User reviews

I was born a year after Barney & Friends premiered and watched this from toddlerhood to at least kindergarten, so yeah! I pretty much grew up with this show! When I was younger I adored Barney and I used to sing the I Love You song! Eventually I grew too old for the purple dinosaur and sought more entertainment from other kid shows,

It's not exactly a great show, but it's ok, it introduced me to shows with puppets so it's all good!

I am part of the generation of young children from the mid to late 90s who were mesmerized by that dopey purple dinosaur. I had outgrown Barney by the time I entered first grade, and looking back on it now, I can see why my parents and the critics hated it. Saccharine is an understatement. This show is about as sugarcoated as the frosting on cheap store-bought cupcakes; you can taste the high fructose corn syrup. Not much educational value, either. Just dopey voices and bright colors to keep your toddler quiet for half an hour. However, I think I turned out okay. In fact, I think most of the kids who watched Barney turned out okay. Some of you reviewers are acting as if your child's entire life is going to be shaped by one TV show they watch when they're two/three years old. I hardly even remember most of the "plot lines" (I CERTAINLY don't remember this "strangers are friends you haven't met yet" garbage everyone's talking about... Dang, Barney, get it together!).

The creators of Barney meant well. Who doesn't want to encourage their child to use their imagination? That's why everything looks so unrealistic. That's why it appears as if Barney is doing all the work and solving everything with magic. It's all seen from the kids' perspective, as they're imagining it. The intentions were good, but unfortunately, there isn't much distinction between real and make believe as far as the average three-year-old is concerned, and this respectable premise of imaginative fun was executed in a way that's quite vomit-worthy for anyone over the age of five. If I went into detail, I'd just be repeating what previous reviewers have said. Looking back, I have no idea how my parents didn't go crazy having to listen to Barney and Baby Bop's annoying dopey voices all the time.

However, the one thing I can really commend the creators of Barney on is their use of music, and how they encouraged kids to get involved in music and introduced lots of different instruments. Yes, the "I love you" song was stupid, as was most of the original material they wrote, but they utilized lots of classic children's songs and made them a lot of fun, especially in the Radio City Music Hall show (one of many tapes I wore out as a young'n). I remember pretty distinctly the purple guy's affinity for marching bands and parades, and I guess that must have stuck with me as I played in my high school marching band...

Overall, letting your child watch Barney isn't setting them up for failure. It's a dumb show with little to no educational value, and the purple guy's voice is enough to drive the average parent up a wall, but it's not gonna kill 'em. Hopefully your child's early education isn't limited to television. The "use your imagination" premise of Barney is great, but other programs around that same era that weren't meant to be educational, such as Muppet Babies and Rugrats, conveyed that same message much better.

Before I go into this review, let me introduce myself. I was born in April 1999, I'm a freshmen in high school, I have a 4.0 GPA and this recently finished quarter had a 98% average in school. I am a competitive cheerleader as well as a school cheerleader and a dancer. Also, my mother has been an elementary school guidance counselor for 20 years, so for six years before I was born.

I watched Barney and Friends when I was little, and I honestly can't remember much of it other than it was my great grandmother's favorite show to watch out of all the programs I was exposed to.

I do not, however, recall anything people have been complaining about. I don't recall the "Strangers are friends you haven't met yet" or whatever episode. People don't go into this realizing it's a KID'S SHOW. I grew out of it before I was in grade school. I was my mother's first child, so she tried her hardest to not screw me up. So she let me watch Barney? Revisit my brief introductory paragraph. Do I sound screwed up? I think SpongeBob is way worse than Barney, as studies have shown Spongebob shortens children's attention spans and delivers inappropriate themes.

I have never gotten molested or abducted even though I'm extremely naive. Even if I did watch that episode about strangers, my grandmother, mother, babysitter or great grandmother (assuming she could hear the TV because if I was 2, she was 80) probably sat me down and told me they were referring to children of my age, not grown-ups. If a child did get kidnapped because of this supposedly evil message from the show and the parents are blaming it on Barney, they should be blaming themselves for not clarifying and making the topic more coherent.

Another great example: When I was little, my mother would let me watch Sex and the City with her. It's not like I wanted to, I was just kind of there, but I watched it all the same. Any time I would ask her about something on the show, she would tell me and I would find it "gross." I have not repeated anything said, done, or talked about on that show because she explained it to me.

