Maybe this is just how I think here, but I'd love an episode about the "Socks being Autistic" theory here. Part of why is I find some of Socks' earlier behaviors weirdly relatable (like how I learned how to "meow" like an actual cat to the point I can still do that as an adult. Through it can scare little kids so I don't do that too often). It's also because one way some people do have issues like that found out in the first place is due to having difficulty learning some behaviors (which might explain for the first part of the series Socks acts more like an IRL dog than a "Bluey" series dog).
You know I actually really like the headcannon that Frank is Autistic. We never get Autistic representation in the form of a parent so it’s nice to have that with Frank even if it’s not cannon. We can say the he became an architect because he has a special interest in house design, and maybe even developed an interest in marine life after the events of the Octopus game. It also brings a whole new meaning to the line “Yes, this octopus does” because in truth not all Autistic people are the same.
Agreed on not everyone with autism is the same and there's not really a way to judge what level of autism one has, I'm in the spectrum and I can say for certain that not everyone who's autistic would act like I do or that I'd act like them. I actually am a literal thinker and take things literally and can't really read situations and such. I think the last time I felt represented by a character with autism was abed from community, so to hear Frank might have autism too makes me doubly represented in bluey with Frank possibly being autistic and Jack having ADHD.
Usually, if there is an autistic character in a show, it is a kid. But seeing a parent be autistic is quite unique. And this is coming from someone who has autism.
It’s incredibly frustrating to try and look up information and advice on how to BE a parent with Autism or ADHD or such…but all that seems to be available is “how to parent a CHILD with Autism/ADHD.” Like great, that’s not at all what I was looking for! Thanks for nothing, Google!
When you said that you see Frank being social around other adults may not indicate autism, I think its because he is comfortable around the group of parents that I assume he meets with regularly or at least taken him in well. When autistic people are very comfortable in their social circle or group, they can look like they're not autistic but they still are. They've just found a place to not feel insecure or terrible. And I love your thought that Frank may be more the parents behind the screen compared to Bandit, it makes people feel a lot less alone, they feel heard and understood better ❤
Exactly! Extroverted autistics exist. I have a friend who’s also on the autism spectrum and they’re pretty extroverted. They feel more comfortable to unmask with people they trust and be more social.
It’s worth pointing out that almost all of the diagnostic criteria used for Autism is stuff that Autistics do when we’re upset or when our needs aren’t being met. So yeah, someone whose needs are being met or who isn’t being upset or agitated, they’re not going to “look Autistic” because the stereotype our society has of what an Autistic person “looks like” is specifically an UPSET Autistic person.
I’m sure people have said this already, but I cling onto Frank being autistic because not only are autistic characters fairly rare, but we hardly ever get autistic ADULT characters, let alone parents! Autistic parents exist and they belong in fun shows like Bluey!!
The closest we have are Sheldon from the Big Bang Theory, Abed Nadir from Community, Maurice from The IT Crowd; and those characters are just theorized to be Autistic.
I think if Frank is autistic then many adults can connect with him and relate to the problems and challenges they face. And that's just so beautiful in my opinion.
I think he can be seen as both autistic and a representation of the average parent watching, because there are plenty of autistic parents out there who probably really relate to Frank’s difficulties playing with his daughter. Him being autistic doesn’t remove him from being relatable to neuro typical parents. (Note: I’m responding to the Reddit argument on representation, not to Margie because I know she already gets this ) Being neuro divergent made it hard for me to make friends growing up, and it’s making it hard to play pretend with my nieces and nephews. I played pretend all the time as a kid, but I feel like I’ve forgotten how and need to relearn it. I’m sure a lot of people relate to that even if they are neuro typical. Octopus is a great episode for teaching adults how to reconnect with their imagination, and could do the same for kids who also have trouble playing with others for whatever reason. Like most Bluey episodes, it’s educating the audience in a kind and thoughtful way while still being fun, and that’s true regardless of whether or not Frank is autistic ❤
What you said spoke to me. I was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, and while I used to play pretend all the time as a kid, and while I used to make up stories and write them all the time…something seems to have happened in the last decade. I haven’t really written any stories that I feel close to, that I love-and while I have a great idea, it’s been ten years and I haven’t managed to get it out on paper. I’m still not sure why this is. I suspect that screen time might have something to do with it, but it may also be that my siblings have grown up and moved out. I have nephews whom I see regularly, but I haven’t played anything like “Octopus” with them. Of course, in a way I do still play pretend, but not in a good way-I’m still not sure who I am, what I’m supposed to be. And without that, anything I seem to be feels like I’m just playing pretend, and that it’s not the real me. Since I’ve become an adult, my favorite story has been Peter Pan-the original, written by J. M. Barrie. I found myself identifying with Peter Pan, and with J. M. Barrie.
@@dusicagrujic4757There’s a lot of people who have both Autism and ADHD, and both share similar struggles when it comes to school and not being able to fit in because we “just can’t do things right.” So it’s perfectly understandable that an Autistic viewer would feel just as much connection to Jack as an ADHD viewer would.
Im neurodivergent and the way Frank behaved really made me believe he was also neurodivergent. On top of that, it’s very rare that adults and parents are shown with these traits and how they affect their relationships and Frank’s experience was simply wholesome. He cares so much and expresses different. I love the idea that kids get to see how someone times you also need to meet mom and/or dad in the middle.
I like the idea of autistic parents/adults, as it's something that people rarely talk or even think about. I feel like often times neurotypical people think of autistic people as non verbal, savants or plain socially inept which is definetely not the case. It's such a nice touch to see Frank portrayed this way. I loved it was a way to tell the parents that watch the show that it's ok to not be Bandit, that the point is to find your own communication with your kid.
It's rare to see a neurodivergent character like that being a dad. Most neurodivergent characters are children or antisocial adults with no family. Frank is a good representation of a neurodivergent person that not only grew up but also was able to have a family because his neurodivergence doesn't stop him from being a good dad and husband.
Frank reminds me a bit of my own dad. My dad was never diagnosed as autistic, but growing up raising me, an autistic kid, did highlight how much alike the two of us are and to some speculation that he may be on the spectrum, despite never being tested for it as a kid like I was. His parenting was different from my mom's, but like with Chloe and her dad, my dad and I had our own ways of bonding.
Ah! I'm autistic myself (as is my husband), and the first time we watched the Octopus episode I literally said, "So Chloe's dad is autistic, right?" We have little reason to think our own daughter is autistic, so I think that makes me that much more attached to the idea of Frank being autistic, while Chloe probably isn't. I'm ok with just having it as a personal head canon, but you can be I'd be over the moon if it was ever canonized
@@skurwysyn100 oh, certainly. She's going to be deeply embarrassed by my complaining about light bulbs and shirt tags someday, I'm sure. Truly, the autism wreaks havoc on every menial aspect of our lives 😔 Pour a strong one out for us, will you?
Autistic/ADHD here, and also an autism researcher! Love this headcanon, he is absolutely coded autistic. "This octopus does" sounds exactly like something i would say cause if they dotn IRL it feels like lying, so its a way to be truthful and still flexible within the game.
I didn’t feel very represented by him, but that’s why autism is a spectrum disorder. No one type of representation will speak to all autistic people the same way. I do really like Frank though and hope we see more of him.
Yes we need more deep dives into the background characters to show all the different sides of parenthood. He alone showed there are different ways to have fun with your kids.
Hey that was my post on Reddit! The actual thread itself was started by my, i didn’t post the excellent comeback to all of the people saying stop putting labels n things. Personally as an Autistic man, yeah i think he's on the spectrum. Also we are not all socially inept, we may have social anxiety, but we can be social. I go to a get together for Autistic adults every week and have a good time talking and socializing with everyone there.
Hey!! Thanks for creating the thread, and sorry for some of the nasty responses on it. It seemed a lot of people forgot the meaning of the episode and Bluey in general
@aussiegirlmargie it's all good. My big issue was the people who were really getting on my case because they thought i wad saying that this was definitive, I never said it was definitive hence why I had to keep saying that it's just a theory.
