Screen Grab from YouTube
The “Peppa Pig” series is one of the most beloved animated children’s shows in the world and is often used by parents as a source of learning and entertainment for their kids.
However, a 2012 episode of the British show entitled “Mr. Skinny Legs,” which was recently re-aired in Australia, has been pulled from television due to some safety concerns.
According to Mashable, the controversy stems from a conversation between Daddy Pig and Peppa, which implies that spiders are harmless and should not be cause for fear.
“There’s no need to be afraid, Peppa,” the patriarch told his daughter at one point in the episode. “Spiders are very, very small, and they can’t hurt you.”
However, the Australian TV committee deemed such message to be dangerous, especially for young kids, given the perils of a possible spider bite.
The episode was initially banned by the ABC network from future broadcast after several complaints were made by fuming parents.
Five years later, the same offending episode aired on Nick Jr, a children’s channel affiliated with Nickelodeon. Nick Jr. agreed to disregard the episode but continued its stance that “does meet our criteria.”
Meanwhile, Peppa Pig also faced scrutiny in Australia in 2013 after the titular character was accused of being a “rabid feminist” by conservative commentator Piers Akerman.
Check out the offending episode below. Khristian Ibarrola /ra