In conclusion, let you're children watch Barney. It's not the worse thing on television, and it does have some good morals for the right audiences (Preschoolers and under).

Thanks for reading.

I have to admit that I do not like Barney. BUT, everyone who has commented, remember that the show is aimed at PRESCHOOLERS, not you! My son is 3 years old and loves it. This show encourages his love of music and singing. It has helped him learn how to use his imagination. The songs and characters might drive me nuts sometimes but I cannot fault a show that encourages imagination. I have to admit as much as the song "I love you" used to drive me nuts, I love the fact that every time my son sings it/hears it, "With a great big hug and a kiss from me to you", he runs over to wherever I am and hugs and kisses me like the song says. It encourages children to care about one another. (To those of you who keep saying it is mind numbing and restricting--WATCH IT WITH A PRESCHOOLER! See what they get out of it). I should say that Sesame Street is still my all-time favorite kids show, but don't knock the show unless you have a pre-schooler and have watched it with them.

Okay, you hippies are probably wondering what I have against an "education" and "informative" show like "Barney"? Well, I have a lot of hate against it for these reasons:

1. It teaches that having a personality and individualism is immoral. No one on the show has a personality. Everyone dresses alike, talks alike, acts alike and dances alike. Even in the episode called "Being an Individual", kids try to tell Barney about what they like and EVERYONE on the planet should do what I like. Do you wanna teach your kid that being an individual is wrong?

2. "A Stranger is a Friend,You Haven't Met" Episode. While seemingly harmless, the show's producers soonfound that it could also be extremely dangerous for young children. In fact, several young Barney-lovers from across the U.S. fell victim to pedophiles, who were using the show's friendly message to lure children away from their parents. The episode has since been pulled, but the damage had been done. So called "Innocent" mistakes in programming, like this one, clearly show why parents need to watch television WITH their children.

3. IF your not happy all the time, you are a bad person. No one seems to show any other emotion but happiness, no matter which situation they are in. If the child's parents get mad or sad for some reason, the child may think of Mommy or Daddy differently. Not a good message at all.

4. Magic solves everything! Seems like every problem is solved by magic. At least in shows like "Fraggle Rock", it teaches us that magic CAN backfire at it is best to solve problems on your own. Does Barney teach this? NO, of course not. There HAS to be magic in there. And the problem is, a lot of two year olds cannot tell fantasy from reality, and might think their parents, siblings or relatives can use magic to solve everything, yet become confused when they CANNOT use magic and think they are weird. Another boner pulled again.

5. Barney makes no distinction between stealing and sharing. He has even specifically said that "stealing is okay if the person you steal from doesn't mind". Kids can learn that if you really want something, stealing is a perfectly acceptable way to get it. This is not something that preschoolers need authority figures to tell them.

6. "If I just have the right thing, I can solve all my problems." Whenever the kids have a problem, Barney gives them whatever they need to solve it. The message being sent here is "Don't try to think to solve this! It's too much work, and the solution probably wouldn't work anyway. Just use this." Because of this, children could stop thinking through things (Barney said it was too much work) and become dependent on the "right" object. (The right shoes, the right food, the right computer, the right exercise machine...) This is obviously a good message for the Barney marketers, but it's not good for preschoolers.

7. The message that cheating is okay. In another episode the children are involved in a contest to carry a peanut on a spoon without dropping it. One child puts peanut butter on his spoon, and easily wins. The child is then rewarded for his creative thinking, when the child in fact bent the rules, and changed the game so that he could win. This teaches that cheating is good, you win and people think that you are creative, when in real life you will often be disqualified, or worse, and severely disliked by other competitors who played by the rules.

8. Do the kids in this show eat anything else besides cakes, cookies and candy? That teaches that it is okay to eat tons of junk food and avoid healthy food, despite Barney's so called "Health Food" song. Other than that, EVERYONE in the show eats junk food. No wonder there are so many obese kids in America and Europe.

And finally....

Most other kids' television shows teach creative problem solving well, without having to resort to "magic". Barney could also have done that but instead decided to use the method that was A) best for the marketers and B) took the least time and money for scripts. It's a blatant sellout that shows just how little the Lyons Group actually cares about children.

That is my rant for you all.

When I was a little girl, I loved Barney and Friends and never missed it. Then I never understood why my parents hated it so much. Seeing Barney and Friends again from an 18 year old perspective, I do feel sorry for my parents. My summary may be a little harsh, but I feel ashamed for loving this show. I do think though this is a perfect example of something you grow out of when you get older. Kids might like it, like I did, but now I find it too annoying and childish for my tastes.

