Twitter Slams Barney's New Look: Purple Dino On '30-Year Crack Binge'

Mattel revealed a brand new look for Barney as it announced plans to relaunch the franchise, but not all fans were pleased with the friendly purple dinosaur's digital makeover.

The toy manufacturing company announced Monday that Barney will return to the small screen in a reimagined animated series, which is scheduled to debut globally next year under Mattel Television and will be produced by Corus Entertainment's Nelvana, Variety reported.

The animated series aims to reintroduce Barney to a new generation of preschool kids with lessons on "love, community and encouragement" told through music-filled adventures, the outlet noted.

Fred Soulie and Christopher Keenan will executive produce for Mattel Television alongside Colin Bohm and Pam Westman for Nelvana.

Mattel also plans to expand the franchise into film, YouTube content, music and a full range of kid's products such as books, clothing, toys, merchandise and many others. The company is also set to release apparel and accessories for adult fans, featuring the classic Barney.

"Barney's message of love and kindness has stood the test of time," Mattel's chief franchise officer and global head of consumer products Josh Silverman told the outlet.

He continued, "We will tap into the nostalgia of the generations who grew up with Barney, now parents themselves, and introduce the iconic purple dinosaur to a new generation of kids and families around the world across content, products and experiences."

Mattel Television SVP and general manager Soulie said that it was important that they "properly reflect the world that kids today live in so that the series can deliver meaningful lessons about navigating it."

"With our modern take on Barney, we hope to inspire the next generation to listen, care, and dream big. We think that parents, many of whom will fondly remember the original Barney from their own childhoods, will love the show, too," he added.

Despite the exciting news, it appeared that not everyone approves of Barney's new look, with some social media users pointing out that the dinosaur looked "high."

"Barney [has] been out here on a 30-year crack binge - looking HIGH [as f—k]," one Twitter user wrote alongside a side-by-side comparison of Barney's old and reinvented looks.

Another commented, "New Barney looks cracked out. Old Barney looked calmer and chill. I prefer old Barney."

"Barney got the buccal fat removal," one user quipped, while another commented, "That ain't Barney, bruh. They did my [man] dirty."

"I hate that Barney the Dinosaur is now animated. Bring back the suit," a fifth user wrote.

But some fans defended the new look and showed support for the purple dinosaur's comeback.

"Honestly? I'm ready for a Barney the Dinosaur comeback! 'I love you, you love me' song is my favorite," one fan wrote.

Another commented, "I'm actually in the crowd that likes this new design. It's still similar to and reminiscent of the original but has been given a modern upgrade."

The user added, "I think it's too early to judge this reboot based on just one image. Give it a chance, it may be good."

Barney's comeback also sparked a debate among social media users after ACT for America Brigitte Gabriel tweeted, "Barney is returning. They better not make him woke."

One Twitter user responded, "Barney is already 'woke.' He champions things like diversity, gender equality, protecting the environment and getting a good education. Barney rules."

"Barney was already all about loving and sharing and helping each other out, and he had a diverse group of friends. If the original series came out today instead of in the '90s, you'd be calling it 'woke,'" another quote tweeted, while another commented, "It's a DINOSAUR for CHILDREN to teach them real values."

"Barney & Friends" was one of the most popular daytime television series in the early '90s, which starred a purple anthropomorphic T. rex who taught lessons about love and kindness and was an avatar of goodness, according to NBC News.

Despite becoming a pop culture phenomenon, the series also received hate and turned into a "cultural punching bag," an issue explored in Peacock's documentary series "I Love You, You Hate Me" last year.

Veteran performer Bob West, who voiced Barney from 1992 to 2000, admitted to receiving hate and even death threats at height of the series' fame.

"The people who sent me those threats were all kids in middle school. They were doing the thing where they [were] trying to throw off childhood and trying to be cool. I'm sure a lot of them were having emotional issues or maybe they were having trouble at home. There's just no way to know," West told the outlet in October last year.

He added that although going through an emotional phase was part of growing up, he noticed that the issue seemed "amplified" in the United States and that there was an evident "cultural difference" because he didn't recall receiving the same backlash from other countries.

Additional details about the Barney reboot have yet to be released, but fans can expect to see their favorite purple dinosaur in 2024.