I Love You, You Hate Me

TV review by Ty'Kira Smalls, Common Sense Media
I Love You, You Hate Me TV show: Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 15+

Docuseries dissects violence and backlash toward kids' show.

Peacock Reality TV 2022
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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that I Love You, You Hate Me is a docuseries about the negative and positive legacy of Barney from Barney & Friends. Archival footage highlights graphically violent acts toward the character Barney (usually in the form of a plushie, animation, drawing, or even pinatas). People set him on fire, rip him apart, beat him up, and shoot him. Themes of empathy, community, and pop culture are explored. Most of the swearing and offensive name-calling is bleeped out. Some words like "bitch" and "hell" are heard through archival footage. There are occasional crude image and drawings of Barney consuming alcohol and drugs. Participants have candid discussions about the show having a diverse cast in relation to the time period; interviewees reflect on the show's positive representations of different races and nationalities.

What's the Story?

Barney's journey in I LOVE YOU, YOU HATE ME starts with Sheryl Leach creating the fictional purple dinosaur in the 1980s. As a stay-at-home mom, she needed something to hold the attention of her two-year-old son, Patrick. "Hopefully the world will be a better place someday because of Barney," she said. But what started as a children's show highlighting positivity, love, and acceptance, turned into a surprising societal backlash of violence, hate, controversy, and public scrutiny.

Is It Any Good?

This docuseries balances the love/hate relationship that the public seems to have around this fictional purple dinosaur. I Love You, You Hate Me is an engaging, enlightening, heartfelt, and heartbreaking show about the media response to Barney. This is a thorough deep dive, from the history to the successes and failures, the cultural backlash, the cast, crew, and expert interviews. It's entertaining, thought-provoking, and shocking, and viewing the original Barney & Friends isn't even necessary. Parents will want to be mindful of the violence and graphic discussions.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • I Love You, You Hate Me analyzes the amount of negativity that followed the success of Barney. How do you feel about people's reactions to disliking Barney? How do you react when you strongly dislike things?

  • Barney was originally made to promote love and acceptance, but many people, reacted the opposite of that and felt that he was even harming people. Does a show's audience reaction outweigh the intention? With it being a children's show, how do you feel about the adult response to it versus children's response?

  • Are there any media that you dislike that everyone else likes? Or vice versa? How do people voice their likes/dislikes for it? Do you think the way people voice their opinions about media is healthy in today's landscape?

TV Details

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