@@sammysstopmotionoas2004I always found it weird when someone has a problem with someone headcannons a character as autistic. Once I saw a tweet about someone saying that they headcannoned Liko from Pokémon being autistic but a lot of people had a problem with that when it wouldn’t cause a problem. In fact the head cannon would probably do more good for people
I relate to Frank a little bit. From how I interpreted the episode, it felt like he just needed some help to understand what Chloe was going for. Some people have a hard time when it comes to processing things mentally. And being compared to other people is not fun for anyone. Great work as always !! :D
also as some people might not know, autistic people can be extroverted. I'm not autistic as far as I know was tested years ago when I was a kid. But I do habe ADHD inactive used to be know as ADD.
I find it ironic that this episode is about a game where instead of saying "No, you're wrong" to say "Yes, this one can" there were people yelling online "You're wrong, he's not like that." I'm neurodivergent and have a lot of neurodivergent friends and family. Frank is similar to many I know with ASD, but I understand the argument that he's an atypical parent who feels self-conscious because they're not as amazing as Bandit. In my head cannon, Frank's autistic and until we get an official answer, whatever your head cannon is about the character is correct for you. I do agree with the commenter who said how upsetting it is people don't want to label things because what they really mean is be normal. As someone who was raised being told by my parents I was "normal" [because they hid my diagnosis, as well as my sisters because they didn't want us to feel different] that doesn't work. It makes us feel worse about who we are. This is why Army is a tough episode for me to watch. Seeing Jack being scolded by his little sister, seeing how sad he gets when he realizes he wasn't behaving correctly, and especially in the treehouse when he says there's something wrong with him, that's how it feels. You don't know why you're not normal. You don't know why it's so easy for others to just do a task. It's an invisible disability. We look normal, maybe act a little odd, but normal. So, to say you can't figure out something that everyone else can makes people treat you differently. Frank is doing his best in this episode, and what Chloe wants is her dad to be like Bandit. Whether this is an atypical parent being told to be this perfect father character or an autistic parent trying to understand their child's game, the point of the episode was to show different parenting styles and that what mattered was they loved each other and wanted to play a game together.
Whenever I see the "Dont label everything" crowd, whether it's with LGBTQ or neurodivergencies (I'm both), it feels less like they're saying "be normal" and more like they're saying "I don't want to acknowledge you, I want to pretend you don't exist, how dare you use art I like to express yourselves and force me to see you. Be quiet and convenient."
Can we get a deep dive on rusty? He's my favorite character. I love his relationship with his family and his best friend Jack and just his personality in general.
As someone who is actually on the Spectrum. His personality matches up with me so well. When I watched the episode I was like: “Why does Frank seem like me as a Dog…”. He does hard research, I do too. He corrects Chloe, I do too. There was a time I was at Auckland Zoo and corrected someone. Random Mother: “Look, there’s the Leopard” Me: “That’s a Cheetah…” Random Mother: “Cheetah, ok 👍🏼” Well, at least I was polite about it😅. So yeah, Frank could be on the Spectrum. If he isn’t, idk how he acts like me😂.
You have made a good case that Frank might be on the autism Spectrum, AND that he, like many parents, might be anxious as to how well he stacks up against Bandit, the perceived model father. Oh, and one other thing. In '101 Dalmatians," the puppies' father, Pongo, is voiced by the late great Australian actor Rod Taylor (from 'The Birds', and 'The Time Machine') --and I'm assuming that Francis Stanton, voice of Frank, is also Australian. And it should be noted that among Australia's native sons is Pat Sullivan, one of the creators of Felix the Cat--first cartoon character EVER to have spin-off merchandise! Without Pat Sullivan, and Felix the Cat, animation cartoon history would have unfolded very differently (i.e. possibly no Mickey Mouse, and thence no Snow White, or Fantasia, etc.) and the entirety of the United States entertainment industry would have evolved differently. Without old Felix, and that crucial link in the historical chain, there might never have been a 'Bluey!' How about that for historical cause-and-effect affecting what we know and love today?
It would be nice to have Frank as an autistic parent. Because I myself am on the good olé spectrum myself, and really wish to have kids myself one day, and having an idea of what to do as an autistic parent if I can't seem to relate to my kids or understand them, it would be a very nice inclusion to have.
You know what? To me it doesn't matter if Frank is Autistic or not. If he is, he's a perfect example of being part of a community that accepts him for who he is. If he's not, it's a perfect example of how different him and Bandit's parenting styles are. What matters is that Frank lives in a world that doesn't cast him aside because he acts different than Bandit. I'd love to see more episodes with an emphasis on different parents and their styles and interaction with their kids. This show is special in that maybe it focuses a lot on the Heelers, but that the additional characters have a life of their own and they feel like they weren't just created to be one-offs. I'm hoping Season 4 will be when they finally take the focus off Bandit and Chilli for a bit and do some exploration with the others. Heck, I'd be accepting of having to recast some of the kids if the old actors can't fufil their roles anymore. But also just imagine all the for real life children having their own secret "Bluey Club".
I think he's a representation of parents, it can be hard trying to bond with your kids sometimes in funny and ridiculous ways!! (P.S.: LOVE your channel)
I feel it is both. The traits explaining Frank's autism are very universal and as one with autism and knowing several others on the spectrum, I can say for certain that he is extremely relatable to those on the spectrum who tend to be intellectual and interested in their research and work. Those people are usually not very low-functional and are able to go to social gatherings to an extent. I also like that he is also the representation of parents who feel dejected while raising children. It not only proves that autistic people can still be great parents, but it also unites an autistic person's voice with the voices of neurotypicals mutually. Without autism, he is still great representation as people without autism still are usually not the most outgoing or outright creative, and it can still help audiences relate to him. Overall, Frank is basically anything one can think of with his traits, and he will still be a great role model for all sides. Personally he is one of my favorite Bluey characters besides Alfie, Chilli and Jack.
Also, I love the fact that Frank has these little character traits that subtly hint to autism. You could choose to ignore those traits or you could look deeper into them and that’s really great. While I do not have autism, I do have adhd and Frank’s awkwardness when he first plays the game is not only funny but also relatable. I admire how Bluey can have characters that you can kind of mold into who you think they are based on your own experiences and opinions.
I LOVE YOUR BACKGROUND CHARACTER VIDEOS!!!! PLZ MAKE MORE!!! They are so fun! I think that Frank Dalmatian is just a representation of parents in real life, but I am so glad that you went over him because I love knowing as much stuff about Bluey and Australia. All of this info is making me want to go to Brisbane, Australia on vacation!
Here’s my thoughts if anyone is interested lol: I can see why people would interpret Frank as a character with autism and if that’s the case, then that’s awesome! I think it’s great to have representation like that in children’s media and it’s very comforting for people with autism to feel understood. However, regardless of if he does or doesn’t have autism, I think he can still be relatable as a character. Just like she said in the video! My mom is not autistic and I wouldn’t say she’s exactly like Frank. But one way they are similar is that my mom used to express to us that when my sister and I were kids she struggled with being able to connect with us through play. She felt like she wasn’t very imaginative and so she had a hard time following our lead when it came to play. Did she give up? Nope! I don’t know if she researched like Frank did, but we did have established games with her that she grew to be comfortable in. And we also did a lot more things with her that were her speed, like board games and puzzles and baking and reading. So she was very hands on in our childhood, but she covered a lot of areas my dad didn’t. My dad was the more imaginative one and Bandit at times often reminds me of my dad! So I kinda have a Frank for a mom and a Bandit for a dad 😂
I love the idea of Frank being autistic especially as a parent. A lot of autistic people can have anxiety about being a parent because they might not be able to play and communicate in the ‘fun’ way other people can. I think it really captures the fear of disappointing your child for a reason they don’t understand yet and how it doesn’t matter what background or mental health issues someone has they can still be a parent if they try hard enough. For me it’s so uplifting and is almost saying if you love and care for your child and try for them it, everything else doesn’t matter. He also reminds me of my autistic older brother especially when he felt embarrassed trying to do the octopus 🤣
I love how they include nevodivergent characters and include them, as someone with adhd, this warms my heart (YES I FORGOT THE CHARACTERS NAME) Edit: on his names jack, shoot
When I was a kid I was always told by other kids that I wasn’t playing right. And that confused tf outta me because how could you play WRONG? I was playing going off what they told me, and there was always something they left out and they’d get upset when I was confused because to my knowledge, I was playing the game right.