First and foremost, the characters are very annoying and obnoxious now. I am not going to compare this to other shows or their characters, but characters like Rosie and Jim, Pingu and Big Bird are lovable characters and their respective shows are classics in my opinion. I may have liked Barney when I was little and I still remember the time when he was one of the attractions at Alton Towers, but now I see him as the annoying purple dinosaur he is, and to me his voice actor(s) sounds like he is high on something. Other than Barney, the most annoying character is Baby Bop. When I was little, I used to think she was adorable and huggable, but now she is probably the only character I consider more annoying than Barney, if that was actually possible. I even find Tutter from Bear in the Big Blue House much more adorable, and funny as well.

The music is incredibly repetitive and simplistic. I appreciate that the writers try to keep it simple, but like with Dora the Explorer they go overboard with the simplicity. The main theme song is merely a variation of Yankee Doodle complete with awful lyrics and out of tune singing, and the I love you, you love me song is the sort of song I have thought in a different light, in a bad way as well since seeing the show.

Then there is truly banal and childish writing, quite possibly the worst asset of the show. The writing alone made my parents wince with contempt because of the complete shallowness and banality of it all. Complete with repetitive story lines, next to no educational value(well to an adult), some of the cheapest effects for any children's show, blatant talking down to the audience and negative lessons such as stealing and cheating being okay. As a kid I loved the production values for their vibrancy and colour, but to an adult they are very tacky and unoriginal. I get the sense that Barney, BJ and Baby Bop are people dressed up in dinosaur suits and the scenery looks as though it is about to fall over any minute.

The voice acting is uninspired, and the kids sometimes act as though they don't know what they are supposed to be doing.

Any redeeming qualities? No not really... wait there's one. Stella the Storyteller. Probably the only character I can tolerate. Even as a young girl, I loved how pretty she was and her maternal attitude. And there you have Barney and Friends. I strongly dislike the show now, I loved it as a child, but now I hate how childish and simplistic it is. I haven't seen the movie yet, but I've heard it's worse. Maybe I'll check it out to give it the benefit of the doubt. 1/10 Bethany Cox

Barney and friends...the Dora the explorer of the 1990s.

OK, i'll admit it. as a kid, barney was my ultimate hero. i had my barney plush toy and i used to watch the same barney episodes over and over on videotape. maybe cause it was so sugar coated and mind-numbing.

However, by the time i turned 7, i started to hate barney. everyone at school would Dis barney, and i went along with it (mainly because it was funny) and it's what little boys do. but a few years later, I discovered something else about barney that i will never forget.

a person known on the IMDb as Angel_meiru did an Essay for school, explaining the dangers of watching barney, and he or she posted it in the message boards. a lot of those dangers made sense.

Barney is a dinosaur who can magically come to life during a day at school. he is supposedly educational, or so Sheryl Leach (Barney's Creator) says, but really, all i can remember him teaching me, is that magic can solve anything, which is not true.

to end off this comment, I'd like to tell you a little story. There was once a young boy who watched a particular episode of barney. one day, he was alone, when a stranger lured him into his car and drove away with him. i don't know the outcome (but it's safe to assume the child died) but why was he abducted in the first place? because he watched the Barney and friends episode titled "A stranger is a friend you haven't met yet."

0/10

Now, the first thing I should tell the readers - I'm on the autism spectrum so it's okay for me to sometimes watch kids shows when I'm 21 and childless. That will help you refrain from yelling at your device screen that I must be out of my mind (or at least I hope it will). A few years ago my sister's children were watching a recent episode of Barney, and my reaction was like that of many people: "God this is so DUMB." But I fondly remember watching Barney as a child, and even on my eighth birthday there was a miniature Barney toy in/on the cake, and I got a BJ doll that year too:) But I eventually grew up just like everyone does and by the time my sister's tots were around my enjoyment of Barney was years behind me. But a little while ago I found some 1995 episodes on YouTube, and yesterday when I watched one of them, instantly I felt like the 4-year-old I was at that time, a very pleasant nostalgic feeling indeed. I'm going to watch that episode again now. I give this show a 6 out of 10 because the newer episodes don't compare to the ones I watched when I was young...Goodbye now.

