The lawmakers have urged ministers to examine whether ‘Masha and the Bear’ can be pulled from streaming platforms
More than 50 British MPs have urged the government to stop the popular Russian children’s cartoon ‘Masha and the Bear’ from being shown in the UK, claiming it may be used as a “propaganda” tool.
The animated series, loosely based on a traditional Russian folk tale, follows the adventures of a mischievous little girl and a retired circus bear. It is one of the most popular children’s shows online, with one episode, Recipe for Disaster, viewed more than 4.6 billion times on YouTube.
Last month, Netflix acquired the rights to two more seasons of the show and extended licensing agreements for existing seasons and spin-offs. The cartoon is available in Britain on ITVX.
In response, a cross-party group of British MPs has written to UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, arguing that some scenes in the cartoon contain “propaganda content” and supposedly normalize Soviet military imagery for children, referring to a couple of scenes in which Masha appears in what they described as a tank-crew helmet, Soviet-style clothing and a border guard cap.
The lawmakers also referenced past accusations against the cartoon, including Kiev’s claims that Russian-language children’s content is a threat to national security and Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna’s recent accusations that the cartoon embeds “militaristic” themes in entertainment for children.
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