They are no longer the Paw Patrol, now they have become the super Paw Patrol. It seems the same, but it is not. Only parents, uncles or grandparents who had to accompany a child to the movies this past weekend will understand the difference. All in one. It turns out that the popular pups have gained new powers after a meteorite crashed in Adventure City. Chase has noticeably increased his speed, Skye is able to fly, and Zuma can turn into water. Nothing less. The rest of the members, Marshall, Liberty, Rubble and Rocky, have also emerged stronger from the accident, but we will not make any more spoilers and we will leave some intrigue for those who come to see the film about these particular characters that has just landed in theaters. The box office has learned of your arrival. 171,000 spectators in Spain have boosted it to the top positions, achieving much greater success than the previous film had. It is not an isolated fact in our country. The friendly dogs have raised more than 125 million dollars worldwide. Toy stores are already rubbing their hands because all these new features come with new figures, vehicles and other types of objects that the little ones will undoubtedly want to add to their collections. “Sorry daddies, the Paw Patrol has new merchandising,” they announce ironically from the big screen.
‘PAW Patrol’ – that is the original title of these cartoons – is a Canadian production that premiered in 2013 on the Nickelodeon channel and immediately managed to connect with children. It managed to expand throughout the world and obtain new batches of chapters. In total, it has aired 10 seasons and has been featured in movies twice. There will be more, there is no doubt in view of the good results in the collection. A spin-off starring Rubble, the gang’s bulldog, has also been launched. You have to squeeze the phenomenon to the maximum.
How is it possible that 10 years later these dogs with incredible abilities to solve any mishap continue to attract new generations? Nothing is coincidental. The production is designed to engage, from the character design to the catchy opening song. Who hasn’t heard the saying “it’s here, the Paw Patrol has arrived.” If there is a problem in Bahía Aventura, the Paw Patrol is going to solve it”? The tune is catchy and the lyrics are easy to learn. Bingo, the perfect combination. It is composed so that children (and rebound parents) learn it quickly and recognize it easily. First objective achieved: achieve children’s attention. Especially those between 3 and 7 years old – its potential audience – who are characterized by being quite repetitive in their tastes and by consuming the same content in a loop, over and over again. It also helps this connection that the pattern of each chapter is always quite similar. The narrative begins with some altercation in Bahía Aventura, its resolution requires the help of the powerful patrol, they are always available and come quickly and quickly wherever they are called, and there is no time in which they fail to restore normality. They are heroes, an example to follow, a reference to imitate. Who wouldn’t be seduced by them?
Another key to the success of ‘Paw Patrol’ lies in the easy identification with each of the protagonists. Each of the characters is distinguished by a color, a special ability compared to the rest and a vehicle. And they repeat phrases like “it’s been said, let’s fly” or “ready for the woof woof rescue.” Those who have accumulated the greatest followers are Chase, the German shepherd police officer, and Marshall, the Dalmatian firefighter, although the rest have also managed to generate their own community of faithful. The creators have been introducing new puppies in order to expand the range of possibilities and attract those who are still undecided. Also to silence some criticism. Because yes, this fiction has also been the target of some attacks in different sectors, for example the political one.
Political criticism
In Spain, without going any further, the leader of Adelante Andalucía, Teresa Rodríguez, protested last year about the lack of relevance of female characters in children’s shows and there she mentioned the famous dogs: «Have you ever thought about watching drawings with your little ones? that there are too many series with exactly one female character, usually an accessory to the main male characters? Why can’t Skye be the head of Paw Patrol if she’s the one who always ends up rescuing the staff? “Politics wondered. The truth is that at first female representation in the patrol was scarce and signings had to be made to try to alleviate the imbalance. This is how Everest and Liberty arrived. No, Rodríguez’s criticism had nothing to do with that, but rather a social conscience that in other times would have been unheard of in this type of programs.
Rubble and Rocky, from ‘Paw Patrol’.
R.C.
In the ‘spin off’ dedicated to Rubble, a non-binary character has been included, who accompanies the dogs. It is a skater who wears shoes and socks with the colors of the trans pride flag that has been created by the activist of the Queer Kid channel Lindz Amer, which aims to make LGBT characters visible in family productions. This interest demonstrates the need for this type of content to adapt to new times to survive and continue gaining followers. ‘Paw Patrol’ also tries to transmit values related to equality or the environment. And this, in theory, makes them safe places to keep the children entertained for a while.
The personification of dogs has always been a common resource in children’s products. They are animals with which any child feels comfortable and close and can empathize. Snoopy, Goofy, Pluto or Scooby Doo are some of the most classic. Others such as Foofur or D’Artacán and the muskedogs joined the list. The last to bark loudly, in addition to the Paw Patrol, have been Bluey and his family, characters from an Australian animated series that are characterized by the naturalness with which they deal with some modern-day issues such as infertility or mental health. .
Some go and others come. But the Patrol remains. It has been around for a decade and maintains its effectiveness. From their control tower they already watch over several generations that have fallen in love with it. The platforms raffle off the title, aware of children’s preferences. It is available on Netflix, Prime Video or Movistar. Sometimes they are a babysitter, other times they act as a prize. The ideal is that they serve as pleasant company.
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