Barney The Dinosaur Reboot Is Giving People Nightmares, See The Hideous Redesign
Mattel is rebooting Barney the Dinosaur and a lot of fans on Twitter are unhappy with the new character design.
He loves you, but you don’t love him. Mattel announced that they would be relaunching the Barney the Dinosaur franchise and now we have a look at the titular dino’s redesign. And, unsurprisingly, people on Twitter sure hate it.
The most noticeable change is that they’re going from a live-action Barney the Dinosaur to an animated version. It also appears that his colors have brightened up a bit. Other than being animated, the most noticeable change is definitely Barney’s face.
As this user points out, it sort of looks like Barney the Dinosaur went under the knife for some plastic surgery. Buccal fat removal is a procedure that thins out the cheeks. It definitely looks like the new Barney has had a little bit of work done.
Some people are simply incredulous with the new Barney the Dinosaur design. No notes, just shock. To be fair, it is a pretty significant change.
Other users are more disturbed by the eyes of the new Barney the Dinosaur. As this Twitter user points out, Barney usually has more relaxed eyes. The cartoon version has eyes that are bright and wide open.
Barney the Dinosaur’s new eyes also reminded some people of another attempt to revamp a beloved childhood icon. Everyone remembers the horrifying live-action version of Sonic the Hedgehog in the initial movie trailer. Maybe Mattel will take cues from the feedback and redesign Barney like the Sonic team did.
Some users had their own unique ideas for a Barney the Dinosaur redesign. Instead of leaning into the cartoony aspects of the character, they went full realism and made him into a biologically accurate T-Rex. This would certainly be an interesting take on the character, but maybe not as kid-friendly.
Of course, there are also the level-headed users who are putting the Barney the Dinosaur redesign in perspective. If you’re an adult complaining about a new Barney, your energy may be better spent elsewhere. The kids who are going to be watching the new Barney have no nostalgia for the original design, so they’re probably going to like it just fine.
In short, if this Barney redesign isn’t for you, you could simply not watch it. According to Mattel, the series is specifically being made to teach lessons to preschool-aged kids. Maybe in another three decades when they redesign Barney the Dinosaur again, the kids who watch this new series will be complaining about how their Barney is ruined.
Variety reported that Mattel will be launching the new Barney the Dinosaur series globally in 2024. The series will feature lessons about love and community along with musical adventures. Mattel is also planning on expanding the franchise with films, YouTube content, books, clothing, and more.
If you are an adult Barney the Dinosaur fan, don’t worry because Mattel has you covered too. They’re also planning on releasing adult apparel with the classic design. If you truly hate the new design, you can always rep OG Barney with a hoodie or something.
If you feel like you need somewhere to direct your Barney the Dinosaur-based anger, you can also check out the documentary series I Love You, You Hate Me. The documentary dives into the rise of Barney and why the hate for him is so ingrained in society. You can stream it on Peacock.
