What happened to the YouTube star Blippi? The Blippi controversy, explained

The popular children’s content creator known as Blippi came under fire when some old videos resurfaced in which the man behind the character can be seen doing things that are… let’s just say not very child-friendly.

Apps like YouTube Kids are perfect for keeping your little ones distracted for a while, there’s plenty of child-friendly content while the more inappropriate material is hidden. Spend any time perusing the video choices and you’ll no doubt stumble upon Blippi, an energetic, colorfully dressed clown with bright orange glasses who teaches kids about a variety of subjects.

Who is Blippi?

Blippi made his debut on YouTube over a decade ago, in February 2014, when the first video was uploaded to the Blippi channel and he quickly attained popularity, keeping kids entertained for 10 years straight now. The character was created by Stevin John, who also played him for seven years before partially stepping down to raise a family. Although he still plays the character, there are now two Blippi actors.

Aside from a minor outcry regarding the new Blippi, the show has remained relatively drama-free. It’s hard to find fault in content purely focused on educating five-year-olds in a lighter-hearted and entertaining way. However, it turns out that Blippi, or more accurately, his creator found himself at the center of a controversy after some old videos surfaced.

The infamous Blippi controversy

Stevin John actually achieved viral fame before the creation of his iconic kid-friendly character. A year prior to the birth of Blippi, John was creating comedic skits under the name ‘Steezy Grossman.’ One of the videos features one man defecating onto another to the Harlem Shake song, which was all the rage back then (the song not the defecating).

Speaking with Buzzfeed News John did not shy away from his past, addressing the controversial comedy skit, “Yes, I did make a gross-out comedy video when I was in my early twenties, long before I started Blippi.” 

Of course, people do dumb things when they’re young, many celebrities have found themselves in hot water for something they did or said 10 years ago. However, in this case, people were (and still are) a little bit more uncomfortable with it considering John makes content for kids now. Speaking with Our Community Now, one mother gave her view on Blippi’s past antics.

“This kinda changes the game for me as far as letting my kids watch his videos. It just feels weird to know that he participated in these disgusting acts and has now shifted his focus to working with children.”

While the awareness about Stevin’s past did result in dividing the almost unanimous adoration the creator shared, it didn’t end his career or create a noticeable dent in it. But if you are looking for alternatives, there is a plethora of content out there for kids to watch instead, like Bluey, arguably one of the best and least controversial kids shows of all time.