Barney is just awful. As many of the other reviews on this show say. I'm not one to disagree with them (I won't). Because I hate this show just as much as they do. They use kids that look like they're in sixth grade, cheesy plots, horrid dialog and really crappy special effects. Not to mention that big purple dinosaur himself. He makes every other kid show look like award winners (Sesame Street has won awards, that I know about).

Please, just watch Sesame Street, Thomas the Tank Engine or even the Teletubbies. Avoid both, this and its movie (which I also reviewed). They are both extremely crappy and are inappropriate to anyone (even little babies).

After reading so many negative reviews I felt that I needed to write my own review. As a child this show was great! It taught me how to have a very active imagination, it gave me a love for music and dancing and it taught me how to see the good in things and how to keep a positive outlook. I loved the show so much I even named our dog Barney ( the dog we got when I was about 4 and was completely obsessed with the show).

I had totally forgot about Barney for the most part until one day I started singing a song to my daughter that was from the show. So I found a whole bunch of the old episodes and movies that I watched when I was little on YouTube for my daughter to watch. One episode in she was hooked and I remembered every single song and taught her how to sing along with them. One thing I really like about the show is that it encourages kids to get up and move and dance while watching the show. Most little kid shows seem to try to get the kid to just sit still for the whole thing. Yes the music is simplistic, because its for little kids.

One of the reviewers complained about how all of the kids looked and dressed the same. I have to say that's completely wrong. This was a show that had kids from all different nationalities and body types as I am typing this up my daughter has an episode on and in it there is a girl of Asian descent, a Latino girl who is on the chunkier side, a African American boy and only 1 white boy and each of them have their own distinctive style. If you look at plenty of other kid shows there is a lot less diversity. Another reviewer complained about the show only showing junk food, and we just watch an episode where all the snack were either fruits, vegetables, or nuts, not to mention Barney has its own song about eating apples and bananas.

Another reviewer complained about the kids always being happy, which again is not true there are plenty of episodes showing a whole range of emotions, from jealousy, anger, fear and so on. But each one talks about how to handle your feelings, and yes how to have a positive outlook ( which by the way, its been proved that the most successful people are the ones with a positive attitude).

Lastly while it does have some educational qualities its not a crazy amount but TV is not supposed to be educational. TV is for entertainment and if you are relying on TV to educate your kids, you will be failing them, Parents need to take an active part in their kids education and not expect a TV show to do it for them.

Pretty much all kids shows are somewhat annoying but Barney is far less annoying then Kipper or Cailliou, or the Barbie movies ( don't even get me started on them, fighting over glitter, enough said). Also Barney does not push any agenda on the show. There are plenty of shows out there that are pushing their own view points on kids and I am thankful that Barney doesn't. That way my child can approach any issue with no pre-conceived notions and her and I can have an open and honest discussion so that she can make up her own mind on what she believes without feeling like her favorite TV show taught her to believe something else!

Excellent show to teach children to use their imagination and be kind to one another. Learn a few things too.

You don't want your kids to grow up and steal from people, believe in strangers, think magic is real or think that eating junk food & becoming fat is okay, do you? I don't. That's why I'm writing this review.

He may love you, he may love me, but most people don't love him back.

The annoying purple dinosaur appeared in 1988 to the joyful squeals of children... and the pathetic screams of adults. Don't believe me? Check them out on Yahoo.

There are 19 (and counting) anti-Barney sites, while only 7 pro-Barney sites.

4 reasons why some episodes are bad:

1."A stranger is a friend you haven't met."

Sadly, children actually buy this hoax. According to news, children have been captured by people, who could be killers for all we know, and we can blame Barney for that.

2."Stealing is okay." Barney, what? Are you trying to ENCOURAGE kids to grow up and be criminals? Get locked up in jail like animals at a zoo? Seriously, think before you tell the kids this.

3. The kids in it act like the only edible think in the world is junk food. Seriously, if you want healthy kids, make them eat healthy stuff.

4. It's rated U!!!! Yet it teaches kids the opposite of what is right! This should be BANNED! So please, if you want a great future for our kids then:DON'T SHOW THEM BARNEY!!!!!!!!!!!

'Barney & Friends' is a good educational show for kids, plain and simple. After reading the reviews on this page, I feel I must respond to some of the comments, many of which were made by folks who obviously jumped on the anti-Barney bandwagon without actually watching the show first.

