always beat up little sisters. Is that how it works. Even the name of the thieves evokes misdemeanors committed by bushmen Australias revered outlaws who also achieved a kind of vicious folk hero status.

Bandit the bully

Undoubtedly the larky thief robber contributes to his sympathy he is an entertaining and committed father who is very involved in the lives of his children. Every now and then though we get a glimpse into the dark side of bandits with his hilarious pranks on his little girls who sometimes turn into a bully. In one episode Pandit agrees to open an ice block Bingo before repeatedly licking his frozen food in front of her. Next Pandit apologizes to his daughter for being a bit mean. While the show itself limits judgment it's often Bandit's wife Chilli who makes it online. When thieves forget to put on sunscreen and snacks for a swim in the pool it's Chilli the boring dad in Bandits words who saves the day.

However, it is Thieves who praised his paternal ingenuity while Chilli is figuratively and literally in the background. In fact, Blueys creators were recently accused of dishonoring the mother when they called Chilli a slightly deficient due to her status as a working mother. The universal homage to bandits is puzzling because in situations like a swimming pool he appears as a somewhat inept caricatured swamped as a big kid who needs regular supervision and training.

Thieves are also surprisingly conservative when it comes to gender values. The thieves are traditional man who wishes to be seen as the head of the Heller family. When he reluctantly bows to putting on makeup his peers tease him for doing so. He watches himself for not participating in a full-fledged fantasy play when he's under the eyes of other men. He makes fun of his wife because of the pain of pregnancy and childbirth. Taken individually then most of these moments are perforated lines. But throughout three series Bluey has created a complex image of Australia's favorite dad. Thieves are present and playful but still malicious at heart. His continued popularity despite his personal flaws only speaks volumes about the strength of a stereotype in contemporary Australian life.