Im so glad you made a video on this! Ive had this headcanon for such a long time (even without seeing the reddit posts lol, i honestly didnt think anyone else saw him this way). I do just wanna say, to anyone who might wanna people super adament in saying "no he's not. Hes just a stand in for parents who have a harder time playing!", he can definitely be both at the same time! He can be autistic and serve as nice rep for autistic parents AND STILL be relatable to you as a neurotypical parent. Its not a bad thing to relate to an autistic character, i promise, and an episode can be about more than one thing :) At the end of the day, people arent saying they headcanon Frank as autistic only because he struggles to play with his daughter (at least for me). 1 example of another trait i see in him is the way he speaks - hes less emotive and alnost has a flatter affect (obviously not all autistic people are monotone, but you get it). So, its also not just coming from this one specific thing (at least for me) Tldr: if you relate to/find comfort in a character who is suspected to be neurodivergent, ITS OKAY i promise. You can disagree, but please dont try to tear down peoples headcanons who are just desperate for some good autism rep 😅
He reminds me so much of my dad. Ever since my parents met they've speculated that he is autistic, and last month I was finally diagnosed with autism at age 20. The way Frank acts and researches and talks really just reminds me so much of my own dad and I love it :)
I think that is better if autistic people think that, yes, Frank is autistic while non autistic people don't think he is. Because I think that's the beauty of a lot of the characters and topics in Bluey, they always have to forms of seeing and associating with them. And that's really good, that people can see and understand something based on their own situation. That's the reason Bluey is SO great💙💙💙
I personally don't really think he is autistic persay . I think he's just a more logical thinking parent due to his line of work and character over all. Alot of things don't come naturally to even the best of parents and I think it's cool that they showed that. Especially since Bandit (and even Pat) have seen to be the fun loving go with the flow dad's. Also I found it was sweet that he found a way to teach his daughter something new as well as include it into the game. Which is something that my own father did for me when I was growing up.
7:30 I think people only say this because there's a stigma around being autistic and ADHD, and the only way we can destigmatize the subject of neurodivergent types is to talk about it.
I had headcannoned Frank to be a very reserved anxious type of person, possibly someone who was told or made fun of whenever he had tried to be funny or act out and be silly when he was younger so instead he went defensive and didn't. Hence improv and make believe was not part of his social tool box. However reserved people can still be social especially with a friend group who welcome that weirdness or dont make fun of their random quips and what not. And with a bit of anxiety needing some back ground information or research to perform the thing people want them to perform because again, its not part of their typical toolbox but researching and producing a solution is. So once he had enough info, he could piece together a game with his kid. I saw myself in Frank because I too am very reserved and in front of people I dont know or told to perform on the spot I dont really know what to do with myself because in the past I was told "playing" and "acting" was not proper or I was mocked for it. So I have a hard time doing all of that, luckily I have the internet so I can release all my story telling and weird thoughts and ideas to my online friends who like them. But in my group of friends I am the "stick in the mud" while with another group of friends I am a totally different person. And I did take a teaching job once to help me improve my "winging it" abilities, it turned out I could use my hyper fixation interests and quick research skills to make some wild games for the kids while also teaching them a thing or two about nature.
I love Frank he is my favorite background character. Especially because he has a whole episode about learning and talking about my favorite sea creature the octopus 🐙 and he is such an amazing dad. He is calm and a problem solver which is very admirable!
I'm fairly certain the point of Frank's character was to bring solace to other parents who feel like they can't compete with Bandit and Chilli as parents. However, I love the interpretation that he may be on the Autism Spectrum. It is very rare to see Autistic characters depicted in media who have kids or even want them. The only Autistic character I can think of that falls under that category is Rick from Rick and Morty, and I think we can all agree he is not a great parent/grandparent/role model. As someone with Autism (most likely, haven't gotten an official diagnosis, but it runs in my family and I show *many* Autistic tendencies/traits) who does plan on having children someday, it's nice to headcanon a good parent character also having ASD.
I love Frank so much. He reminds me of my brother a bit (who’s now a father lol). He is for sure autistic in my opinion. Love his character. The way he responded to Chloe’s comment about Bandit being more fun, idk, it kind of gave me the impression that he’s been told that before a few times by others. And I’d also say that the episode had a lesson about accessibility, like, allowing changes to benefit people. The way they responded to Bluey asking if she could be multiple things in the game at the end of the episode felt that way to me!!
I think neurotypical people don't like labels because, nowadays, we are trying to be more aware of neurodivergent people and try to not be cruel to them about their neurodivergence. So, if someone has a label, they think "oh I shouldn't make fun of that person cause they're autistic". But then they meet someone who doesn't have a label and they go "well it's okay to make fun of them, they're not Autistic, they're just Weird". I think people see being able to put a name to what someone has as intimidating because then you can't say "they're just weird" and dismiss whatever is happening with them.
I think he just thinks very litterally, he definitely could be autistic but even if he is that doesn’t have to be the main reason for his litteral mid it can just be a factor that goes hand in hand with it just being his general personality. And yes i do very much think the episode has a double meaning from just being about Chloe’s dad playing with her differently than Bluey’s dad does, i think it definitely is repetitive of how some parents feel compared to Bandit, especially when their kids compare them to him, that mist be a punch in the gut for a lot of parents. I know he doesn’t get angry about it like the parents you see complaining about it on the internet but i think the episode is more about the parents who don’t take it to the internet out of rage but are just sad about it, maybe Joe brumm has even compared himself to Bandit at some points and that’s where he got the emotion of the episode from? I don’t know.
Funny thing is, over the weekend, my mom and I met up with my cousin and her nearly six year old daughter because my cousin wanted some help/counsel with something, while I watched her daughter. I'm on the ASD spectrum as well and the daughter was full of energy, so I distracted/entertained her with the 2024 edition of Guiness Book of World Records and she lit up at all the pictures and information pertaining to animals and marine life while I listed off a lot of trivia and factoids I knew from watching nature shows and documentaries. Her mind blew when I said daddy seahorses are the ones that carry the babies, that there are jellyfish as long as a house, or coincidentally, we got to the pages pertaining to octopi. There's a type of octopus called "Dumbo Octopus" because they have flaps that look like big ears, or that octopi are smart and can escape most anything. The book had a diagram on octopus anatomy and I pointed to wherever she had a question like how most of the organs are in the head, that the siphon is how it swims and goes to the bathroom. Then we got to pufferfish and I slowly became a little uncomfortable explaining how pufferfish toxin works for a five year old.
As an autistic woman that grew up with an autistic dad who I really struggled to bond with, I saw a lot of myself and my dad in this episode. For me, Frank is 100% autistic. This is one of those episodes that never fails to make me bawl
Saying a factor for him not to be autistic is “he’s sociable”, makes me sad bc i know a lot of autistic people who are sociable. I mean, we see autistic advocators and activists who hosts talks in person, hosting seminars and mingling with some people every now and then. And on the more casual side, there are autistic people who attend conventions and big events for fun too. Not everyone is the same, so while it’s true that some autistic people would feel safer at home, it’s not fair to those who will sometimes go out with friends too
I never really thought about him being autistic, but looking back at the episode I could kind of see it. I’m autistic and base most of my decisions off of logic, when Frank explained that he was walking down the safer route I was like “YOU’RE JUST LIKE ME”
My brother relates to frank. When he wants to know something he researches multiple articles and learns everything he can find about said topic. Especially wildlife found in the USA (Michigan) (and yes, my brother has Asperger’s syndrome, a form of autism)
Chloe’s Dad is just like my dad, and for awhile I felt my dad is autistic. I related so much to when Chloe couldn’t connect with her dad but learned to do it differently, felt good to be seen
I think Frank is just a typical adult, so he doesn't get the spontaneity of the game. His character understood that kids can learn through playing, but he thought they only learned through structured play.
