Copaganda is a portmanteau commonly used in the campaign against the abuse of law enforcement privileges. Recently critiques have turned their attention to the popular cartoon series Paw Patrol. The program airs on Nickelodeon and features dogs as the main characters. Each character is a different breed of dog and represents first responders, including the police. Critiques have stated that the film is propaganda to indoctrinate dupable children into a pro-police ideology. The program’s creator, Keith Chapman, created Bob the Builder, which is also a popular cartoon program. Paw patrol features some celebrity voices including Kim Kardashian and Jimmy Kimmel. In the film, the main character Chase is a police officer. He notably receives all the credit for over 222 first-responder saves. Chase, a German shepherd, is propped up to look and appear braver and more daring than his teammates. Critiques argue that Chase’s input is not crucial in some episodes as his colleagues are just as capable of accomplishing a mission in his absence.
Because of the apparent attempt to promote pro-cop culture is highly impressionable children, Paw Patrol has become the latest target of cancel culture. Parents find it concerning that the show is structured to shed police officers in a good light. A pro-police angle is not the only reason Paw Patrol has caught the critiques’ attention. A recent article published in The Guardian suggested that Paw Patrol is “authoritarian neoliberal propaganda.” The Guardian argues that out of the six main characters in the program, only one of them is female. Skye, the only female character in the film, is cast as a Cockapoo helicopter pilot. The film review by The Guardian pointed out that Paw patrol is intentionally structured to celebrate and encourage the patriarchal gender performance and stereotype of the male-dominated cast. Viewers were also quick to note that Chase, the lead character is shown to suffer from PTSD which encourages empathy from the child-dominated audience. As more parents join the discussion it has become clear that the program’s bias is not a welcome approach. This is because children do not get the full picture of the reality of today’s law enforcement privilege abuse.
Since it premiered on your screens in 2013, paw patrol has become a favorite for most kids. The program is well scripted to keep children occupied and entertained using humor and quality editing. Critiques are not taking a break from analyzing every episode pointing out that the entire program is centered around Chase the police officer. Many emergencies in the program could be sorted by Chase’s partners, Marshall and Skye. Marshall is the fire department dog while Skye is the pilot. Critiques are not shy to point out that despite the equal contributions of each dog character; the only chase gets depicted as the hero. Thousands of Daily mail readers left some of their thoughts on Paw Patrol. Readers appear to both sides of the fence. Some Readers state those police officers should not be stereotyped as only a few individuals show a disregard for human life. Another reader commented that there are some good cops out there who deserve respect. Readers were quick to point out that only a few rotten eggs in the crate do not make the entire batch rotten. What is your take on the matter? Do you think Paw Patrol is promoting pro-police culture?
