Kids all over the world loved Barney. But even though Barney loved everybody, not everybody loved him back. Some parents found the character pretty annoying. Other grown-ups took things a step further. In some cases, the Barney backlash even got violent. That extreme reaction from adults? It can tell us a bit about our culture today — and how much our identities can get wrapped up in the things we love and hate.

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The seven-part podcast is produced by Connecticut Public and hosted by Sabrina Herrera. The reporter-producers are Meg Dalton and Lily Tyson. The editor is Cassandra Basler. The project manager is Megan Fitzgerald. The sound designer and theme composer is Jay Cowit. 

Learn more at https://ctpublic.org/barney. 

To support more journalism like this, visit https://donate.ctpublic.org.

Marketing support provided by The Podglomerate.

Support the show: https://www.ctpublic.org/donate

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For years, two men brought Barney to life. One was the voice, one was the body, and together they entertained kids around the world. Bob West and David Joyner created an iconic character in Barney, from the goofy laugh to those gravity-defying jumps. Just like the character meant so much to many of us, Barney meant a lot to Bob and David, too.

The seven-part podcast is produced by Connecticut Public and hosted by Sabrina Herrera. The reporter-producers are Meg Dalton and Lily Tyson. The editor is Cassandra Basler. The project manager is Megan Fitzgerald. The sound designer and theme composer is Jay Cowit. 

Learn more at https://ctpublic.org/barney.

To support more journalism like this, visit https://donate.ctpublic.org.

Marketing support provided by The Podglomerate.

Support the show: https://www.ctpublic.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the 90s, preschoolers went nuts for “Barney & Friends” — and that’s kind of by design. The people behind the show put a lot of thought into every detail, from the word choices in scripts to the behaviors Barney modeled. Barney spoke to kids in a language they could understand. And those little ones? They were also central to the creation, and evolution, of the show.

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp.Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/DINO and get on your way to being your best self.

The seven-part podcast is produced by Connecticut Public and hosted by Sabrina Herrera. The reporter-producers are Meg Dalton and Lily Tyson. The editor is Cassandra Basler. The project manager is Megan Fitzgerald. The sound designer and theme composer is Jay Cowit. 

Learn more at https://ctpublic.org/barney.

To support more journalism like this, visit https://donate.ctpublic.org.

Marketing support provided by The Podglomerate.

Support the show: https://www.ctpublic.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Meet “Generation: Barney,” season one of the "Generation" podcast from Connecticut Public about the media we love and how it shapes us. It’s about the purple dinosaur. But it’s also about music and love and backlash and toys and nostalgia. Most of all, it’s about the television that helps us become who we are, from the station that helped launch Barney into the world.

The seven-part podcast is produced by Connecticut Public and hosted by Sabrina Herrera. The reporter-producers are Meg Dalton and Lily Tyson. The editor is Cassandra Basler. The project manager is Megan Fitzgerald. The sound designer and theme composer is Jay Cowit. 

Learn more at https://ctpublic.org/barney.

To support more journalism like this, visit https://donate.ctpublic.org.

Marketing support provided by The Podglomerate.

Support the show: https://www.ctpublic.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.