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The Wiggles Are Getting More Diverse—And Bigots Can’t Stand It
The group added four new human members plus a nonbinary unicorn to the cast!
Popular Australian kids entertainers The Wiggles are diversifying the group, and some Australians are furious.
As pointed out by PinkNews, for a new YouTube series, Fruit Salad TV, The Wiggles announced that they are expanding their lineup to eight folks, adding several female members and the group's first Indigenous member. The show is also introducing several new puppet friends, including Shirley Shawn, a nonbinary unicorn.
The new human additions to the cast include Australian dancer John Pearce, Indigenous member of the Australian Ballet Evie Ferris, 15-year-old Tsehay, and Chinese-Australian dancer Kelly Hamilton.
In a statement, Blue Wiggle Anthony Field said that the cast additions are just the first step in revamping the group, "taking us in a direction that truly represents and serves our community more inclusively."
"The Wiggles were created during a time when early childhood educational concepts were the focus," he also said. "As society has evolved, we have embraced the need for diversity and inclusiveness and want children all over the world to see themselves reflected on the screen."
Unfortunately, there are some in the country who don't see this diversification as a good thing.
One such bigot, Queensland LNP Senator Matt Canavan, even wrote an entire article in The Australian detailing how the new members are ruining the show and will lead to its downfall.
"The Wiggles are free to do what they like," he wrote. "It was nice while it lasted. But you go woke, you go broke."
Additionally, on a panel on the Australian show In My View, 6PR host Oliver Peterson said he can't understand why the show would add a nonbinary character. "If someone can enlighten me, if somebody could tell me why they have to have a nonbinary unicorn, I'd love to know," he said. "Because that to me seems a little bit odd."
Adoni Media founder Leisa Goddard added that the issue is "woke madness," and that she thinks it's "nonsense," and "they don't need to do it."
For parents who don't mind seeing some diversity in the characters their children watch, Fruit Salad TV debuts on YouTube on September 4.
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Mey Rude is a journalist and cultural critic who has been covering queer news for a decade. The transgender, Latina lesbian lives in Los Angeles with her fiancée.
Mey Rude is a journalist and cultural critic who has been covering queer news for a decade. The transgender, Latina lesbian lives in Los Angeles with her fiancée.
