This is Caillou. If you're a parent, you probably hate him.
PBS
He's a whiny, awful child.
So maybe you won't feel too bad when you hear about this fan theory that Caillou is actually dead.
PBS
The theory, put forth on Reddit's r/fantheories, posits that Caillou died of cancer.
PBS
That explains the baldness, which Caillou's creators say is because he was originally supposed to be a baby.
Because of his diagnosis, Caillou's parents let him do whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted, and was kind of a brat as a result.
PBS
He's obviously not sick on the show, though, so what's the deal there? Well, the theory says that Caillou has stuffed animals and pets that remember him as he was before he died.
PBS
This explains why the stuffed animals are in live-action, while Caillou's stories are animated: When the show is animated, that's the stuffed animals' imagination. That explains why the show's animated episodes have that strange, white, dream-like frame around it.
So there you have it. Something to calm your soul the next time your kids are watching Caillou and you just wish it would stop.
HBO