I have to say. I'm happy to see adults with autism in shows like this. Showing people like myself that autism doesn't set you back in life and you can live a nice/normal life.
It could be different for other people but i am and know many autistic friends who are very social!i think it all depends on the person and where on the spectrum you are. not being social enough for barbecues is not a huge autism trait for me, its more how people react to your social weirdness lol. i have a very low social battery for IRL interactions but can go a lot longer online. my GF is autistic and loves to be around people, but needs some time after gatherings to calm down.
I would like to say as an autistic person, being "social" isn't really proof that one isn't autistic. I enjoy gatherings at my own pace, if I get to participate in my favorite hobbies and hang out with my best friends I can have the time of my life.
I think labeling is fine when its Headcanon and thats how I see this. As long as it remains fun and lighthearted....its fine. And people can see him as Neurotypical as well. Overall, Frank is a really good father and character. It's great to see different kind of parents and their struggles while trying to do their best.
When I first watched the episode with my little sister I quietly thought he mey be autistic myself as somone who isnt autistic but has spent most of my time with them (aka lovers family close friends ect) its awesome to know that meny others see that too.
I think that sometimes neurotypical people don't want things labeled because they view those labels as excuses for bad behavior or extra work put on their shoulders just to interact with neurodivergent individuals. The more that we can explore different ways people can "be", such as with Frank, the more we can get along with someone different than ourselves.
As an Autistic person I can understand label burnout, I don't want people's labels rubbed in my face all the time, so I understand why some people prickle up at labels because some people are absolutely obnoxious and at the same time that they shouldn't assume shit about people with certain labels due to bad experiences with a few obnoxious people
As someone on the spectrum, I personally like to see Frank as neurotypical. From the moment you get diagnosed, you're constantly made to feel like the other. You constantly get medical experts talking about us as something abnormal, the system is always trying to make you feel like you don't belong. It often feels like you can't lift a finger without being told your behavior is weird. And yet, I always see people who aren't on the spectrum with awkward social skills, and yet none of them are chastised for it. When an autistic kid doesn't get a high score on a memory test, they are deemed unreliable. Yet I have met neurotypicals who can't remember their loved one's birthday or have fond memories of events that never happened, but people still believe their words over ours. If an autistic kid doesn't engage in small talk, they're told they have abnormal social skills. Yet, I know of neurotypicals who don't do small talk either, and they're still considered "normal". To have Frank being non autistic would actually be more beneficial to those on the spectrum than if he was. To show a neurotypical being awkward during playtime shows that even they aren't perfect. That you don't have to be autistic to think literally or make errors in social settings. Autism isn't the only thing that's on a spectrum.
as somebody who's autistic, I really enjoy Frank. I personally see him as autistic, but I respect people who see him as allistic too. I think it's wonderful that they made a character that so many different people can relate to :)
I do like the idea of Frank being Autistic, since we almost never see Autistic adults in media, let alone Autistic parents! Even if an Autistic parent tries to Google advice for how to be a good parent while also being Autistic, all that ever comes up is “how to parent an Autistic child.” As if we magically grow out of it as soon as we hit 18. It’s also worth noting that the stereotypes modern society has of Autism, right down to the diagnostic criteria, is based entirely on how Autistic children behave when they’re upset or when their needs aren’t being met. So yeah, Frank has a lot of moments when he doesn’t “look Autistic” because he is not *upset.* His needs are being met, particularly in regards to just being an adult who has control over their own life (something children don’t and which is particularly aggravating for Autistic children). He doesn’t match the stereotype at all because that stereotype is very, very specific to begin with.
I think it would be nice if we had an autistic character because my brother watches blue and he is on the spectrum, he is 8 and he kinda feels better that there is some one like him.
I'm not big on theories like "_____ is ______" in general myself, but like, the end of the day theories are meant to be fun, and if people are having fun with it or it makes them feel more connected to a character canon or not, then Go off king, queen or anything inbetween.
Hi! Please do a deep dive on Bluey's Sis, and about her infertility and pregnancy problems! I got confused on "The sign" when she appeared pregnant! Thanks and It's ok If you don't see my comment, I love your videos! 💗💖💕
To be fair, I think people should often do less comparing of "What do I lack compared to this cartoon parent." And digest the entire picture. Bandit and Chilli have flaws and they both admit they do, the show does a LOT of focus on the fact that the parents aren't perfect and have different methods, just like we do irl. Chilli focuses on their sensitivity and how important it is because she has a lot of emotions herself and that's why she needs a couple minutes when she gets overwhelmed. Bandit is a bit more carefree and if the kids don't understand something he says "Ah well forget it then." Because he knows he's better off trying to teach them when they CAN understand what he's putting down. He can seem patient but really he's a lot more carefree, to the point that THIS is his flaw. Sometimes he plays too rough or doesn't recognize when someone is feeling emotional. Bluey isn't meant to make parents feel bad, I personally feel like it teaches a LOT of people skills that they lack in parenting because we either had no parents or bad parents or even parents who had bad teachers as well. It's a step on the right path. There is a lot I know now that I didn't before. I've never been a parent but I have been an older sister and I wish I'd seen Bluey sooner so I'd known the better way to handle situations instead of the only way I knew how at the time. I don't see it as "I was bad for not knowing this." I see it as "Hey some more advice I can add to my book to get me on the level." Learning and being taught doesn't equate to being belittled.
Don’t forget to get your Australian snacks for the Bluey “movie” The Sign! Here’s my link for 10% off www.treatsfromoz.com/discount/AGM10
Maybe this is just how I think here, but I'd love an episode about the "Socks being Autistic" theory here. Part of why is I find some of Socks' earlier behaviors weirdly relatable (like how I learned how to "meow" like an actual cat to the point I can still do that as an adult. Through it can scare little kids so I don't do that too often).
It's also because one way some people do have issues like that found out in the first place is due to having difficulty learning some behaviors (which might explain for the first part of the series Socks acts more like an IRL dog than a "Bluey" series dog).
You should do a theory on who the brown and white mom is in the episode spy game ❤❤❤
@@addiestewart2450Mackenzie’s mum!! Sure can!
u should make a video about the episode called “the show” and what happened!
Can you do Pat now?
You know I actually really like the headcannon that Frank is Autistic. We never get Autistic representation in the form of a parent so it’s nice to have that with Frank even if it’s not cannon. We can say the he became an architect because he has a special interest in house design, and maybe even developed an interest in marine life after the events of the Octopus game. It also brings a whole new meaning to the line “Yes, this octopus does” because in truth not all Autistic people are the same.
I love that with the line at the end!!
Bummer😢 I thought Frank was a Marine Biologist
Agreed on not everyone with autism is the same and there's not really a way to judge what level of autism one has, I'm in the spectrum and I can say for certain that not everyone who's autistic would act like I do or that I'd act like them. I actually am a literal thinker and take things literally and can't really read situations and such. I think the last time I felt represented by a character with autism was abed from community, so to hear Frank might have autism too makes me doubly represented in bluey with Frank possibly being autistic and Jack having ADHD.
@@ShadowStorm78 I still believe that Frank is a Marine Biologist, he knows about sea life including the South Mariba Octopus
Yeah!
Usually, if there is an autistic character in a show, it is a kid. But seeing a parent be autistic is quite unique. And this is coming from someone who has autism.
As a person with autism I strongly agree here.
As an autistic teen and i just noticed that i haven't seen many autistic adult or parent characters that would be nice to see :D
How to get a profile picture for RUclips
It’s incredibly frustrating to try and look up information and advice on how to BE a parent with Autism or ADHD or such…but all that seems to be available is “how to parent a CHILD with Autism/ADHD.” Like great, that’s not at all what I was looking for! Thanks for nothing, Google!
When you said that you see Frank being social around other adults may not indicate autism, I think its because he is comfortable around the group of parents that I assume he meets with regularly or at least taken him in well. When autistic people are very comfortable in their social circle or group, they can look like they're not autistic but they still are. They've just found a place to not feel insecure or terrible.
