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Parents originally complained about The Smurfs
Everybody's gone smurfin', smurfin' USA!
Say what you want about the Smurfs, but we will passionately defend those cute little blue guys to the very end! They are friendly, peaceful, gentle, and downright smurfy, but according to their creator, Peyo, parents weren't always on board with the Smurfs.
The little blue gnomes were originally created to be one-off side characters in Peyo's original comic series, Johan and Peewit, but they quickly became fan favorites. The Smurfs eclipsed Peyo's original comic stars and began their empire with comics, movies, television, toys, and even amusement park rides. Since their creation in 1958, the Smurfs have been translated into over 55 languages, solidifying them as a global phenomenon.
The Smurfs were, and are, beloved by fans around the world, especially children. Peyo believed that children could really see themselves in the Smurfs, saying, "Children can find personality traits of themselves or their classmates in each Smurf. And that, along with their small size and sympathetic, gentle natures, is their appeal."
In an interview with The Stuart News to celebrate the Smurfs' 30th anniversary, Peyo acknowledged that the Smurfs were not always beloved. Educators and parents were outraged at the use of the word "smurf". In the world of Smurfs, "smurf" is used interchangeably as a noun, verb, and adjective. For example, "The Smurfs are so smurfy as they go smurfing." This sentence could mean literally anything, but the issue adults had was that "smurf" was confusing and annoying, and kids were starting to use it all the time, just like the little blue guys on TV!
"Early on," Peyo said, "Parents complained because their kids started to talk 'smurfish'." Despite the initial scorn and ire from parents and educators, the positive message and lessons of The Smurfs overruled any "smurfy" confusion.
