WGBH is disappointed by ‘outside of good taste’ Arthur memes

The PBS Kids character Arthur uncharacteristically lost his temper in a recently rebroadcast episode, which unleashed some not-so-nice memes and prompted producing station WGBH to wag a digital finger at the perpetrators.

It’s all the fault of D.W., Arthur’s little sister who, like the rest of her family, “is an anthropomorphic aardvark.”  D.W. breaks Arthur’s model airplane in the episode Arthur’s Big Hit, a 1999 episode that repeated recently. The title refers to the punch he gives her. Yes, Arthur smacks D.W.

Now, angry Arthur memes have taken over the internet, according to the British Independent. The best, the Verge decided, is the “Arthur’s fist” meme. As one poster noted, “So many emotions in one fist.”

But some of the memes have been off-color, drawing the response from WGBH. “We certainly are lucky to have a fan base that is so engaged with Arthur, especially those millennials who grew up with him!,” the Boston station said in a statement that started out cheerily. “And we appreciate the memes that have been created and shared in good fun.”

“We are, however, disappointed by the few that are outside of good taste,” it gently scolded. (Remember when your dad would take that “I’m so disappointed in you” approach? Ouch.)

“Our hope is that Arthur and his friends will be depicted in a way that is respectful and appropriate for all audiences, including young Arthur fans and their families,” the statement concluded.