What Happened to ‘Blippi’?
What happened to Blippi that has people all riled up? The creator of the beloved and wildly popular children’s educational series has drawn some criticism over the years. So, what are the issues?
What Happened to Blippi that Upset Parents?
Since January 27, 2014, when Blippi debuted on YouTube, it quickly became a sensation. Stevin John created the character, inspired by his then-two-year-old nephew, Hunter.
Stevin wanted to make quality educational videos and so created the man-child character who explored the world, teaching young viewers colors, numbers, shapes, and more.
The channel drew a billion views and nearly 13 million subscribers. On Tuesday, October 8, 2019, the first Blippi Live tour was announced. But parents quickly began fussing. But why?
At more than $100 for each front-row ticket, preschool parents expected to see Stevin John on the stage. However, Clayton Grimm, not Stevin John, was the star of the touring show.
Many angry parents demanded refunds and wanted to know what happened to Blippi. The tour operators gave refunds, but also insisted they’d been transparent.
In the FAQs for the musical, it asked “Will Stevin John be in the live show?” And the answer? “Stevin John is not in the live show or photo experience.” Why? It explained that Blippi is “a character” and Stevin is its creator.
They further said he’s the “writer and creative force behind the Blippi character”. And they said a “dynamic stage performer” was cast in the role to “entertain and thrill”.
The person hired was Clayton Grimm. And he also began interchanging with Stevin John on the YouTube and Netflix streaming series. But there’s a little more controversy to explore.
Outrage Over Stevin John’s Alter Ego Steezy Grossman
Prior to creating Blippi, Stevin John shot videos as another character. These came a year before his kid-friendly video channel. He created Steezy Grossman.
His real name is Stevin Grossman, and he later legally changed his name to Stevin John. The Steezy videos were of the gross-out genre and intended as comedy. Steezy was a boy made of poo.
Some of the Steezy videos were Underwear Man and Turdboy. In one video, he did the Harlem Shake on a toilet and pooped on a naked friend. Buzz Feed found and shone a light on the videos, upsetting many parents who let their kids watch Blippi.
Stevin John issued an apology and said the videos were “stupid and tasteless” and that he regretted making them. Then, he took the original videos down and issues DMCA takedowns for anyone publishing his copyrighted videos.
Now, the internet seems to be scrubbed clean of them and only the complete SFW kid videos remain.
Why Did Blippi Change Faces?
For the live show, Stevin doesn’t play Blippi at all. On the YouTube channel, it’s both Stevin John and Clayton Grimm. For a while, the creator stepped back from playing the role because his fiancee, Alyssa Ingham, was pregnant.
He announced her pregnancy on his Instagram in October 2021. And Alyssa gave birth on Wednesday, March 9, 2022, to their son, Lochlan David John.
So, he took some time off, but now Stevin John is back to work. So, what happened to Blippi most recently is good news with the arrival of the creator’s first child.