And I love your thought that Frank may be more the parents behind the screen compared to Bandit, it makes people feel a lot less alone, they feel heard and understood better ❤
Exactly! Extroverted autistics exist. I have a friend who’s also on the autism spectrum and they’re pretty extroverted. They feel more comfortable to unmask with people they trust and be more social.
It’s worth pointing out that almost all of the diagnostic criteria used for Autism is stuff that Autistics do when we’re upset or when our needs aren’t being met.
So yeah, someone whose needs are being met or who isn’t being upset or agitated, they’re not going to “look Autistic” because the stereotype our society has of what an Autistic person “looks like” is specifically an UPSET Autistic person.
I’m sure people have said this already, but I cling onto Frank being autistic because not only are autistic characters fairly rare, but we hardly ever get autistic ADULT characters, let alone parents! Autistic parents exist and they belong in fun shows like Bluey!!
The closest we have are Sheldon from the Big Bang Theory, Abed Nadir from Community, Maurice from The IT Crowd; and those characters are just theorized to be Autistic.
@@sammysstopmotionoas2004 Yeaah... we don't like Sheldon.
I think if Frank is autistic then many adults can connect with him and relate to the problems and challenges they face. And that's just so beautiful in my opinion.
Super beautiful ❤
I think he can be seen as both autistic and a representation of the average parent watching, because there are plenty of autistic parents out there who probably really relate to Frank’s difficulties playing with his daughter. Him being autistic doesn’t remove him from being relatable to neuro typical parents. (Note: I’m responding to the Reddit argument on representation, not to Margie because I know she already gets this )
Being neuro divergent made it hard for me to make friends growing up, and it’s making it hard to play pretend with my nieces and nephews. I played pretend all the time as a kid, but I feel like I’ve forgotten how and need to relearn it. I’m sure a lot of people relate to that even if they are neuro typical.
Octopus is a great episode for teaching adults how to reconnect with their imagination, and could do the same for kids who also have trouble playing with others for whatever reason. Like most Bluey episodes, it’s educating the audience in a kind and thoughtful way while still being fun, and that’s true regardless of whether or not Frank is autistic ❤
What you said spoke to me. I was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, and while I used to play pretend all the time as a kid, and while I used to make up stories and write them all the time…something seems to have happened in the last decade.
I haven’t really written any stories that I feel close to, that I love-and while I have a great idea, it’s been ten years and I haven’t managed to get it out on paper. I’m still not sure why this is.
I suspect that screen time might have something to do with it, but it may also be that my siblings have grown up and moved out. I have nephews whom I see regularly, but I haven’t played anything like “Octopus” with them.
Of course, in a way I do still play pretend, but not in a good way-I’m still not sure who I am, what I’m supposed to be. And without that, anything I seem to be feels like I’m just playing pretend, and that it’s not the real me.
Since I’ve become an adult, my favorite story has been Peter Pan-the original, written by J. M. Barrie. I found myself identifying with Peter Pan, and with J. M. Barrie.
Can we just have an episode about him!!! I’m Autistic and I love adult representation especially adult representation with children.
I would love to see him and his whole family interacting in an episode!
I'm autistic as well and seeing the episode Army makes me relate to Jack so much.
@tony_2024 I'm pretty sure that Jack has ADHD he doesn't have autism
@@dusicagrujic4757neurodivergence in general can be relatable to other neurodivergents!! Comorbidity of autism and adhd is also common
@@dusicagrujic4757There’s a lot of people who have both Autism and ADHD, and both share similar struggles when it comes to school and not being able to fit in because we “just can’t do things right.” So it’s perfectly understandable that an Autistic viewer would feel just as much connection to Jack as an ADHD viewer would.
Im neurodivergent and the way Frank behaved really made me believe he was also neurodivergent. On top of that, it’s very rare that adults and parents are shown with these traits and how they affect their relationships and Frank’s experience was simply wholesome. He cares so much and expresses different. I love the idea that kids get to see how someone times you also need to meet mom and/or dad in the middle.
I like the idea of autistic parents/adults, as it's something that people rarely talk or even think about. I feel like often times neurotypical people think of autistic people as non verbal, savants or plain socially inept which is definetely not the case. It's such a nice touch to see Frank portrayed this way. I loved it was a way to tell the parents that watch the show that it's ok to not be Bandit, that the point is to find your own communication with your kid.
It's rare to see a neurodivergent character like that being a dad. Most neurodivergent characters are children or antisocial adults with no family. Frank is a good representation of a neurodivergent person that not only grew up but also was able to have a family because his neurodivergence doesn't stop him from being a good dad and husband.
Frank reminds me a bit of my own dad. My dad was never diagnosed as autistic, but growing up raising me, an autistic kid, did highlight how much alike the two of us are and to some speculation that he may be on the spectrum, despite never being tested for it as a kid like I was. His parenting was different from my mom's, but like with Chloe and her dad, my dad and I had our own ways of bonding.
How did your dad parent you differently than your mother?
Ah! I'm autistic myself (as is my husband), and the first time we watched the Octopus episode I literally said, "So Chloe's dad is autistic, right?"
We have little reason to think our own daughter is autistic, so I think that makes me that much more attached to the idea of Frank being autistic, while Chloe probably isn't.
I'm ok with just having it as a personal head canon, but you can be I'd be over the moon if it was ever canonized
Nope it's fake
Wow, you both being autistic sure make for amazing family life for your child. So sad.
@@skurwysyn100 oh, certainly. She's going to be deeply embarrassed by my complaining about light bulbs and shirt tags someday, I'm sure. Truly, the autism wreaks havoc on every menial aspect of our lives 😔 Pour a strong one out for us, will you?
@@skurwysyn100 were all alcoholic anyway we drink every day
Autistic/ADHD here, and also an autism researcher! Love this headcanon, he is absolutely coded autistic.
"This octopus does" sounds exactly like something i would say cause if they dotn IRL it feels like lying, so its a way to be truthful and still flexible within the game.
I didn’t feel very represented by him, but that’s why autism is a spectrum disorder. No one type of representation will speak to all autistic people the same way. I do really like Frank though and hope we see more of him.
Yes we need more deep dives into the background characters to show all the different sides of parenthood. He alone showed there are different ways to have fun with your kids.
Yeah octopus has such a special place in my heart for showing different parenting! I hope we get more like it
Hey that was my post on Reddit! The actual thread itself was started by my, i didn’t post the excellent comeback to all of the people saying stop putting labels n things. Personally as an Autistic man, yeah i think he's on the spectrum. Also we are not all socially inept, we may have social anxiety, but we can be social. I go to a get together for Autistic adults every week and have a good time talking and socializing with everyone there.
Hey!! Thanks for creating the thread, and sorry for some of the nasty responses on it. It seemed a lot of people forgot the meaning of the episode and Bluey in general
@aussiegirlmargie it's all good. My big issue was the people who were really getting on my case because they thought i wad saying that this was definitive, I never said it was definitive hence why I had to keep saying that it's just a theory.
@@sammysstopmotionoas2004I always found it weird when someone has a problem with someone headcannons a character as autistic. Once I saw a tweet about someone saying that they headcannoned Liko from Pokémon being autistic but a lot of people had a problem with that when it wouldn’t cause a problem. In fact the head cannon would probably do more good for people
I relate to Frank a little bit. From how I interpreted the episode, it felt like he just needed some help to understand what Chloe was going for. Some people have a hard time when it comes to processing things mentally. And being compared to other people is not fun for anyone.
Great work as always !! :D
One of the brilliant things of Bluey, we can see parts of ourselves in so many characters ❤
also as some people might not know, autistic people can be extroverted.
I'm not autistic as far as I know was tested years ago when I was a kid.
But I do habe ADHD inactive used to be know as ADD.
