Comment on this story
comment
After more than a decade off screen, Barney the purple dinosaur is making a comeback. But the singing-and-dancing T. rex that rose to worldwide fame in the 1990s as a symbol of love and inclusion looks very different.
In fact, he looks dramatically different. And many fans of the dinosaur are unfazed by what they call evidence of reptilian plastic surgery.
They want old, thick-faced Barney back. They refuse to light up.
Toy company Mattel confirmed earlier this week that it is relaunching the Barney franchise as an animated series in 2024, giving the music show – which started in 1992 and ran until 2010 – a “modern take”.
While Barney still has the big green belly and bright yellow toenails of the original series, the dinosaur’s face is noticeably thinner now. His nose is narrower. His cheekbones are much more defined. His eye color has changed from dark brown to bright green.
There are many on social media accusing those behind the dinosaur’s new look to give Barney an unnecessary makeover. Some say the dinosaur now has color Contact lenses. Some accuse the creators of having Barney undergo buccal fat removal — a trendy cosmetic procedure that removes fat from the cheeks, resulting in a more sculpted and contoured look.
“Why would they give a dinosaur a nose job and botox,” one person tweeted. “Give Barney back his chubby cheeks and nose!”
Others fear Barney may have collapsed under the pressure celebrities face to look perfect. “Even Barney did cosmetic surgery,” one person tweeted. “They gave Barney contact lenses, a nose job and bigger veneers. Sad,” read another tweet.
Where has all that buccal fat gone?
The hashtag on Twitter #NotMyBarney used by fans and critics.
The creators, meanwhile, have expressed hope for the new series. They say the relaunch will “introduce the iconic purple dinosaur to a new generation of kids and families around the world.”
“Barney’s message of love and kindness stood the test,” said Josh Silverman, Mattel’s chief franchise officer and global head of consumer products, in a statement.
This isn’t the first time Barney — and his creators — have faced criticism. In the ’90s, as “Barney and Friends” grew in popularity among kids, some parents increasingly resented the influential reptile. Some seemed annoyed by his happiness. Those who worked on the show received death threats.
“Because of my music, I got emails with my family splitting up,” the show’s music director Bob Singleton said in a documentary called “I Love You, You Hate Me” released last year — One Piece about the popularity of the song featured on the show – which explored Barney’s rise and fall. The documentary dealt with allegations that the dinosaur was too happy and was hiding drugs in its tail.
Meet the man who was trapped in his body watching reruns of “Barney” for 12 years
Jaded parents said that their Barney-obsessed children “wouldn’t brush their teeth until Barney showed them how, they wouldn’t cross the street on the corner, they wouldn’t eat their carrots,” The Washington Post reported in 1993.
The new series will be available on TV, film and YouTube – along with dinosaur-themed music and merchandise.