The Untold Truth Of CoComelon

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You might be surprised to learn that one of the most popular Netflix shows of all time is actually a children's show — the series CoComelon isn't exactly what you'd call gripping television, at least not for adults, that is. Most of the time when a new show hits Netflix or another streaming platform, you hear about it through work, friends, or social media — shows like Bridgerton or Stranger Things obviously get people talking and for good reasons. But, when it comes to popularity, CoComelon is actually right up there with Netflix's other hits.

CoComelon, which has dominated streaming platforms like Netflix and YouTube for most of 2020, is not just a children's show like something you'd see on the Disney Channel — this show is for little kids, even babies. And what's more, the untold truth of CoComelon reveals that although it's for kids, the show is part of a major industry that's pretty lucrative.

If you thought that a kids' show and brand like CoComelon couldn't compete with adult shows in terms of popularity, then you'd be wrong. To say that CoComelon is super popular would be an understatement. The children's entertainment brand, with all its shows and clips, has been dominating streaming platforms for a while now, and it doesn't seem to be slowing down any time soon.

According to Forbes, CoComelon actually surpassed 100 million YouTube subscribers in December 2020, putting it in the top three of any YouTube channel. Additionally, CoComelon also passed 100 billion lifetime views on YouTube, putting it in the top two of those channels. And that's not all. On Netflix, CoComelon spent over 100 days in a row on the Top 10 list. CoComelon might not be your idea of a good time, but all the kids who watch the show definitely keep coming back for more, making it a certified hit. Clearly, children really are the future.

As the minds that first thought of the CoComelon concept were parents, it makes sense that they would be pretty passionate about what they do. After all, the desire to create something fun and entertaining for your kids has to come from a place of deep love and caring for them. And that passion for their cause is exactly what fuels CoComelon creators Jay Jeon and his wife. "With everything we do, we want families all across the globe to look to [CoComelon] as a supporting partner to them as parents and in their kids' learning and growing," Jeon told the Independent. 

Sure, CoComelon is a huge brand with a ton of success, but that's not what it's about for the show's creators. "We're so focused day-to-day on the quality of our content and ensuring [it's] enriching for our audience, it's become a key part of the company's DNA," Jeon explained. CoComelon isn't just a job to its creators, it's something they truly care about, and that's only part of what sets it apart from similar programming.

Like anything that's popular, CoComelon has more than a few haters. Sure, it's a kids' show, but not every child is going to enjoy it and certainly not every adult will, either.

In fact, the show CoComelon and all its viewers got so many people talking that even Swedish YouTuber Felix "PewDiePie" Kjellberg was inspired by it — but not exactly in a good way. No, PewDiePie actually wrote a diss track about CoComelon that was so vulgar it got banned on YouTube. One line from the track, for example, is this: "It's not even funny and your head is really big." And this is one of the more mildly offensive lines. With that in mind, it's no wonder the track got banned. In fact, a spokesperson from YouTube told The Verge, "Following a review, we've removed the video in question for violating those policies because they had the effect of encouraging abusive fan behavior."

If you've never heard of CoComelon until recently, then it might have shocked you to learn that it first came about in 2006. Yes, it's nothing new, exactly, but the show did get extremely popular in 2020, and as big as it is now, this is most likely just the beginning.

CoComelon might be super popular, but the brand has no plans to slow down any time soon. "JJ, his friends and family have been a bright light for children since the brand's inception," René Rechtman, co-founder and CEO of Moonbug, told Forbes. "As kids across the globe look to CoComelon for relatable content, we're continuing to grow the show. This is just the beginning of the brand's global growth as we work to expand the franchise both on and off the screen." So, if you don't have a kid that watches CoComelon now, you might some day, as it looks as though the brand isn't going anywhere.

You might not think that little, tiny babies could ever really enjoy watching a television show — after all, are babies even really aware of TVs? — but they really do seem to be drawn to CoComelon. Well, it turns out that babies love the show, but why? CoComelon is just an animated series about toddlers and babies singing, so what's so special about it?

Well, just as there's a reason why babies can't drink water, there's a reason for why babies and toddlers are drawn to CoComelon. Licensed psychologist Nicole Beurkens, PhD, told Romper that babies and young children love CoComelon because it's a "multi-sensory experience" that they can enjoy without getting too overwhelmed. "Young children are drawn to the bright visuals — especially the focus on big eyes and faces — the repetitive music and sounds, and the constant movement and action on the screen," Beurkens said. So, if you've never let your baby watch CoComelon, you might just give it a try. They could end up loving it, and you could end up getting a good laugh out of watching their reaction to it.