Nickelodeon pulled the new animated series Made By Maddie from its Fall lineup after the characters had striking similarities to the Oscar-winning animated-short Hair Love. The promotional picture for Made by Maddie features a Black family consisting of a father with locks, a mother with natural hair, and their 8-year-old daughter, Maddie. Nick Jr. dropped a trailer for the new series, which revealed Maddie as an aspiring fashion designer navigating New York City with her friends. The cast was stacked with Hollywood "It Kid" Alyssa Cheatham as Maddie and Broadway veterans, including James Monroe Inglehart as Maddie's father, Rashad, and Patina Miller as Maddie's mother, Dee.
Matthew A. Cherry's Hair Love wowed the world, winning Best Animated Short Film at the 92nd Annual Oscar Awards. The heartwarming short tells the story of a Black dad styling his daughter's hair for the first time after her mother is hospitalized with cancer. The father follows instructions from a video left by the girl's sick mother, voiced by Issa Rae. Cherry wrote Hair Love and co-directed it alongside Bruce W. Smith and Everett Downing Jr.
According to Deadline, Nickelodeon decided to pull Made By Maddie almost a week before it was set to premiere due to the controversy surrounding comparisons to Hair Love. Made By Maddie has been receiving criticism for creating characters who look so similar to those in Hair Love. Nick acquired the show from Silvergate Media, who claims that it has been working on the show for the past five years while the Kickstarter for Hair Love launched in 2017, and the short premiered in 2019. However, Nick is airing on the side of caution out of respect for Cherry and Hair Love.
"Made by Maddie is a show we acquired several years ago from Silvergate Media, a renowned production company we have previously worked with on other series. Since announcing the show’s premiere date this week, we have been listening closely to the commentary, criticism and concern coming from both viewers and members of the creative community. In response, and out of respect to all voices in the conversation, we are removing the show from our schedule as we garner further insight into the creative journey of the show. We are grateful to Silvergate Media for all of their work. And we hold Matthew A. Cherry and the wonderful and inspiring Hair Love in the highest regard."
As soon as the Made By Maddie trailer dropped, Hair Love fans and the Hair Love creator were quick to point out the similarities. They noted that the father, mother, and daughter characters had similar hair and faces. They even pointed out how small details like the families' cats looked the same. Fans also had qualms with Made By Maddie's white creator, Paula Rosenthal's attempt to authentically tell the story of a black family—specifically when that family looks so similar to one penned by a black creator. Silvergate Media claims it ensured this project had a diverse production team and cast, despite the series being created by a white woman.
Made By Maddie looked like an excellent opportunity for young girls of color to see themselves and their families as the star of a preschool animated series. However, it must be done in a way that is respectful to the community. Even if Silvergate started working on the series long before Hair Love existed, it should come from the right voice and not in a way that discredits another black artist— even if unintentional. Hopefully, Nick Jr. will find another show representing the BIPOC community to take its place.
Source: Deadline
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