Kagan Mcleod for The National
Kagan Mcleod for The National

Newsmaker: Barney the dinosaur



“Barney is a dinosaur from our imagination,” the song goes. Except that he’s not. Barney is real and here, right now, in the UAE.

Barney Live! is this summer's hot ticket, if only in the sense that it is summer and hot and if you have small children, tickets to an air-conditioned theatre where they will be entertained for a couple of hours probably seems like a good idea.

The purple dinosaur is on a world tour, just like The Rolling Stones or Madonna, although very much unlike them in the sense that Barney’s audience remains eternally young. As does Barney himself, as plush and cheery and as irrepressibly purple today as he was on his debut nearly 30 years ago. Not even Prince can say that.

Those first children weaned on Barney & Friends (but more of those later) are now parents themselves, with the lyrics to the show’s signature songs lodged inoperably deep in their cerebrum. “I love you, you love me. We’re a happy family. With a great big hug and a kiss from me to you. Won’t you say you love me too.”

Barney arouses strong emotions, and not all of them positive. Almost from his debut in a series of American home videos in 1987, the knives were out. Critics were mostly divided on Barney only in the sense that they loathed him, or that they really, really loathed him.

In 1998, the University of Chicago’s professor WTJ Mitchell observed: “Barney is on the receiving end of more hostility than just about any other popular cultural icon I can think of. Parents admit to a cordial dislike of the saccharine saurian, and no self-respecting second-grader will admit to liking Barney.”

None of this cuts any ice with the purple one's legion of preschool fans. In 1991, Barney made the jump to television with a series on America's Public Broadcasting Service. The executive responsible thought Barney would make refreshing change from PBS rival Sesame Street's Big Bird, whom he found "depressing".

Then, 30 episodes later, in 1992, PBS announced it would not fund any further episodes of Barney & Friends. A massive "Save Barney" campaign followed. Donna Collins, an executive with Connecticut public television, where the show was made, recalled a fundraising event at Hartford Civic Centre featuring an appearance by the dinosaur.

“We were blown away. And the line kept coming. We had crowd-control issues — we just weren’t prepared. Barney said, ‘We’re not leaving until everyone gets a photo,’ because the idea was you get your picture taken with him. His costume at that point wasn’t ventilated very well; we kept having to take him to the men’s room to start fanning him.”

Worn down by the relentless pressure of fans (and TV executives concerned at losing one of their top-rated shows), PBS backed down. As Barney would say: “Super dee-duper”.

This was peak Barney. Created in 1987 by Sheryl Leach, a 35-year-old teacher from Texas, Barney was originally envisaged as a giant dancing teddy bear until Leach realised her two-year-old son was more interested in dinosaurs (these days, the 29-year-old Patrick Leach is serving a 15-year prison sentence for shooting a neighbour).

Within five years, Barney had become Telesaurus Rex, king of the small screen. When he appeared in public it was mayhem. A tour of America's shopping malls had to be cut short after police were called in to hold back crowds of up to 40,000 teeny fans.

With a weekly audience of five million, Barney went to Hollywood for talks about a big-screen deal. He was going international. The Christmas of 1992 saw the “talking” Barney become that year’s must-have gift – if you could find one.

Barney, it was said, was the biggest thing since Cabbage Patch dolls, worth perhaps annually half a billion dollars in revenue.

Inevitably there was the Barney backlash. Some blamed it on the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, whose arrival in 1994 saw sales slump and the revenues of Hasbro, the biggest Barney licence holder, fall by US$30 million in 12 months.

Worse than the numbers, though, were the haters. Academics and educationalists could barely disguise their scorn. In an article for Parents magazine in 1994, one child psychiatrist complained that: "Using denial as a primary coping strategy means that, in stark contrast to PBS luminaries such as Sesame Street and Mr Rogers, Barney & Friends does not help children learn to tolerate sorrow, pain, frustration and failure."

What’s so dangerous about Barney, the article wondered … and answered: “In a word, denial: the refusal to recognise the existence of unpleasant realities. For along with his steady diet of giggles and unconditional love, Barney offers our children a one-dimensional world where everyone must be happy and everything must be resolved right away.”

