‘I Love You, You Hate Me’ Review – The Light And The Dark Of The Big Purple Dinosaur

Starring: Bob West, Steve Burns, Bill Nye

Plot Summary: Follows the furious reaction to Barney the dinosaur and what it says about the human need to hate. Something in American society was broken and never came back, or is it just who we were all along?

For those of us that grew up or were at least alive in the ‘80s and ‘90s, Barney & Friends was a phenomenon that loomed very large. Luckily for my parents, I had already aged out of the big purple dinosaur and was more into Power Rangers. Hence, they were spared hours of mindless watches and that ear worm of a theme song. However, for kids and adults in the toddler to kindergarten age range, Barney was a daily part of their day, for better or worse. Peacock’s two-part documentary explores the origins of this pop-culture event and, of course, its backlash. The filmmakers are not shy about exploring the dark and disturbing levels that people took their hatred to of this loveable kids’ television icon.

Credit where it’s due, the first act is incredibly strong. The filmmakers do a good job at exploring the origins of Barney & Friends, talking to the main players of the show, and of course, it explores the cultural landscape to which it was born. The audience gets insights into the question of why Barney was at one point the most hated character pre-Jar Jar Binks. Steve Burns, aka Steve from Blue’s Clues, offers some very insightful thoughts into this area that boils it down nicely. Viewers are also treated to a wealth of archival news footage and vintage websites. Not only does this help tell a richer story, but damned if it didn’t bring back a flood of memories from the decade. The cross section of interview subjects is great, and the filmmakers manage talk to someone involved in every aspect of the show. From the Barney suit performers, the voice actor of Barney, and even the vocal Barney haters all share their insights. We even get other pivotal kids’ TV hosts such as Bill Nye and, as mentioned above, Steve from Blue’s Clues.

Another very interesting aspect is the impact that Barney had on the creator, Sheryl Leach, her husband, and more importantly her son, Patrick. As the documentary points out in a few examples, living under the weight of a beloved fictional icon is hard. It is akin to competing with a perceived better, more successful sibling. As we learn in the second half of the documentary, this impact on Patrick would have devastating effects.

Around the thirty or so minute mark of the second half, things begin to fall apart. The biggest issue here is that the documentary starts to drag. Frankly put, this would have worked much better as an 80-minute documentary rather than a nearly two-hour, two-part series. Things are dragged out and begin to become repetitive.

I Love You, You Hate Me is an interesting curio about a specific time and place. It examines how a big purple dinosaur inflamed an entire nation. In a post-9-11 world, it feels almost absurd to be that upset over a fictional character. It speaks to the fact that for a lot of people this was the biggest thing they had to stress about. Now, that simply is not the case with a new horrifying thing looming around every corner almost daily. The film never tries to give easy answers; yet it breaks down this entire strange cultural touchstone which started with a mother wanting to create something entertaining and educational for children. I Love You, You Hate Me, despite its issues,  was very engaging overall and worth a watch.

I Love You, You Hate Me is currently available to stream on Peacock. 

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xj-7H0BVrVg]