When you think of socially conscious and highly insightful television, you probably aren’t thinking of Peppa Pig. But a new fan theory presented on Reddit suggests an ominous reality to the beloved children’s show.
Reddit user /u/EarthMarsUranus presented this theory to the subreddit /r/FanTheories that perhaps the beloved pig family are living in a world ravaged by climate change.
It’s completely out of left field, but makes a shocking amount of sense. While the average person would never typically think this deeply into a children’s animated show, it does follow a bit of a trend. Since the internet age began, fan theories have popped up over various children’s shows that suggest a darker, more morbid reality than what appears on the surface. [Mention Arthur? Rugrats? etc]
Peppa Pig has also been involved in other controversies, including an episode that is no longer shown in Australia due to it encouraging the of befriending spiders. She’d also been on the hustings in the United Kingdom ever so briefly when the Labour Party used Peppa Pig for their Sure Start program, aiming to give “children the best possible start in life”. She was later removed from the campaign after E1 Entertainment said it was “in the interests of avoiding any controversy or misunderstanding.”.
Peppa Pig has been on air since 2004, produced by British animation company Astley Baker Davies and currently sitting on 329 episodes over seven seasons. The show (and producer) have since been acquired by Hasbro Entertainment, and renewed until 2027.
Much like climate change, death, and taxes, Peppa Pig is inevitable.