In the piece, the lecturers claim there is a "darker side to this loveable character", and hit out at his stereotypical "larrikin" personality, implying he was a bad dad.
"In one episode, Bandit holds Bluey back from the finish line so he can win an obstacle course. In another, he lauds victory over his younger brother, Stripe, taunting that 'big brothers always beat little brothers' – a jibe Bluey imitates when she teases Bingo: 'Big sisters always beat little sisters. That's just the way it goes'," the article states.
"Even Bandit's name conjures up the small-time crimes of bushrangers, Australia's revered outlaws who also achieved a type of perverse folk hero status.
"Occasionally, however, we catch a glimpse of Bandit's darker side, with his playful teasing of his young daughters sometimes devolving into bullying."
The writers also criticise the fact that Bandit is praised for his parenting prowess, while mum Chilli is "figuratively and literally in the background".
Unsurprisingly, the hot take has angered fans of Australia's best-loved canine dad, with scores of social media users lashing out at the article.
"We're doomed as a species and we're psychoanalysing Bandit …" one Twitter user posted, while another wrote: "This essay is critical of Bandit from Bluey (a cartoon dad/dog) for being a 'reductive stereotype of the Australian larrikin'. If so, is it a problem? I doubt many men are getting their cues on how to man from Bluey".
"Why are we analysing a kids' cartoon show? There are bigger issues in this day and age to analyse. Btw, I love Bluey, as an adult it is very relatable in terms of how both Bandit and Chilli deal with daily life and how Bluey and Bingo try to navigate it as kids. Lots of lessons in it," another wrote.
"It's that time of year again. That's right, it's time to cancel Bandit from Bluey," another tweeted.
It was a similar story on Facebook, attracting hundreds of comments criticising the article.
"Rubbish. The writer clearly hasn't watched enough episodes of Bluey. There's considerable nuance to his character, and in general he's pretty self-deprecating about his 'larrikin' character," one Facebook user posted, while another added: "If you go after Bandit, you go after all of us".
However, there were some who agreed with the essay's argument, including reporter Ginger Gorman, who agreed the programme "plays into the trope Dads can't be trusted to 'babysit' their own kids".
The show won a Kids Emmy in 2019 for its Sleepytime episode and later picked up the Best Animated Series award at the 2021 Critics Choice Awards.
It has become so internationally popular that some American parents have even claimed their children were developing an Australian accent after regularly watching the show.
