Why I love Peppa Pig in spite of it all

As a mum of a five- and an eight-year-old daughter, I’ve spent a lot of time with Peppa Pig. In fact, I’ve probably seen every single episode featuring the pink piglet. We’re talking 394 at five minutes each. That’s 1,970 minutes, or roughly 33 hours, of my life sacrificed to a cult cartoon from Great Britain.

Other people, take my husband for example, can’t stand the grunting family of pigs. The in-your-face theme song alone makes his hair stand on end. Not mine, though. Despite the overdose, I still have lots of love for Peppa and her friends. The reasons for this are numerous. Here are 20 for now, to mark her 20th birthday.

1. Muddy puddles are life

There are things you should do more often in life, simply because they’re incredibly liberating. Jumping in muddy puddles, for example. Peppa and her family do it all the time. Daddy Pig was even champion puddle jumper once.

2. Grunting is great

So when’s the last time you had a good grunt? Maybe because something was funny. Or for pure joy. Or for no real reason at all. The only thing that feels even better is grunting and jumping in muddy puddles. In other words, just mucking about. Peppa and her family show us how it’s done.

3. Laughing is amazing

When the show’s characters throw themselves on the floor at the end of almost every episode and roll around snorting with laughter, it does look a bit bizarre. But that’s exactly what makes the series insanely funny.

4. Happy as a pig

No matter what Peppa’s family does, they have fun. This makes them fun to watch. That’s not to say the family of pigs doesn’t occasionally struggle with a problem. In fact, they face them quite regularly. But at the end of every episode, everyone’s laughing again. On the floor.

5. Tears are important

But the show’s not all fun and games. There are tears, too. Oceans of tears, to be precise. The ones that flood the room every time Peppa’s brother George bursts into tears when he can’t find his dinosaur or feels provoked by his sister. It’s both ridiculous and sweet. Just like real-life kiddie tantrums.

6. Peppa’s world

Peppa’s brave. Peppa’s honest. Peppa confidently stands up for herself without being unfair to others. And if she is, she’s willing to learn from her mistakes. But there is one thing she could work on. She could stop talking about «daddy’s big tummy» and making fun of her father’s figure in general. But let’s forgive her for her childish body-shaming. Apart from that, she’s a great role model.

7. Best name games

Peppa Pig has the best friends with the best names: Suzy Sheep, Rebecca Rabbit, Danny Dog and Candy Cat. And then there are Zoe Zebra, Pedro Pony, Gerald Giraffe, Freddy Fox, Emily Elephant and Molly Mole. At last some names the parents watching can remember!

8. Enough with the superheroes

Peppa and her friends don’t chase baddies, nor do they have superpowers or tricky cases to crack. They’re just a bunch of friends who do stuff together. Their adventures include losing a watering can in a swimming pool, having a pyjama party and visiting a chocolate factory together.

9. Like a relaxing picture book

The series doesn’t do fast-paced images or rapid cuts. The language is child-friendly and easy to understand. Words and sentences are often repeated. All of this combined is calming and relaxing. Watching Peppa Pig and her friends and family feels like leafing through a moving picture book on the sofa with your kids.

Baby books

Peppa Wutz stickers painting design

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Toy figure

EUR15,49

Hasbro Peppa Pig Peppa's Family

Umbrella

Peppa Pig Stick Umbrella Patterned

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Baby books

Peppa Wutz stickers painting design

1

Toy figure

EUR15,49

Hasbro Peppa Pig Peppa's Family

Umbrella

Peppa Pig Stick Umbrella Patterned

1

10. Drawings with kids in mind

What’s more, the illustrations match a child’s imagination. Colourful characters, clear lines, a two-dimensional world. The show looks as if it were drawn by a child. That’s why it puts kids at ease. And it’s really fun. A prime example? Peppa’s family home on the steep hill.

11. The perfect length

Each Peppa episode lasts five minutes, making it the perfect length for young children and their short attention spans. But it also works for older children. If you tell them «Right, you can watch three episodes, but no more than three», that sounds like a lot.

