A specter is haunting the West: the specter of a cartoon bear and no-less-cartoon hyperactive little girl.
You might be tempted to click away from a piece that unironically analyzes the “Masha and the Bear” scandal while so many matters of life and death are happening in the world. But bear with me here.
The scandal encapsulates several important trends. On its surface, it is an all-around idiot plot about a silly cartoon and sillier British politicians. But on deeper examination, it showcases how different perceptions of soft power and culture shape European politics and what Europeans might be allowed to watch.
Let’s briefly look at the timeline. Early last month, Netflix acquired streaming rights for two new seasons of “Masha and the Bear,” the popular preschool animated show based on a Russian folk tale. The series has over 100 billion views on YouTube and has been a hit with children all around the world, including in the Middle East and Indonesia in part because the titular character covers her hair. In 2024, it was the second most popular show for preschoolers in the world, trailing only SpongeBob.
Taking this popularity into account it is unsurprising that Netflix streamed the show about an unruly girl pulling pranks on the bewildered bear for a decade before the latest controversy.
