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In a new interview with Pitchfork, the beloved children’s cartoon Peppa Pig has said she ‘doesn’t know’ Clairo. The fallout on X has been huge, with major label artists chiming in. It’s a perfect example of new-age, Gen Z marketing.
What happens when a cherished, cartoon pig takes shots at major musical artists? Viral tweets and a boost in brand engagement, of course.
Yes, it might seem absurd, but Peppa Pig has been facing a backlash for badmouthing popular indie musician Clairo during a segment for Pitchfork’s ‘Over / Under’ series. The show has its guests explain why they think different topics are underrated or overrated. Anything goes, from other artists to more abstract concepts such as the weather or tea time.
During her episode, Peppa Pig lists off her favourite pop artists.
She mentions Rihanna, Sabrina Carpenter, Kelly Clarkson, Olivia Rodrigo, and many more. However, when quizzed as to whether she is a fan of Clairo or not via a clip on Pitchfork’s Instagram page, Peppa responds by saying: ‘I don’t know her.’ The shade. You can watch below:
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The backlash has been intense. Commenters have been dragging Peppa on Instagram. ‘Clairo is younger and much more successful,’ wrote one user. ‘At least Clairo is not British,’ said another. ‘Not you being messy, for what?’ one person asked. The heat is on, folks.
It’s not just regular folks on Instagram chiming in, either. Big artists, including PinkPantheress and Charlie XCX, have shared their thoughts, prompting a wave of chatter on X. The latter said she’d ‘f*ck up’ Peppa, with PinkPantheress demanding she ‘put respect on Clairo.’
Charli xcx threatens to “f*** [Peppa Pig] up” following Clairo shade. pic.twitter.com/nQ81wYT0HQ
— Pop Base (@PopBase) July 7, 2026
This might all seem like a bizarre fever dream, but Peppa Pig has actually been the subject of online discourse a few times before. Pitchfork and Anthony Fantano, the biggest music critic on YouTube, reviewed her albums in 2020 and 2021. Her brand has steadily leaned into meme culture over the past few years, popping up in odd, unexpected spaces.
Subverting expectations in this way can serve as a great tool to boost engagement and improve brand visibility, often connecting previously untapped audiences to your product. We’ve seen brands like KFC, Ryanair, and Duolingo all adopt unconventional messaging via TikTok, as well as companies ‘taking shots’ at others on X to drum up attention.
Take this dig by Domino’s UK toward Sony for announcing a halt in PS5 disc production, for example:
makes about as much sense as us changing to digital pizzas https://t.co/FDpQNDzizN
— Domino’s Pizza UK (@Dominos_UK) July 1, 2026
