Nostalgic viewers looking forward to exposing a whole new generation of kids to the quirky and beloved “Bill Nye, The Science Guy” will be greatly disappointed by the newly released Netflix program.
Parents tuning into the first episode of “Bill Nye Saves The World” and anticipating how much their kids would love the fun and educational program received a shock as a reality star opened the show with a song about “My Sex Junk”.
The number is every bit as inappropriate for kids as it sounds and parents were left wondering what happened to the affable and friendly professor they were expecting.
The Original, Kid Friendly Bill Nye
There are two very different “Bill Nye” shows available to viewers right now. The first is the educational program developed and aired by Disney, which introduced a wide range of science topics in a kid-friendly and fun manner.
Featuring topics like “Gravity”, “Mammals” and “Weather” explained sometimes complex topics in an engaging and fun way. Airing from 1993-1998, host Bill Nye attained celebrity and authority status and was beloved by a generation of kids and teens; the program won 19 Emmy awards during its initial run.
Engaging, relevant and fun, he conveyed the information in a memorable way. This is the Bill Nye parents were expecting when they signed into Netflix this April, and the Bill Nye the company promoted as they hyped the show.
What Happened, Science Guy?
The new show, despite the hype marketing it to nostalgic adults who remember watching the original, is not for kids, as many parents found out the hard way when they tuned in.
Designed for adults and with adult topics, the initial offering was on the subject of gender fluidity, and featured an opening with a particularly NSFW musical number, complete with full explicit captions for those who didn’t get the point from the vocals.
If you made it past the crotch grabbing and vulgar lyrics, congratulations – you’re hardier than most parents, who no doubt scrambled for the remote at the first lines of “My vagina has a voice”. Odd musical numbers, performance art and correspondents and topics with an agenda round out the episode, which the network showcased in the most prominent position in its spring lineup.
So, Why All the Hype?
Netflix makes money by getting new subscribers; recent hits like Stranger Things led to huge gains in membership. Trying to continue the trend, the channel has heavily hyped its newest releases, including Bill Nye Saves the World.
Bypassing more than a glancing mention of the new direction the Science Guy has taken, the channel heavily promoted the nostalgia factor and capitalized on recent liberal leaning “science marches” and protests as well.
Is Bill Nye Really a Science Guy at All?
Bill Nye has made a living as a “Science Guy” and plays the role so well that most viewers forgot he was a performer rather than an actual scientist.
A mechanical engineer by trade, his trademark goofy humor and absentminded professor persona captivated audiences in the late 90s and still endures today. While the “Guy” still has his charming exterior, the new show leaves a lot to be desired by anyone and is completely inappropriate for family viewing.
The new show just does not live up to the hype, and has a definite political bent. Topics like gender fluidity and sexuality, climate change and vaccinations are designed to be controversial and the new show has a very different agenda from the original.
From the very strange and off-putting performance by Rachel Bloom, to the almost propaganda-like segments that pretend to be about science, the new show is not a good fit for families or kids; adults should proceed with caution.
The show is available on Netflix and is easily confused with the kid-friendly, viewer friendly original.
~ 1776 Christian