I find it ironic that this episode is about a game where instead of saying "No, you're wrong" to say "Yes, this one can" there were people yelling online "You're wrong, he's not like that." I'm neurodivergent and have a lot of neurodivergent friends and family. Frank is similar to many I know with ASD, but I understand the argument that he's an atypical parent who feels self-conscious because they're not as amazing as Bandit. In my head cannon, Frank's autistic and until we get an official answer, whatever your head cannon is about the character is correct for you. I do agree with the commenter who said how upsetting it is people don't want to label things because what they really mean is be normal. As someone who was raised being told by my parents I was "normal" [because they hid my diagnosis, as well as my sisters because they didn't want us to feel different] that doesn't work. It makes us feel worse about who we are. This is why Army is a tough episode for me to watch. Seeing Jack being scolded by his little sister, seeing how sad he gets when he realizes he wasn't behaving correctly, and especially in the treehouse when he says there's something wrong with him, that's how it feels. You don't know why you're not normal. You don't know why it's so easy for others to just do a task. It's an invisible disability. We look normal, maybe act a little odd, but normal. So, to say you can't figure out something that everyone else can makes people treat you differently. Frank is doing his best in this episode, and what Chloe wants is her dad to be like Bandit. Whether this is an atypical parent being told to be this perfect father character or an autistic parent trying to understand their child's game, the point of the episode was to show different parenting styles and that what mattered was they loved each other and wanted to play a game together.
Whenever I see the "Dont label everything" crowd, whether it's with LGBTQ or neurodivergencies (I'm both), it feels less like they're saying "be normal" and more like they're saying "I don't want to acknowledge you, I want to pretend you don't exist, how dare you use art I like to express yourselves and force me to see you. Be quiet and convenient."
Can we get a deep dive on rusty? He's my favorite character. I love his relationship with his family and his best friend Jack and just his personality in general.
As someone who is actually on the Spectrum.
His personality matches up with me so well.
When I watched the episode I was like: “Why does Frank seem like me as a Dog…”.
He does hard research, I do too.
He corrects Chloe, I do too.
There was a time I was at Auckland Zoo and corrected someone.
Random Mother: “Look, there’s the Leopard”
Me: “That’s a Cheetah…”
Random Mother: “Cheetah, ok 👍🏼”
Well, at least I was polite about it😅.
So yeah, Frank could be on the Spectrum.
If he isn’t, idk how he acts like me😂.
You have made a good case that Frank might be on the autism Spectrum, AND that he, like many parents, might be anxious as to how well he stacks up against Bandit, the perceived model father. Oh, and one other thing. In '101 Dalmatians," the puppies' father, Pongo, is voiced by the late great Australian actor Rod Taylor (from 'The Birds', and 'The Time Machine') --and I'm assuming that Francis Stanton, voice of Frank, is also Australian. And it should be noted that among Australia's native sons is Pat Sullivan, one of the creators of Felix the Cat--first cartoon character EVER to have spin-off merchandise! Without Pat Sullivan, and Felix the Cat, animation cartoon history would have unfolded very differently (i.e. possibly no Mickey Mouse, and thence no Snow White, or Fantasia, etc.) and the entirety of the United States entertainment industry would have evolved differently. Without old Felix, and that crucial link in the historical chain, there might never have been a 'Bluey!' How about that for historical cause-and-effect affecting what we know and love today?
It would be nice to have Frank as an autistic parent. Because I myself am on the good olé spectrum myself, and really wish to have kids myself one day, and having an idea of what to do as an autistic parent if I can't seem to relate to my kids or understand them, it would be a very nice inclusion to have.
You know what? To me it doesn't matter if Frank is Autistic or not. If he is, he's a perfect example of being part of a community that accepts him for who he is. If he's not, it's a perfect example of how different him and Bandit's parenting styles are. What matters is that Frank lives in a world that doesn't cast him aside because he acts different than Bandit. I'd love to see more episodes with an emphasis on different parents and their styles and interaction with their kids. This show is special in that maybe it focuses a lot on the Heelers, but that the additional characters have a life of their own and they feel like they weren't just created to be one-offs. I'm hoping Season 4 will be when they finally take the focus off Bandit and Chilli for a bit and do some exploration with the others. Heck, I'd be accepting of having to recast some of the kids if the old actors can't fufil their roles anymore. But also just imagine all the for real life children having their own secret "Bluey Club".
I think he's a representation of parents, it can be hard trying to bond with your kids sometimes in funny and ridiculous ways!! (P.S.: LOVE your channel)
I always thought Frank was autistic and as an autistic person, it's nice representation!
YESSSS i voted on this theory on your community tab! (When you asked who we wanted to have a full video on)
Thanks for voting I hope you enjoy the video ❤
So excited for this content! As someone who works with the autistic community I love seeing theories or canon neurodivergent rep like jack!
Yeah even though they never outright say it I appreciate them at least showing characters with a lot of these aspects so we can fill in the blanks
I feel it is both.
The traits explaining Frank's autism are very universal and as one with autism and knowing several others on the spectrum, I can say for certain that he is extremely relatable to those on the spectrum who tend to be intellectual and interested in their research and work. Those people are usually not very low-functional and are able to go to social gatherings to an extent.
I also like that he is also the representation of parents who feel dejected while raising children. It not only proves that autistic people can still be great parents, but it also unites an autistic person's voice with the voices of neurotypicals mutually.
Without autism, he is still great representation as people without autism still are usually not the most outgoing or outright creative, and it can still help audiences relate to him.
Overall, Frank is basically anything one can think of with his traits, and he will still be a great role model for all sides.
Personally he is one of my favorite Bluey characters besides Alfie, Chilli and Jack.
I love the episode Octopus. Chloe’s house is so pretty with the aquarium in the background and the game is very creative and fun!
Also, I love the fact that Frank has these little character traits that subtly hint to autism. You could choose to ignore those traits or you could look deeper into them and that’s really great. While I do not have autism, I do have adhd and Frank’s awkwardness when he first plays the game is not only funny but also relatable. I admire how Bluey can have characters that you can kind of mold into who you think they are based on your own experiences and opinions.
I don't think it was meant to be intentional, but it's a headcanon that I personally love
I love how they do all parents in the show
Where they have as much creativity and personalty as the kids
I LOVE YOUR BACKGROUND CHARACTER VIDEOS!!!! PLZ MAKE MORE!!! They are so fun! I think that Frank Dalmatian is just a representation of parents in real life, but I am so glad that you went over him because I love knowing as much stuff about Bluey and Australia. All of this info is making me want to go to Brisbane, Australia on vacation!
Here’s my thoughts if anyone is interested lol:
I can see why people would interpret Frank as a character with autism and if that’s the case, then that’s awesome! I think it’s great to have representation like that in children’s media and it’s very comforting for people with autism to feel understood.
However, regardless of if he does or doesn’t have autism, I think he can still be relatable as a character. Just like she said in the video! My mom is not autistic and I wouldn’t say she’s exactly like Frank. But one way they are similar is that my mom used to express to us that when my sister and I were kids she struggled with being able to connect with us through play. She felt like she wasn’t very imaginative and so she had a hard time following our lead when it came to play. Did she give up? Nope! I don’t know if she researched like Frank did, but we did have established games with her that she grew to be comfortable in. And we also did a lot more things with her that were her speed, like board games and puzzles and baking and reading. So she was very hands on in our childhood, but she covered a lot of areas my dad didn’t. My dad was the more imaginative one and Bandit at times often reminds me of my dad! So I kinda have a Frank for a mom and a Bandit for a dad 😂
I love you doing these deep dives on background characters I would love to see Mia or captain next ❤️
IM SO GLAD YOU MADE THIS VID, FRANK IS LITERALLY MY FAV BLUEY CHARACTER 🐾
I love the idea of Frank being autistic especially as a parent. A lot of autistic people can have anxiety about being a parent because they might not be able to play and communicate in the ‘fun’ way other people can. I think it really captures the fear of disappointing your child for a reason they don’t understand yet and how it doesn’t matter what background or mental health issues someone has they can still be a parent if they try hard enough. For me it’s so uplifting and is almost saying if you love and care for your child and try for them it, everything else doesn’t matter.