First, in regard to the common complaint that Barney doesn't teach kids about any feelings other than happiness: Do you think kids today need to be taught about sadness, anger, violence, or fear? Is there not enough of that in their lives already? Kids aren't immune to life and they're lives are more than what they see on a TV show. The 30 minutes of pure unadulterated happiness exhibited by Barney and his friends in most episodes is an appealing contrast to the bleak stress-filled real world many kids are exposed to for the other 23 1/2 hours of the day. So many kids live in poverty or in dysfunctional or abusive families, or both, and they constantly hear about death and destruction radiating out from every corner of the globe. Fortunately, many kids can turn on PBS and see happy optimistic puppets telling them how wonderful life can be; perhaps it evens things out a bit in a child's impressionable mind.

To say Barney only teaches happiness isn't true anyway, there are several episodes that are solely dedicated to dealing with negative feelings like being sad, mad, scared or embarrassed, and how it's okay to feel these emotions. Granted, the children on the show are happy most of the time, but why shouldn't they be? It's a 30 minute kiddie show, should they all dress up in black veils and mope around like a bunch of goths? They are trying to make their audience, children age 2-6 years old, feel happy.

Secondly, to address the notion that Barney does all the work and imagining, thus setting a bad example for kids: This shows you haven't watched the show because Barney is a figment of the children's imaginations, and therefore all of Barney's ideas are their ideas. We see the fantasy from their imagination's perspective.

I thought for sure I'd heard it all when it came to putting down Barney and similar shows, but I was wrong. Now people are insulting kiddie shows for being too imaginative. I keep reading idiotic comments like 'these kids are seeing a big talking purple dinosaur, are they snorting PCP or something?!! That's going to scar them for life!!" Those types of comments might have been slightly humorous 25 years ago, maybe. But now this attitude has become so commonplace that people are seriously holding a show's creativity against it. For instance, a friend of mine who has a 4 year old son refused to let him watch the Teletubbies because it was, and I quote, "bizarre and too Orwellian". (!) Gimme a break. That's almost as silly as another reviewer's claim that Barney disrespects his preschool audience by talking down to them. That's so ridiculous, I'm not even going to respond to it other than to say, that's just silly.

Let 'Barney & Friends' be what it is: a simple sweet children's show that teaches young kids moral lessons while entertaining them with catchy songs and brightly colored dinosaurs. It's silly to expect anything different from a show that caters to such a young demographic. And next time, watch more than two minutes of a show before you submit a review for it. ~Darlene

I don't get it. I just don't get it. "Barney and Friends" has been lambasted by millions through the years, and I will admit, I was one of those lambasters. Any child who watches this show doesn't realize that what they're watching is just a piece of trash. Barney is very annoying, and very selfish. Add Baby Bop, and it gets even worse. Add B.J., then you have a very creepy television nightmare. Then, you get the children. They're old enough to know what Barney is trying to teach them! What are they doing there in the first place? It would be funny if Barney and his friends appeared on the Jerry Springer show. That would certainly be one of the wildest moments in television history! Even more significant is that this show marked the beginning of the end of public television as we knew it, as we have seen less and less of the more informational and interesting public television programs that aired in the 1970s and the 1980s. What a BIG difference a selfish son of a gun makes. When this show leaves PBS, a big sigh of relief will be felt among millions of people, but a huge dent will have been made in the annals of television history. A message to Barney himself: You may not realize it, but YOUR DAYS ARE NUMBERED.

In a nutshell, there are other choices. Better choices.

Barney and Friends is probably the worst kids show that I have ever seen. It teaches kids nothing, the songs are corny, it is not educational and the characters are just plain agitating. I am not one to disagree with those who hate the show. Honestly, I have seen more negative than positive reviews for this show. 75% of the reviews are negative and there are some really mature people. This show contains no educational value or age-appropriate educational material whatsoever. More reasons why I dislike this show is because of the crappy plots, cheesy dialogue, horrid special effects and the abysmal story lines. Besides, it says that you should eat junk food if you are sad and that strangers are your friends. Saying that is a "model of what preschool television should be",as expressed by Yale researchers Dorothy and Jerome Singer, is a load of crap. They don't know what they're talking about. I would never recommend Barney to anyone. Te reason why some kids keep crying for or get addicted to junk is because of this show poisoning the minds of children everywhere. For people(parents/children) who seek real preschool mater, switch over to Nick Jr. and watch "Super Why!" instead. It's far more better than this turd and Five TV once had the nerve to put it on "milkshake" but thankfully took it off. I highly advise everyone to keep far away from this show as possible. Parents, I highly advise you to keep your kids as far away from this show as possible. They'll thank you later.