12. Mummy Pig and the fire department

In the past, the cartoon was criticised for being sexist. Why? Because Daddy Pig goes to work in the morning and Mummy Pig stays at home. Because he’s the one driving the car. And because he refuses to wear a pink football shirt. However, unlike many other kids’ series, I feel this production has avoided classic gender roles in many aspects. Daddy Pig works in a design office, Mummy Pig works from home and is a volunteer firefighter. In fact, the entire fire department in the world of Peppa Pig is made up of women. Mummy Pig is the only one who has the courage to do a parachute jump, knows how to close the new car roof and manages to hang a picture straight on the wall – unlike Daddy Pig. The family breaks down many traditional gender stereotypes in a refreshing way.

13. Everyone’s equal

Speaking of gender clichés and equality, Mummy and Daddy Pig seem to have a very cooperative marriage. Sometimes he cooks, sometimes she does. More importantly, they negotiate decisions together, often in the presence of their two children. And they spend a lot of time together as a couple. They regularly go out and leave their kids in the care of Granny and Grandpa Pig.

14. Family first

In this show, there’s nothing more than important than family. Peppa spends most of her time with her mum, dad and George. She’s also around her grandparents, too. All family members support each other, argue, make up, laugh and cry together.

15. Keep calm

When Peppa and George jump around in muddy puddles, Mummy and Daddy Pig often end up doing the same. Then there was that scene when Peppa was so excited about her new red shoes she kept them on in the bath tub. And Mummy Pig didn’t object. And that time a picnic fell through because it was raining, the family just spent a day indoors doing crafts instead. It seems there’s not much that flusters the family of pigs. I could learn a thing or two from them.

16. Don’t take yourself too seriously

There’s another thing the pigs have nailed: they’re ruthlessly honest and don’t take themselves too seriously. When Peppa dances ballet with Madame Gazelle, there’s not much grace involved. Or to quote Peppa: «Mummy, I danced like a pig.» When Grandpa Pig tells Peppa that the attic is a place to store old things, she replies: «Like you, Grandpa?» And then there’s Peppa who tells her brother George never to let go of his dinosaur balloon, because there are two types of balloons: the up balloons and the down balloons.

17. Bing bing boo, bing bong bing

Haven’t heard teacher Madame Gazelle’s «Bing Bong Song» yet? You haven’t lived. «Bong bing boo, bing bong bing, bing bong bingly bungly boo,» is how it goes. There’s nothing quite like the tunes in Peppa Pig. Not to mention the lyrics.

18. Miss Rabbit’s unbeatable

The true superhero of the cartoon is Miss Rabbit. She’s everywhere! Miss Rabbit’s a firefighter, librarian, bus driver, supermarket cashier, train driver, ice cream vendor, to name but a few. There’s nothing this bunny can’t do. However, unlike her twin Mrs Rabbit, she has no children. That’s why some people feel that her character conveys the message that only women without children can have a career. Fair point. I still think Miss Rabbit is amazing. It’s great to see a carefree, happy bunny do her own thing, no matter what it is.

19. Two polar bear mums

Two years ago, the series introduced new characters and with them their first gay couple. Penny Polar Bear has two mums: «One mum is a doctor and the other mummy cooks spaghetti. I love spaghetti!» she says. The cartoon series has set the standard, as homosexuality is still an exception in the cartoon genre.

20. Age is just a number

Grandpa Rabbit is the fittest character of the show and gives gymnastics lessons. Madame Gazelle, with her French accent, already taught her pupils’ parents – without ageing one bit. And the youngest, George, is also sometimes also the smartest. In this series, age truly is just a number.

Peppa hasn’t aged either and is forever a four-year-old pig. At least the animated version of her. In real life, she’ll have been around for exactly 20 years on 31 May. My daughters couldn’t care less. In their world, Peppa Pig is «for babies». Peppa’s long since been replaced by two horses called Ostwind and Raven. But I miss Peppa, her family and friends a bit.

Happy Birthday, you wonderful little piggy!