Netflix is under fire for a controversial episode of its preschool series CoComelon Lane, with growing concerns that the streaming giant is introducing inappropriate themes to young audiences.
The episode, part of Season 1 released in November 2023, features a toddler named Nico, raised by two fathers, exploring self-expression through outfits like a tiara and tutu while dancing to a song encouraging him to “just be you.”
Many New Zealand parents and viewers who prioritise traditional family values have slammed the episode, arguing it pushes gender identity exploration in a show meant to teach preschoolers simple lessons like kindness and sharing. Critics identify this as part of a broader pattern of Netflix embedding progressive ideologies into content for impressionable young children, raising serious questions about the platform’s suitability for family viewing.
The controversy, which initially bubbled up in 2023, reignited in early October 2025 when billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk took to X, calling for a boycott with the rallying cry, “Cancel Netflix for the sake of your kids’ wellbeing.”
Musk’s posts, widely shared, targeted CoComelon Lane alongside other alarming Netflix programmes like Dead End: Paranormal Park, which promotes a transgender protagonist. Social media has been awash with clips of the episode, with accounts like @libsoftiktok amassing thousands of likes for posts condemning what they describe as “inappropriate LGBTQ messaging” aimed at toddlers.
Film Director Erin Derham has spoken publicly Netflix’s alarming practices, stating:
“I’m a Filmmaker, & have met or worked with every major streamer.
Netflix is by far the WORST.
It is the only meeting I have ever had where, when questioned about whether or not I would have transgender people in the script, one shouted out, “as you should.”
“As I should?”
That was over two years ago now and as you can see the content on streamers, especially Netflix is sexualized in a way that is completely inescapable.
I have and will always be an advocate for the Gay community, but this push to prioritize transgenderism on screen when it makes up less than 1% of the population makes zero sense to me.
It is simply virtue signaling and confusing the hell out of our youth when we say nothing about it.
FACT: they’ve never Greenlit anything of mine, a fact I am now very proud of.
In another meeting with someone on their dev team, I was struck by the lack of intelligence this person with a high ranking position at the most watched streamer had.
This “exec” spent the entire meeting asking me to remind them of my name (they called the meeting and it was on the Zoom screen) and if I had seen something stupid they had just watched on TikTok. Couldn’t let it go. Just kept talking about TikTok.
This person was VERY young, but I have seen young people with wisdom and intelligence far surpassing my own, so that is no excuse.
Another meeting, I was told that my conclusion to the documentary I was working on, wasn’t sexy enough and that I needed to have a different outcome if I wanted to air it. This was a documentary, so if I had a different outcome, it would’ve been a lie.
Netflix is a business, and I understand that the bottom line matters most, but they are literally shaping who our children become.
It’s not all diabolical, I think most of it is just profits minded, as innocent as that could seem.
I used to let stuff like this go but I cannot do that for one more minute.
Nevertheless, it is wrong.
And now, now that I’m speaking out against the extreme left, I will never work there again.
I will never get another meeting, and I may never make another movie or series or commercial and that KILLS ME!
But you know what would hurt way more, being a mother, and not taking a stand to protect the truth and our children.“
Screenshots of cancelled Netflix subscriptions have proliferated online, reflecting mounting frustration with the platform’s direction. While Netflix ceased reporting subscriber numbers in 2024, the scale of the backlash suggests a significant erosion of its marketed reputation as a family-friendly service.
Compounding the issue, Netflix’s handling of the original CoComelon series has raised further concerns. A mainstay since 2020, CoComelon suffered a 60% viewership drop from the first half of 2023 to the second half of 2024, despite releasing four new seasons last year.
Critics argue that Netflix’s focus on sexually divisive themes, exemplified by CoComelon Lane’s controversial episode, has driven families away from a platform once seen as a trusted source of wholesome entertainment.
Supporters of the episode, often linked to LGBTQIAP+ activist groups, argue it fosters inclusivity for diverse family structures.
However, many New Zealand parents contend this defence misses the mark, asserting that preschool programming should steer clear of complex social issues.
While the CoComelon Lane episode does not explicitly depict “drag,” as some exaggerated social media claims suggest, it introduces concepts of gender-linked self-expression that are bizarrely placed for such a young audience.
This incident is not isolated—Netflix’s children’s lineup, including shows with transgender characters, has faced similar criticism, pointing to a troubling trend of prioritising ideological narratives over age-appropriate storytelling.
As calls for a boycott intensify, Netflix appears to be alienating its family audience.
And for New Zealand households seeking to shield their children from the sexualisation of young audiences, Netflix’s current trajectory raises serious concerns about its purported commitment to family values.
