Peppa Pig Used Sexist Language in a 2009 Episode, According to the London Fire Brigade

Peppa Pig is wildly popular in the UK and around the world, but not all the attention the British show has received has been positive. Episodes have been banned for teaching kids not to be afraid of spiders in Australia and promoting so-called "gangster attitudes" in China. Now, the London Fire Brigade is accusing the cartoon of being sexist, People reports.

The Peppa Pig episode that ignited the controversy—"The Fire Engine," which first aired in May 2009—features Peppa's mom joining the local fire station. In the clip below, she's shown dressed as a firefighter, but the London Fire Brigade didn't see this as a win for female representation. Because she's referred to as a "fireman"—and because the gender-specific term is used throughout the episode—the department wrote on Twitter that Peppa Pig could discourage young girls from wanting to become firefighters.

"We've not been firemen for 30 years," the London Fire Brigade tweeted. "You have a huge influence on kids & using out of date stereotypical gender specific wording prevents young girls from becoming firefighters."

But not everyone on Twitter agreed. Because the episode features an all-woman fire department, some users said Peppa Pig successfully combats gender stereotypes, even if it fails to use gender-neutral language.

Not all Peppa Pig controversies have gotten this heated. Early this year, news spread about something called the Peppa Effect, which happens when kids develop slight British accents after watching hours of the show. But instead of writing hate mail to the creators, many parents were delighted by the phenomenon.