The creator of children’s hero Benjamin Blümchen criticizes the name change of a daycare center. The cartoon character stands for justice and empathy.
The inventor of the popular children’s book character Benjamin Blümchen, Elfie Donnelly, said in an interview with the Austrian:CrownThere has been criticism of the renaming of a Saxon nursery school. Some time ago, the talking elephant there was described as ‘outdated’ and the nursery was subsequently renamed.
Donnelly: ‘I just think it’s a bit ridiculous’
In the interview, the 74-year-old expressed her displeasure about the debate that had erupted around the cartoon character: “I just find it a bit ridiculous to reduce the pachyderm to his preference for pieces of sugar.” She stressed that Benjamin Blümchen’s most important qualities are his strong sense of justice, empathy and tolerance.
“The fact that in, in my opinion, politically questionable corners of Germany, pieces of sugar are more important than moral values speaks volumes,” Donnelly told the “Krone”. She is convinced that Benjamin Blümchen will remain a positive figure with important values.
Author Criticizes ‘Cancel Culture’: ‘Can I Still Write ‘Fat’?’
The children’s book writer, who lives in Ibiza, also struggles with a supposedly prevailing ‘cancel culture’: ‘But the worst thing is that sometimes I have scissors in my head when I’m writing’, she emphasizes in the ‘Krone’ interview.
“Can I still write ‘fat’? No. Am I allowed to have an audible accent in the radio play ‘Foreigners’ or do you find that disrespectful, even though that is the reality? The wakefulness bothers me anyway. I don’t think gender is necessary at all,” you explain further.
Kita changes name: “It has not been current for a while”
The origin of the debate over the popular cartoon character was Decision from a Saxon daycare center in Bautzenwhich decided to change its name after 32 years. The daycare center, which has been recognized as a “sporty daycare center” for two years, currently considers the themes of “movement” and “nature” as its educational focus. Therefore, the “comfortable elephant that destroys pieces of sugar is no longer compatible with the concept” of the daycare center.
The fact that the daycare centre is named after the elephant Benjamin Blümchen, which was founded in 1977, has been ‘outdated for a while’, the city explains the name change. “Some children only know the friendly elephant from stories told by their parents. The children’s heroic figures have changed.”
KIDDINX comments on the cartoon character debate
The sales and marketing company of the popular cartoon character “KIDDINX” has responded to the heated discussion in a statement. “Benjamin Blümchen stands for values such as helpfulness, friendship and cosmopolitanism. All of this is timeless and fans big and small appreciate the figure very much,” says FOCUS online.
Still, the company supports children’s series and books “if our characters and stories make you think.” The resulting discussion about the comic book character and a generally “regularly positive response in the media” show that the character Benjamin Blümchen is still a popular and well-known figure.
Daycare center “Benjamin Blümchen” in Bernburg keeps its name
Another daycare center has a different opinion on this debate. Daycare center “Benjamin Blümchen” in Bernburg has decided to keep the name, despite discussions about the cartoon character’s eating habits. This is reported by the daily newspaper”The voice of people“.
Head Birgit Schmidt explained that the focus at the daycare center was primarily on Benjamin’s “helpfulness and appreciation for weaker people.” It is “exaggerated” to reduce this figure solely to poor eating habits. Together with the parent representatives, it was decided to wear the name with pride.