He also reminds me of my autistic older brother especially when he felt embarrassed trying to do the octopus 🤣
I love how they include nevodivergent characters and include them, as someone with adhd, this warms my heart
(YES I FORGOT THE CHARACTERS NAME)
Edit: on his names jack, shoot
When I was a kid I was always told by other kids that I wasn’t playing right.
And that confused tf outta me because how could you play WRONG?
I was playing going off what they told me, and there was always something they left out and they’d get upset when I was confused because to my knowledge, I was playing the game right.
Love your vids margie!
Hi Margie! YOUR VIDS AND YOU ARE ALLLLLLLLLWAYS AMAZING!!! !!
Awwww thank you!!!!!!❤
Im so glad you made a video on this! Ive had this headcanon for such a long time (even without seeing the reddit posts lol, i honestly didnt think anyone else saw him this way).
I do just wanna say, to anyone who might wanna people super adament in saying "no he's not. Hes just a stand in for parents who have a harder time playing!", he can definitely be both at the same time! He can be autistic and serve as nice rep for autistic parents AND STILL be relatable to you as a neurotypical parent. Its not a bad thing to relate to an autistic character, i promise, and an episode can be about more than one thing :)
At the end of the day, people arent saying they headcanon Frank as autistic only because he struggles to play with his daughter (at least for me). 1 example of another trait i see in him is the way he speaks - hes less emotive and alnost has a flatter affect (obviously not all autistic people are monotone, but you get it). So, its also not just coming from this one specific thing (at least for me)
Tldr: if you relate to/find comfort in a character who is suspected to be neurodivergent, ITS OKAY i promise. You can disagree, but please dont try to tear down peoples headcanons who are just desperate for some good autism rep 😅
You vids are always amazing!
He reminds me so much of my dad. Ever since my parents met they've speculated that he is autistic, and last month I was finally diagnosed with autism at age 20. The way Frank acts and researches and talks really just reminds me so much of my own dad and I love it :)
Can you have an episode on maybe either busker or Indy’s mom? I feel like they could be worth making a deep dive video on
Oh yesssss!
I feel like you could do a deep dive in to pretzel because we have not seen him much
I think that is better if autistic people think that, yes, Frank is autistic while non autistic people don't think he is. Because I think that's the beauty of a lot of the characters and topics in Bluey, they always have to forms of seeing and associating with them. And that's really good, that people can see and understand something based on their own situation. That's the reason Bluey is SO great💙💙💙
I love your Bluey collection, but I love videos as well. Also, my brother is autistic and does sort of reminds me of Frank here.
I personally don't really think he is autistic persay . I think he's just a more logical thinking parent due to his line of work and character over all. Alot of things don't come naturally to even the best of parents and I think it's cool that they showed that. Especially since Bandit (and even Pat) have seen to be the fun loving go with the flow dad's. Also I found it was sweet that he found a way to teach his daughter something new as well as include it into the game. Which is something that my own father did for me when I was growing up.
7:30 I think people only say this because there's a stigma around being autistic and ADHD, and the only way we can destigmatize the subject of neurodivergent types is to talk about it.
HI MARGIE I LOVE UR VIDS I DIDNT REALIZE I WAS EARLY!!!!❤❤
I love Frank!! I'm autistic, myself, and the first time i watched Octopus,, all I could think was "Oh my god, he's totally autistic"
I had headcannoned Frank to be a very reserved anxious type of person, possibly someone who was told or made fun of whenever he had tried to be funny or act out and be silly when he was younger so instead he went defensive and didn't. Hence improv and make believe was not part of his social tool box. However reserved people can still be social especially with a friend group who welcome that weirdness or dont make fun of their random quips and what not. And with a bit of anxiety needing some back ground information or research to perform the thing people want them to perform because again, its not part of their typical toolbox but researching and producing a solution is. So once he had enough info, he could piece together a game with his kid.
I saw myself in Frank because I too am very reserved and in front of people I dont know or told to perform on the spot I dont really know what to do with myself because in the past I was told "playing" and "acting" was not proper or I was mocked for it. So I have a hard time doing all of that, luckily I have the internet so I can release all my story telling and weird thoughts and ideas to my online friends who like them. But in my group of friends I am the "stick in the mud" while with another group of friends I am a totally different person. And I did take a teaching job once to help me improve my "winging it" abilities, it turned out I could use my hyper fixation interests and quick research skills to make some wild games for the kids while also teaching them a thing or two about nature.
I love Frank he is my favorite background character. Especially because he has a whole episode about learning and talking about my favorite sea creature the octopus 🐙 and he is such an amazing dad. He is calm and a problem solver which is very admirable!
I'm fairly certain the point of Frank's character was to bring solace to other parents who feel like they can't compete with Bandit and Chilli as parents. However, I love the interpretation that he may be on the Autism Spectrum. It is very rare to see Autistic characters depicted in media who have kids or even want them. The only Autistic character I can think of that falls under that category is Rick from Rick and Morty, and I think we can all agree he is not a great parent/grandparent/role model. As someone with Autism (most likely, haven't gotten an official diagnosis, but it runs in my family and I show *many* Autistic tendencies/traits) who does plan on having children someday, it's nice to headcanon a good parent character also having ASD.
HI MARGIE I LOVE UR VIDS I DIDNT REALIZE I WAS EARLY!!!!
Thanks for coming to watch and comment so early too!
I love watching your videos because even though I am not a big bluey fan my sister is and it gives me something to talk to her about 🤗
I love Frank so much. He reminds me of my brother a bit (who’s now a father lol). He is for sure autistic in my opinion. Love his character. The way he responded to Chloe’s comment about Bandit being more fun, idk, it kind of gave me the impression that he’s been told that before a few times by others. And I’d also say that the episode had a lesson about accessibility, like, allowing changes to benefit people. The way they responded to Bluey asking if she could be multiple things in the game at the end of the episode felt that way to me!!
Can you do Alfie's character from the episode quietly game? I like to learn all about it. I know who voices him: Robert Irwin
I love your vids!!
I think he is. And yes, people complaining about how we're "labelling" him are expressing a prejudice, even if it's not overt
Nice Video, And Yes. I Love Chloe's Dad
I think neurotypical people don't like labels because, nowadays, we are trying to be more aware of neurodivergent people and try to not be cruel to them about their neurodivergence. So, if someone has a label, they think "oh I shouldn't make fun of that person cause they're autistic". But then they meet someone who doesn't have a label and they go "well it's okay to make fun of them, they're not Autistic, they're just Weird". I think people see being able to put a name to what someone has as intimidating because then you can't say "they're just weird" and dismiss whatever is happening with them.
I think he just thinks very litterally, he definitely could be autistic but even if he is that doesn’t have to be the main reason for his litteral mid it can just be a factor that goes hand in hand with it just being his general personality. And yes i do very much think the episode has a double meaning from just being about Chloe’s dad playing with her differently than Bluey’s dad does, i think it definitely is repetitive of how some parents feel compared to Bandit, especially when their kids compare them to him, that mist be a punch in the gut for a lot of parents. I know he doesn’t get angry about it like the parents you see complaining about it on the internet but i think the episode is more about the parents who don’t take it to the internet out of rage but are just sad about it, maybe Joe brumm has even compared himself to Bandit at some points and that’s where he got the emotion of the episode from? I don’t know.
Octopus noises
Funny thing is, over the weekend, my mom and I met up with my cousin and her nearly six year old daughter because my cousin wanted some help/counsel with something, while I watched her daughter. I'm on the ASD spectrum as well and the daughter was full of energy, so I distracted/entertained her with the 2024 edition of Guiness Book of World Records and she lit up at all the pictures and information pertaining to animals and marine life while I listed off a lot of trivia and factoids I knew from watching nature shows and documentaries. Her mind blew when I said daddy seahorses are the ones that carry the babies, that there are jellyfish as long as a house, or coincidentally, we got to the pages pertaining to octopi. There's a type of octopus called "Dumbo Octopus" because they have flaps that look like big ears, or that octopi are smart and can escape most anything. The book had a diagram on octopus anatomy and I pointed to wherever she had a question like how most of the organs are in the head, that the siphon is how it swims and goes to the bathroom. Then we got to pufferfish and I slowly became a little uncomfortable explaining how pufferfish toxin works for a five year old.