BOTTOM LINE: Don't Bother Wasting Your Valuable Time With This Stupid Show. It's Utter Garbage. -10000000000000/10. Grade: Z. Avoid Like The Plague!

Thanks for reading.

Being a child of the 1980s, I grew up with numerous educational as well as diversionary programs (or both), and continue to learn so much from them now that I admire the wisdom of those who worked on them. After learning that Sesame Street, to name the best example, was not solely responsible for the fact that I could read at an adult level before I could walk, it only increased the level of disgust I feel not only towards the Lyons corporation and its product, but those who defend them, too. As if I had faith in those we assign to protect us or our children to begin with, the fact that Barney & Friends still pollutes our airwaves after more than a decade later is a discredit not only to the FCC, American commerce, and its makers, it is a discredit to all of humanity. In a world where I can be harassed without recourse by the police, welfare services, and child protection agencies simply for being born different to those in power, yet broadcasters are allowed to pump this drivel into my home uncontested, you have to ask what is wrong with people.

You see, in a world where we are expected to behave like adults and account for ourselves, what we say to our sons and daughters is of importance because it will often have consequences long after we are gone. Not only are our attempts to make our children more normal, more alike, more think-alike, potentially devastating, what we end up teaching them to be normal has a big part to play, too. So the question becomes one of what Barney is teaching our children to be normal. Apart from lessons such as that we are not good if we do not have good feelings, or that someone will change the rules to make us happy when we come up short, other shocking things we are shown on the Barney show include Barney molesting children. The issue of child abduction and child molestation is a big one in our society, and has been ever since we started trying to pretend it was not, but that would qualify as one of the most inappropriate ways in which to present the topic.

So far I have only mentioned the inappropriate and emotionally damaging lessons Barney himself presents. Adding to the problem is the children shown on the show. I use the word children loosely here, as the range of ages shown goes as low as three years and as high as fourteen. Yet no difference in emotional response is shown at either extreme. Fourteen year olds react to Barney and his proposed situations in the exact same way as five year olds. Experts in childhood and adolescent autism especially consider this an incredibly foul thing to expose children to. Adults on the autistic spectrum who faced increasing problems as their needs were not only not met but flat-out ignored have a tendency to watch this and feel an urge to do the kinds of things with Barney that would make fourteen year olds cry. As irreverent and sick as shows targeted toward the elder-child market such as You Can't Do That On Television were, they stamp all over Barney by demonstrating that not only do different ages respond to the same thing in different ways, so too do different people.

So in response to mdmireles1295, I have to say that I hope like hell they do not have children. For every time I see a parent showing their child this drivel, it gives me an overwhelming urge to report them to the police for child abuse. And I speak as a man whose entire upbringing was dominated by abuse. They might sing about manners, loving, caring, or sharing, but the examples they show are not only so lopsided as to be the opposite of educational, they are so devoid of realism as to become dangerous, as The Light Triton has already pointed out. The kind of lessons children learn from Barney are that people do not vary, feelings must be suppressed at all costs, and rules are entirely arbitrary. When compared to the lessons that variation is what makes the world go around and even the most bitter feelings have a purpose that television taught me as a boy, it still boggles the mind that the authorities have yet to step in and yank this trash off the air. If a parent did to their child what Barney does around the world, they would face criminal charges.

Hence, I gave Barney my favourite two out of ten score that I give to all rubbish with absolutely no redeeming value. In a world of adults that know how to properly respond to their children, it has no place.

My girlfriend has a younger sister who is disabled and who is almost 12 years old. For 12 hours a day barney is playing. Can you imagine how ridiculous that is? Barney honestly is a waste of time. It has no teaching methods.

It really has the magical solution. If a problem needs to be solved it will immediately. In an episode a boy loses a girls music box during a yard sale. So he offers to use his money to get a new one... AN HONEST AND TRUE WAY OF TAKING RESPONSIBILITY. The girl replies that it was a music box she got Switzerland. Barney immediately says that he can take the kid to Switzerland. < So if I break something that was purchased elsewhere in the world, I can go get it? No I would probably take responsibility.

