While most of such playthings have doubtless lived out their guiltless existences being hugged and squeezed by sundry tots, a few stuffed Barneys have been used as drug caches: Like so many other successful television shows, Barney & Friends has spawned various lines of show-related merchandise, including various Barney toys such as plush dolls in the likeness of the purple dinosaur himself.

In the case of the rumors about Barney, the source for the rumor about drugs having been found in his tail can likely be laid at the feet of some of his small fans who misunderstood the meaning of various news articles they might have heard about.

And “ Steve” of TV’s Blue’s Clues was said to have died of a heroin overdose, a clear indication that, contrary to his squeaky-clean on-camera image, he’d been deeply into illegal drugs. The radio host Uncle Don was believed to have uttered “There that ought to hold the little bastards” into a live mike at the conclusion of one of his shows when he thought the station was no longer broadcasting. Rogers was a convicted child molester or had served in the armed forces as a sniper and thus had dispatched many to their graves. Back fence gossip asserted the genial Mr. The rumors’ presentation of Barney as a nefarious character who deals drugs or secretly hates children runs contrary to his steadfast image of wholesomeness and trustworthiness.īaseless rumors of similar denigrating nature have plagued other children’s hosts cherished for their friendliness and sincerity. It’s not the funny costume or the songs that make the show a success it’s the friendliness and constant optimism of the show’s purple host. Two common rumors about Barney (police uncovered a cache of illegal drugs secreted in the rotund dinosaur’s tail, or the endlessly loving and patient children’s host roundly cussed out a hapless tyke) strike at the heart of Barney’s appeal to the smaller set. Barney’s is a loveable persona, and the children he interacts with as part of the show happily sing and dance along with him, looking upon him as a much-admired friend. Barney, the purple dinosaur from television’s Barney & Friends, has been on the air since 1992, hosting a show which uses song and dance to teach preschool tots in an environment of warmth and caring.

Barney costume kid