Social media loses it over similarities between National MP Simeon Brown's office, Blue's Clues set

Similarities have been drawn.
Similarities have been drawn. Photo credit: Brown/ Blue's Clues.

A video featuring National's Simeon Brown rallying against the Government's funding of a Mongrel Mob meth rehabilitation programme is drawing comparisons to a famous children's television show.

It emerged this week that $2.75 million from the Proceeds of Crime Fund had been given to the Mongrel Mob's Kahukura drug and trauma rehabilitation scheme with sign-off from Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. She was "comfortable" with that decision as it was supported by local police and similar programmes had been funded by the previous Government. 

But Brown is disgusted, saying it sends all the wrong messages. He took to Twitter on Monday afternoon to make the point, filming a message in which he describes the funding as "an absolute sick joke". 

"This news comes as a shocking surprise to many New Zealanders who know the Mongrel Mob is a criminal organisation which makes its money by peddling misery, peddling meth and other drugs on our streets."

While the tweet caught attention in the usual partisan circles, it has also received focus for Brown's surroundings in the video.

"I'm sorry but is this the set of Blue's Clues?" one person tweeted. 

Social media loses it over similarities between National MP Simeon Brown's office, Blue's Clues set
Photo credit: Brown / Blue's Clues.

The large red sofa behind Brown strikes a resemblance to the famous red chair that the host sits in to ponder Blue's Clues. According to Blue's Clues Wiki, the 'Thinking Chair' was just a "regular chair". 

"It was originally made for a show on the E! Network called Pure Soap, with an extended sofa version to match. The chair itself was produced in various colors such as blue, indigo, purple, and the now-famous red."

Brown's background also has a picture frame above the chair, slightly off-centre, similar to the Blue's Clues lounge setting. 

According to the wiki, "the pictures in the frame usually relate to the theme of each episode, sometimes the pictures change throughout the episode and most are even skidoo locations". 

A key point of difference, however, is that while the television picture frame is yellow with swirls, Brown's is a grey-ish colour. 

"OMG! Once you've seen it, you can't unsee it! #BluesClues," one person wrote on Twitter.

"It's so good. And like, creepily accurate," said another.