If you think this is appropriate for children, it is to an extent. If you think this is healthy for children 4+ I would move to something more intelligent. The show has constantly been going downhill.

So if someone on here says this is a wrong idea for kids, they are probably right. 12 hours of barney, and you will experience hell.

BARNEY THE PURPLE HIPO is an ok show. Its not like it stands out from any other kids shows. Its ok if a kid likes the show you can like it but I do not!

I have been an avid user of IMDb since I heard about it 5 or 6 years ago. Since then, I have dropped in every time I have finished a movie or had a question about some show or actor. In all the history of my visitations to IMDb, I have never been as shocked at the reviews as I have been for this show. I know that Barney is not the absolutely best show ever created, but I don't think that it is as EVIL as some people seem to think. Every review I read on this site about Barney was extremely negative.( I stopped after about 5 reviews, so I apologize if you had something nice to say) I do not particularly like Barney, but I feel that it is my job to defend him. First, let me make a few disclaimers. 1. I grew up with Barney, but did not watch him faithfully. I was at least 4 or 5 years old when he became "mainstream." That said, I have few memories of life without Barney. I don't know if this truly matters, but I feel that I should mention it. 2. My young daughter now watches Barney. She is only 1 ½ years old, so take that for what it is worth. 3. I go for the underdog.

-Ever since I was in kindergarten, Barney has been the butt of many jokes. I have to admit, most are funny and even laughable. Yet, even as a wee grade schooler, I couldn't help but shake my head and roll me eyes at whoever was telling the joke. If you are old enough to joke about Barney, you are too old for him. Barney was not made to entertain those who could already know how to share or how to wash their hands. Barney was made for the young and the young at heart. -Barney has more diversity than STD tests on a crack whore. Even from the early episodes of Barney and the Backyard Gang, there were at least 3 different ethnicities being represented. In the later episodes, you could tell there were many cultures showing up. A little bit stereotypical, but there was diversity, nonetheless. -Barney is catchy. Period. I have yet to meet someone who has never gotten one of his songs stuck in their head. I don't know if I consider this a good or bad thing, but it is definitely a trait of Barney. - Okay, so Barney may be lame. But you've got to look at who the audience is. Most 2 or 3 year olds that I know aren't very critical of dialogue or feasibility. If the songs and dance steps are something they can recreate, then it is okay in their book. So what if Tina and Derek talk like they are 5 years old when they are really at least 3 times that age? Little kids don't care. -There are much worse shows they could be watching. Some very popular show advertises "Krusty Krabs" in "Bikini Bottom". Another show has a main character who has a phallic protuberance on the top of his head while a co-star has an upside down triangle on the top of her head. (Think about it. Rhymes with Belly Buddies.) Just about any live-action Disney show gives subtle to obvious sexual references. Compared to these shows, Barney is totally innocent. -Many people seem to go line by line when bashing this show. Don't they know that could easily go the other way? In one of the first episodes of Barney and the Backyard Gang called Barney and the Campfire Sing Along, Tina and her mother sing the "I Love You" song. It really shows how much a parent's affection and involvement affects the child. Also, all of Barney's songs about saying "please" and "thank you" and the "Brush Your Teeth" song help kids to grow and take care of themselves. Ending statements: Okay, so Barney isn't the be all and end all of children's television shows. In fact, it may not even crack the top 50. But come on. Barney is not as bad as everyone plays him out to be. Yes, he can be terribly annoying. Yes, he can be slightly condescending. But immoral and corrupt? I think not. And for Satan's nostrils, stop trying to over analyze everything! So what, there weren't adults around? So what if the scripts sucked and the plot was horrible? So what if there were preteens in the show? Did you care when you were 3? No, and neither do the 3 years olds now! If Barney was meant to amuse 15 year olds +, they probably would have taken a different route. So just accept the show as it is- a young children's sing-a-long program!

OK. Is Barney the best children's show of all time? Of course not. But in some of the comments left by other members of IMDb you would think it was a multi million dollar production with high class actors and a ridiculous budget for special effects. Well guess what? It's Barney for God's sake. He shows children good behavior, good manors and that it's OK to be who you are. For those of you who find him annoying that is because you are not five years old and the show was not meant for you. To the IMDb member who wrote the review on the first page I think you may have gone a little too far. Did you actually describe a Sesame Street character as "down to Earth"? Grow up everyone, this is a great show for preschoolers and actually does help children learn in a fun and creative way.