Peppa Pig has been accused of sexism and we’re as upset as you are
The London Fire Brigade has called Peppa Pig out on some sexist language used in the ridiculously popular animated program.
You need to see it to be it
In particular, they’re not happy that the show is portraying firefighting to their impressionable little audience as “men’s work”.
They shared a snort short snippet from a Peppa episode that declared “Mummy Pig is dressed as a fireman!” and addressed the Peppa people about this language.
“Come on Peppa Pig,” a rep for the brigade tweeted earlier this week. “We’ve not been firemen for 30 years. You have a huge influence on kids & using out of date stereotypical gender-specific wording prevents young girls from becoming firefighters. Join our #firefightingsexism campaign.”
Read more about Peppa Pig:
- There’s a brand new Peppa Pig movie on the way
- 11 excellent life lessons we can all learn from Peppa Pig
- 7 ways to tell if your child is watching too much Peppa Pig. Snort.
“Fight fires, leave politics alone”
Many, many folks on Twitter were not happy about the fire brigade’s stance at all, proving just how angry people can get when the subject of equal opportunity is raised. They thought that this call to use more inclusive language was “political” and basically told the fireys to lighten up.
Basically it looks like they were excited to bust out the same tired old “shut up you PC social justice warriors” sort of piffle yet again.
“Fight fires, leave politics alone,” one wrote.
“If someone doesn’t want to be a firefighter because Peppa Pig said firemen they need to have a word with themselves,” another said.
“I wanted to be a firefighter, but then I watched Peppa Pig and it changed my mind. Said no woman ever,” another Tweeter tweeted.
“Come on London Fire Brigade lighten up does everything have to be an issue, this is another example of the world gone nuts, how about taking the comment to be innocent and harmless, that is exactly what it was. Nothing stops girls becoming firefighters,” someone else (who hates punctuation but loves sexist language) decided.
Come on @peppapig, we’ve not been firemen for 30 years. You have a huge influence on kids & using out of date stereotypical gender specific wording prevents young girls from becoming firefighters. Join our #Firefightingsexism campaign https://t.co/IRjLtqolEl
— London Fire Brigade (@LondonFire) March 17, 2019
Language matters
Thankfully the ace folk at the London Fire Brigade are brave sorts who are not going to be bullied by a pack of trolls and naysayers.
They doubled-down on their brilliant position and in a pinned tweet noted that language really does matter.
They are 1000 percent right. Rejecting the inclusive term ‘firefighters’ is ludicrous and stubborn.
While Peppa fans pointed out that there were firefighters in the episode who were indeed women, it’s the language that the LFB were unhappy about rather than the representation. Fireman is not an appropriate term to cover all who fight fires. Firefighters is.
Well we've sparked a lot of debate. We challenge outdated language for girls like Grace who get told they can't become firefighters because 'firefighters are men'. Hopefully it won't take another 30 years for people to accept that we're all firefighters https://t.co/uIdFmwRGWU pic.twitter.com/3V0plYEuSy
— London Fire Brigade (@LondonFire) March 20, 2019
“Call us firefighters”
“Well we’ve sparked a lot of debate,” a London Fire Brigade rep posted alongside a photo of a possible future firefighter – a little girl named Grace.
Speaking to CNN, the LFB again confirmed that small children take the term “fireman” very literally.
“We need to challenge outdated language that our research is showing is stopping young girls and women from considering firefighting as a rewarding and professional career,” they explained.
Good one, LFB! We are behind you!
Great to have another supporter in our #FirefightingSexism campaign. Welcome Barbie! She's coming to the rescue, helping girls & boys to imagine everything they can become by joining the Brigade, in our new gold kit too. pic.twitter.com/sR77H2N1tH
— London Fire Brigade (@LondonFire) March 16, 2019