I love frank, he seems like such a sweet guy. Definitely super underrated
I agree
Amazing work I can tell you work hard on it.💜💯🐕🐶🐾🐩
You are so kind
@@aussiegirlmargie you too and thanks for the heart it means a lot to me.💜
Bandit and Frank are both great dads! They both remind me of my dad🧡
RIP
As an autistic woman that grew up with an autistic dad who I really struggled to bond with, I saw a lot of myself and my dad in this episode. For me, Frank is 100% autistic. This is one of those episodes that never fails to make me bawl
Saying a factor for him not to be autistic is “he’s sociable”, makes me sad bc i know a lot of autistic people who are sociable. I mean, we see autistic advocators and activists who hosts talks in person, hosting seminars and mingling with some people every now and then. And on the more casual side, there are autistic people who attend conventions and big events for fun too. Not everyone is the same, so while it’s true that some autistic people would feel safer at home, it’s not fair to those who will sometimes go out with friends too
I love this video so much😊
The part where he researches with Chloe is an autistic trait! Autistic people often bond while talking about subjects they’re interested in! ❤
When Chloe's dad has more personality than Chloe
I never really thought about him being autistic, but looking back at the episode I could kind of see it. I’m autistic and base most of my decisions off of logic, when Frank explained that he was walking down the safer route I was like “YOU’RE JUST LIKE ME”
My brother relates to frank. When he wants to know something he researches multiple articles and learns everything he can find about said topic. Especially wildlife found in the USA (Michigan) (and yes, my brother has Asperger’s syndrome, a form of autism)
Chloe’s Dad is just like my dad, and for awhile I felt my dad is autistic. I related so much to when Chloe couldn’t connect with her dad but learned to do it differently, felt good to be seen
I think Frank is just a typical adult, so he doesn't get the spontaneity of the game. His character understood that kids can learn through playing, but he thought they only learned through structured play.
I have to say. I'm happy to see adults with autism in shows like this. Showing people like myself that autism doesn't set you back in life and you can live a nice/normal life.
In the show they mention choles dad is a fire fighter and they say his name👍
A deep dive into MacKenzie's family would be cool.
i can understand not liking the theory but personally i quite love the headcanon.
It could be different for other people but i am and know many autistic friends who are very social!i think it all depends on the person and where on the spectrum you are. not being social enough for barbecues is not a huge autism trait for me, its more how people react to your social weirdness lol. i have a very low social battery for IRL interactions but can go a lot longer online. my GF is autistic and loves to be around people, but needs some time after gatherings to calm down.
Hiiiiiiiiiii! I love your vids
I would like to say as an autistic person, being "social" isn't really proof that one isn't autistic. I enjoy gatherings at my own pace, if I get to participate in my favorite hobbies and hang out with my best friends I can have the time of my life.
YES! Love it! :)
I think labeling is fine when its Headcanon and thats how I see this. As long as it remains fun and lighthearted....its fine. And people can see him as Neurotypical as well.
Overall, Frank is a really good father and character. It's great to see different kind of parents and their struggles while trying to do their best.
Lovely video, but PLEASE, how do i get that fleece hoodie????? I need adult-sized Bluey apparel
The heeler house looks warm and inviting whilst the Dalmatian house looks sterile and artsy like a museum like you’re not able to touch anything
When I first watched the episode with my little sister I quietly thought he mey be autistic myself as somone who isnt autistic but has spent most of my time with them (aka lovers family close friends ect) its awesome to know that meny others see that too.
Hi I love your videos
thumbnail really said "YEET THE CHILD"
I think that sometimes neurotypical people don't want things labeled because they view those labels as excuses for bad behavior or extra work put on their shoulders just to interact with neurodivergent individuals.
The more that we can explore different ways people can "be", such as with Frank, the more we can get along with someone different than ourselves.
As an Autistic person I can understand label burnout, I don't want people's labels rubbed in my face all the time, so I understand why some people prickle up at labels because some people are absolutely obnoxious and at the same time that they shouldn't assume shit about people with certain labels due to bad experiences with a few obnoxious people
As someone on the spectrum, I personally like to see Frank as neurotypical. From the moment you get diagnosed, you're constantly made to feel like the other. You constantly get medical experts talking about us as something abnormal, the system is always trying to make you feel like you don't belong. It often feels like you can't lift a finger without being told your behavior is weird. And yet, I always see people who aren't on the spectrum with awkward social skills, and yet none of them are chastised for it. When an autistic kid doesn't get a high score on a memory test, they are deemed unreliable. Yet I have met neurotypicals who can't remember their loved one's birthday or have fond memories of events that never happened, but people still believe their words over ours. If an autistic kid doesn't engage in small talk, they're told they have abnormal social skills. Yet, I know of neurotypicals who don't do small talk either, and they're still considered "normal". To have Frank being non autistic would actually be more beneficial to those on the spectrum than if he was. To show a neurotypical being awkward during playtime shows that even they aren't perfect. That you don't have to be autistic to think literally or make errors in social settings. Autism isn't the only thing that's on a spectrum.
as somebody who's autistic, I really enjoy Frank. I personally see him as autistic, but I respect people who see him as allistic too. I think it's wonderful that they made a character that so many different people can relate to :)
ASD is a spectrum and 3 out of 4 in my household are on it. The 4th being 2 and seemingly typical 🎉. I love the idea of representation!
I do like the idea of Frank being Autistic, since we almost never see Autistic adults in media, let alone Autistic parents! Even if an Autistic parent tries to Google advice for how to be a good parent while also being Autistic, all that ever comes up is “how to parent an Autistic child.” As if we magically grow out of it as soon as we hit 18.
It’s also worth noting that the stereotypes modern society has of Autism, right down to the diagnostic criteria, is based entirely on how Autistic children behave when they’re upset or when their needs aren’t being met. So yeah, Frank has a lot of moments when he doesn’t “look Autistic” because he is not *upset.* His needs are being met, particularly in regards to just being an adult who has control over their own life (something children don’t and which is particularly aggravating for Autistic children). He doesn’t match the stereotype at all because that stereotype is very, very specific to begin with.
I think it would be nice if we had an autistic character because my brother watches blue and he is on the spectrum, he is 8 and he kinda feels better that there is some one like him.
I'm not big on theories like "_____ is ______" in general myself, but like, the end of the day theories are meant to be fun, and if people are having fun with it or it makes them feel more connected to a character canon or not, then Go off king, queen or anything inbetween.
Hi! Please do a deep dive on Bluey's Sis, and about her infertility and pregnancy problems! I got confused on "The sign" when she appeared pregnant! Thanks and It's ok If you don't see my comment, I love your videos! 💗💖💕
To be fair, I think people should often do less comparing of "What do I lack compared to this cartoon parent." And digest the entire picture. Bandit and Chilli have flaws and they both admit they do, the show does a LOT of focus on the fact that the parents aren't perfect and have different methods, just like we do irl. Chilli focuses on their sensitivity and how important it is because she has a lot of emotions herself and that's why she needs a couple minutes when she gets overwhelmed. Bandit is a bit more carefree and if the kids don't understand something he says "Ah well forget it then." Because he knows he's better off trying to teach them when they CAN understand what he's putting down. He can seem patient but really he's a lot more carefree, to the point that THIS is his flaw. Sometimes he plays too rough or doesn't recognize when someone is feeling emotional.
Bluey isn't meant to make parents feel bad, I personally feel like it teaches a LOT of people skills that they lack in parenting because we either had no parents or bad parents or even parents who had bad teachers as well. It's a step on the right path. There is a lot I know now that I didn't before. I've never been a parent but I have been an older sister and I wish I'd seen Bluey sooner so I'd known the better way to handle situations instead of the only way I knew how at the time. I don't see it as "I was bad for not knowing this." I see it as "Hey some more advice I can add to my book to get me on the level." Learning and being taught doesn't equate to being belittled.