Hoards of Britons have jumped to the defence of the iconic cartoon character Peppa Pig after the animated animal came under fire from parents across the Atlantic.
Mums and dads in the USA who've recently discovered the two-decade-old cartoon have claimed Peppa's behaviour has been rubbing off on their own children.
Peppa - who has been voiced by several young British actors - often finds herself in unique and quirky scenarios across the show's 350+ episodes and is known for her sassiness and independent thinking.
The British cartoon debuted on Channel 5 back in 2004 but over 20 years has been distributed across the globe and Peppa remains an iconic feature on children's TV.
But American parents have claimed they've noticed Peppa's behavioural tendencies in their own children - including the use of British terms like petrol station rather than gas station, and biscuits rather than cookies.
Sharing their concerns with the Wall Street Journal, 33-year-old parenting coach Kayla Tychsen told the publication: "Peppa is rude and impatient, and the show teaches kids that this is who she is and that it’s okay."
Peppa Pig and Mummy Pig feature in every episode
YOUTUBE/PEPPA PIG
Another parent, Armita Asgari, 41, didn't mince their words when it came to Peppa: "Peppa is a brat!"
And complaints have rumbled from across the pond on social media for years.
One X user hit out at the cartoon: "So happy we are discussing what a terrible role model Peppa Pig is. She’s rude & a total brat — & she never gets called out for it on the show. She’s a selfish, body-shaming bully. And she gets away with it."
And a second echoed this: "Peppa Pig is an atrocious role model. Spoiled, moody. Never says please or thank you. A brat quite frankly."
So happy we are discussing what a terrible role model Peppa Pig is. She’s rude & a total brat — & she never gets called out for it on the show. She’s a selfish, body-shaming bully. And she gets away with it.
— Pearl Boshomane (@Pearloysias) January 13, 2020
Basically, Peppa Pig is the portrait of a toddler.
However, after the criticism levelled at the British cartoon began to gain traction in recent days, Brits are hitting back.
One parent had a suggestion for irked Americans: "Peppa is awful but if your kids are becoming a brat because they're watching it too much maybe you need to be better at teaching your kid to not act like an bratty British pig."
A second similarly advised: "Parents don't like Peppa Pig teaching their kids about behavior? Well, I have a solution to that. Watch some Thomas and Friends."
"Can’t please the parents no matter what," a third replied to the WSJ's article while a fourth offered their suggestion: "Stick with Bluey.
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Peppa Pig has been branded a "brat"
YOUTUBE/PEPPA PIG
"If you must watch anything else, get the classics. 80s and 90s cartoons like Scooby Doo, Transformers, Care Bears, Voltron, DBZ, etc… depending on age."
Elsewhere, another Brit reacted to the backlash: "Parents in the US say Peppa Pig has become a malign influence: the pig is causing children to complain, in a British accent, about the food they’re served and talk about biscuits instead of cookies. But for British parents long forced to endure gangster rap, for example, revenge is sweet." (sic)
Peppa Pig continues to air in the UK on Channel 5 as well as streaming services Netflix and Disney+.