Netflix faces calls for boycott over 'CoComelon Lane' cartoon
Netflix is facing calls for a boycott over the streaming service's popular cartoon series that recently depicted a boy choosing to dress in a tiara and tutu with the encouragement of his two gay dads.
The X account End Wokeness shared video footage from a recent episode of Netflix’s “CoComelon Lane,” which it identified as “the most popular show for babies and toddlers ages 2+.” The episode depicts two gay men co-parenting a boy as they encourage him to explore his gender identity.
The new CoComelon Lane on Netflix has a boy in a dress dance for his 2 gay dads
CoComelon is the most popular show for babies and toddlers ages 2+ pic.twitter.com/wSYyEZEzMJ— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) December 20, 2023 Get Our Latest News for FREE
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“How about you break out those moves for your two biggest fans?” the fathers suggest to the toddler, who's first seen wearing a T-shirt and pants at the beginning of the clip before deciding to try on a tiara and tutu.
The gay dads then start singing a song encouraging the toddler to decide how he wants to dress: “If you’re not sure what to choose, think about all the things you like to do, just be you."
The toddler then asks, “Just be me?” as he considers a series of outfits and decides to wear a tiara and a rainbow-colored hat.
Conservative radio host and Daily Wire commentator Matt Walsh reacted to the video on X by remarking, “Netflix needs the full Bud Light treatment for this.” His response reflects the backlash the beer brand received earlier this year for embracing LGBT ideology by partnering with trans-identified influencer Dylan Mulvaney and sending the social media personality customized beer cans to celebrate his first year of “girlhood.”
An extended version of the “CoComelon Lane” episode posted on Netflix Jr.’s YouTube account shows the two men attempting to help the boy decide what to wear for a professional family photograph. The child, named Nico, debates wearing a firefighter outfit while holding a toy fire truck and donning a chef’s hat while holding kitchen tools before trying on the tutu and tiara.
While Nico heads over to the area where the photo is to be taken in the first two outfits to practice for the picture, he eventually decides to wear a rainbow-colored hat, tiara, firefighter’s hat and the chef’s hat in the photograph as the two fathers place several hats on top of their heads. The photographer then takes multiple shots of the trio.
According to the official Netflix webpage for “CoComelon Lane,” the clip of “Nico, Dad, and Papa [taking] a family picture” comes from episode eight of the series. The series is rated TV-Y, which means it is considered suitable for young children.
Walsh’s push to give Netflix the “Bud Light treatment” is not the first time the streaming service has faced calls for a boycott. Back in 2020, the platform experienced immense pushback over the film “Cuties,” which shows underage girls dancing in a sexually suggestive manner in front of older men. The company also found itself subject to criticism for using posters of scantily clad underage girls to promote the film.
In addition to a change.org petition calling for Netflix to pull “Cuties” receiving hundreds of thousands of signatures, the #CancelNetflix boycott trended on X, then known as Twitter. A report released amid the outrage over “Cuties” found that the streaming service experienced a cancellation rate of eight times higher than average following the film's release.
“CoComelon Lane” is also not the first example of a children’s show introducing LGBT ideology to young viewers. In 2021, the reboot of the popular children’s TV series “Blue’s Clues” taught young children the alphabet by featuring a song declaring that the letter “P” is “full of pride.” The letter was stylized in the rainbow colors that have come to represent the LGBT movement.
Additional examples of children’s programming incorporating LGBT ideology include the re-introduction of the character Betty as a lesbian single mom in the reboot of “Rugrats” and the character Gonzo cross-dressing in the Disney series “Muppet Babies.” Last year, the CEO of the LGBT advocacy group GLAAD admitted that the organization’s goal is to “commit to improving the quantity, quality and diversity of LGBTQ images, especially in kids and family programming.”
Ryan Foley is a reporter for The Christian Post. He can be reached at: ryan.foley@christianpost.com