Soon the snobbishness of a few lofty critics became a howling mob. One website featured “150 ways to kill the Purple Dinosaur”, including a “nitroglycerine suppository” and making Barney “watch his own show”. Another site claimed “B’harne” was the demon servant of an alien warlord, announcing: “the jihad to destroy Barney”.

In 1998, Barney sued the San Diego Chicken, a sporting mascot who created an act in which it knocked a very similar purple dinosaur to the ground. A court ruled that the sketch was a legitimate parody, awarding costs against the Lyons Group, the owners of Barney’s copyright who had been demanding $100,000 for every time the chicken flattened Barney.

Such was Barney's cultural significance that he was instantly recognisable as "Smoochy", a purple TV rhino played by Edward Norton in the 2002 Robin Williams comedy Death to Smoochy.

The film was a box-office failure, described by the critic of the Washington Post as “a particularly toxic little bonbon, palatable to only a chosen and very jaundiced few.”

In tune with the zeitgeist, it emerged in 2003 that the theme to Barney & Friends was being used to break Iraqi prisoners of war. The music shattered the morale even of the interrogators. "In training, they forced me to listen to the Barney I Love You song for 45 minutes. I never want to go through that again," one American operative told Newsweek magazine.

And yet none of this seemed to bother what the Los Angeles Times once dubbed "Elvis for toddlers". Purchased by the London-based Hit Entertainment for $275 million in 2001, a new series of 20 episodes was accompanied by a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign and a new line of toys, now featuring Barney's posse of "Friends", including BJ, a yellow protoceratops with a red baseball cap, and Baby Bop, a three-year-old green Triceratops with pink ballet slippers.

Episodes continued to be made until September 2009, when an Earth Day special brought down the final curtain. A number of one-off films, such as Barney Happy Mad Silly Sad (2003) and Barney Live in New York City (2014) have followed, all going straight to video. Barney lives on, though, in endless reruns, seen now across three continents. He is a dinosaur of discretion, with never a hint of scandal in his private life and with a strict policy of no interviews for the media.

A study for the Annals of Improbable Research in 1998, The Taxonomy of Barney, decided that he could not be considered a dinosaur, but showed distinct hominid characteristics, concluding that he was "a hitherto unknown member of the Family Hominidae, which we name Pretendosaurus barneyi".

The reality is that Barney, at least on television, is a fusion of the voices of three actors, the longest-serving being a Texan, Bob West, while the man in the purple suit for eight years was David Joyner, a former software analyst at Texas Instruments.

In a 2013 interview, Joyner explained the stresses of performing in a 30-kilogram suit where temperatures reached 48°C.

“So you’ve got this huge costume that’s six foot seven inches, you’re looking out of the mouth, you’ve only got these short arms to deal with, and you’ve got a long tail behind you and these big feet that you’re wearing.”

None of this will matter to the children flocking first to the Cultural Centre Theatre at Madinat Zayed this week and then for three nights at the Emirates Palace from next Thursday. For them, Barney has sold out only in the sense that it may be hard to get tickets. They are there not just for the dinosaur but also the message: “I love you, you love me, we’re best friends like friends should be. With a great big hug and a kiss from me to you, won’t you say you love me too.”

Teenage%20Mutant%20Ninja%20Turtles%3A%20Shredder's%20Revenge
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UAE - India ties

The UAE is India’s third-largest trade partner after the US and China

Annual bilateral trade between India and the UAE has crossed US$ 60 billion

The UAE is the fourth-largest exporter of crude oil for India

Indians comprise the largest community with 3.3 million residents in the UAE

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi first visited the UAE in August 2015

His visit on August 23-24 will be the third in four years

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, visited India in February 2016

Sheikh Mohamed was the chief guest at India’s Republic Day celebrations in January 2017

Modi will visit Bahrain on August 24-25

MATCH INFO

Barcelona 2
Suarez (10'), Messi (52')

Real Madrid 2
Ronaldo (14'), Bale (72')

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
 
Based: Dubai, UAE
 
Sector: Entertainment 
 
Number of staff: 210 
 
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners

The Way It Was: My Life with Frank Sinatra by Eliot Weisman and Jennifer Valoppi
Hachette Books

How to protect yourself when air quality drops

Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

Wear a face mask.

Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

Empire of Enchantment: The Story of Indian Magic

John Zubrzycki, Hurst Publishers

RESULTS

5pm: Watha Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh 70,000 (Dirt) 2,000m

Winner: Dalil De Carrere, Bernardo Pinheiro (jockey), Mohamed Daggash (trainer)

5.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 70,000 (D) 2,000m

Winner: Miracle Maker, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer

6pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,600m

Winner: Pharitz Al Denari, Bernardo Pinheiro, Mahmood Hussain

6.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,600m

Winner: Oss, Jesus Rosales, Abdallah Al Hammadi

7pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,400m

Winner: ES Nahawand, Fernando Jara, Mohamed Daggash

7.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,000m

Winner: AF Almajhaz, Abdul Aziz Al Balushi, Khalifa Al Neyadi

8pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,000m

Winner: AF Lewaa, Bernardo Pinheiro, Qaiss Aboud.

The specs: 2018 Renault Koleos

Price, base: From Dh77,900
Engine: 2.5L, in-line four-cylinder
Transmission: Continuously variable transmission
Power: 170hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 233Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.3L / 100km

Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters

The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.

 Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.

A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.

The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.

The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.

Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.

Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment

But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.

What is a black hole?

1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull

2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight

3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge

4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own

5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed

Game Changer

Director: Shankar 

Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram

Rating: 2/5

Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home. 

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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German intelligence warnings
  • 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
  • 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
  • 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250 

Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution

Dubai Bling season three

Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed 

Rating: 1/5

Our Time Has Come
Alyssa Ayres, Oxford University Press

The specs: 2018 Nissan Patrol Nismo

Price: base / as tested: Dh382,000

Engine: 5.6-litre V8

Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic

Power: 428hp @ 5,800rpm

Torque: 560Nm @ 3,600rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km

The Sand Castle

Director: Matty Brown

Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea

Rating: 2.5/5

Emergency

Director: Kangana Ranaut

Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry 

Rating: 2/5

The five pillars of Islam

Company name: Play:Date

Launched: March 2017 on UAE Mother’s Day

Founder: Shamim Kassibawi

Based: Dubai with operations in the UAE and US

Sector: Tech 

Size: 20 employees

Stage of funding: Seed

Investors: Three founders (two silent co-founders) and one venture capital fund

The specs

Engine: 1.5-litre turbo

Power: 181hp

Torque: 230Nm

Transmission: 6-speed automatic

Starting price: Dh79,000

On sale: Now

Bio

Born in Dibba, Sharjah in 1972.
He is the eldest among 11 brothers and sisters.
He was educated in Sharjah schools and is a graduate of UAE University in Al Ain.
He has written poetry for 30 years and has had work published in local newspapers.
He likes all kinds of adventure movies that relate to his work.
His dream is a safe and preserved environment for all humankind. 
His favourite book is The Quran, and 'Maze of Innovation and Creativity', written by his brother.

The National in Davos

We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.

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Navdeep Suri, India's Ambassador to the UAE

There has been a longstanding need from the Indian community to have a religious premises where they can practise their beliefs. Currently there is a very, very small temple in Bur Dubai and the community has outgrown this. So this will be a major temple and open to all denominations and a place should reflect India’s diversity.

It fits so well into the UAE’s own commitment to tolerance and pluralism and coming in the year of tolerance gives it that extra dimension.

What we will see on April 20 is the foundation ceremony and we expect a pretty broad cross section of the Indian community to be present, both from the UAE and abroad. The Hindu group that is building the temple will have their holiest leader attending – and we expect very senior representation from the leadership of the UAE.

When the designs were taken to the leadership, there were two clear options. There was a New Jersey model with a rectangular structure with the temple recessed inside so it was not too visible from the outside and another was the Neasden temple in London with the spires in its classical shape. And they said: look we said we wanted a temple so it should look like a temple. So this should be a classical style temple in all its glory.

It is beautifully located - 30 minutes outside of Abu Dhabi and barely 45 minutes to Dubai so it serves the needs of both communities.

This is going to be the big temple where I expect people to come from across the country at major festivals and occasions.

It is hugely important – it will take a couple of years to complete given the scale. It is going to be remarkable and will contribute something not just to the landscape in terms of visual architecture but also to the ethos. Here will be a real representation of UAE’s pluralism.

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League final:

Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports

SPECS
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If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.

When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.

How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.