Look, I need to tell you something about a children's television program featuring animated dogs, and I need you to stay with me here because this is going to sound absolutely bananas. There exists—right now, in this timeline, on this increasingly nightmare-inducing planet—a show called Bluey that has achieved what can only be described as "weaponized wholesomeness," and somehow, somehow, it's making grown adults weep into their throw pillows while their children ask them why they're crying about a cartoon dog going camping.This week, Mandy sits down with actress, writer, and content creator Kelly Vrooman—a woman whose professional credentials include talking to a chicken puppet on morning television, which is either the most or least qualified you can be to discuss children's media, I genuinely cannot tell—to explore why this Australian import has become a global phenomenon. Kelly, who has actual human children (her own, she specifies, which is a concerning clarification but we'll let it slide), walks Mandy through three episodes of this seven-minute existential comfort food. They watch "Magic Xylophone" (teaching sharing through possibly-real magic and parental commitment to the bit), "Camping" (featuring Jean-Luc, a French dog who GHOSTS Bluey without saying goodbye and makes you feel feelings you didn't consent to about animated dogs), and an episode about dad desperately trying to watch sports while his daughter stress-cleans her pretend house using beer koozies as babies.And here's where it gets weird. Because Bluey isn't just good—it's disturbingly, almost suspiciously good. Created by one man, Joe Brum, who writes every single episode himself (which should be a red flag for quality but somehow isn't), the show manages to be both an accurate documentary of parenting's soul-crushing exhaustion AND a joyful celebration of childhood imagination. It's animated "on the ones"—meaning twice as many frames as normal animation, which costs twice as much money—and the child voice actors are kept completely anonymous to protect them from fame, which, AMERICA, ARE YOU LISTENING? Kelly reveals the show has actually made her a better parent, not because it sets impossible standards, but because it reminds adults that play doesn't have to be perfect, it just has to be present. Even Joe Brum responded to complaints about unrealistic parenting by essentially saying, "They're dogs. Dogs love to play. Calm down."But what makes Bluey genuinely fascinating is how it operates on multiple levels without condescending to anyone. Kids get silly games and talking dogs. Parents get jokes about hangovers and wanting to watch the game. Everyone gets emotional moments that hit like a truck carrying feelings. The show depicts single parents, same-sex parents, and families of all configurations without ever stopping to collect applause for being inclusive—it just is inclusive while telling stories about magic xylophones and camping trips. Mandy describes it as "being coated in caramel that is sugar-free and cannot make you gain weight," which is either perfect or evidence that Bluey has broken her brain. In a world that feels increasingly designed to make us miserable, Bluey offers consistent, high-quality comfort—not escapism, but a reminder that goodness and creativity and family connection still exist, even when everything else is on fire.The conversation takes delightful detours (Kelly admits to crushing on the animated dog dad, they debate whether Jean-Luc is a dick for leaving, they're briefly joined by Kelly's three-year-old who wants to talk about monster trucks), but ultimately lands on something important: this is a show where the main characters are all female and nobody cares because they're just kids having adventures. It's medicinal. It's necessary. And if you don't feel moved by it, well, Kelly insists you might not have a soul—which Mandy clarifies is just her being a dick and not the official position of TruStory FM, though they both stand by the sentiment. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go question why a podcast about cartoon dogs has made me feel more hopeful about humanity than any news broadcast in the last five years.Links & NotesMandy Kaplan on Instagram (@mandy_kaplan_klavins)Join Make Me A Nerd for Bonus ContentKelly Vrooman on social media: @KellyVrooms (Instagram/TikTok)Kelly Vrooman's YouTube: Kelly VroomanBluey on YouTube --- Learn more about supporting this podcast by becoming a member. It's just $5/month or $55/year. Visit our website to learn more.
