The internet has a very long memory. Sometimes, it’s a bit too long. If you have kids, you know Blippi. He’s the guy in the orange suspenders who gets way too excited about excavators and fire trucks. But if you’ve spent any time in the darker corners of social media or Reddit, you’ve probably heard a rumor that sounds like a fever dream: the guy who plays Blippi once pooped on someone for a viral video.
It sounds like a hoax. Honestly, it sounds like something a bored teenager made up to ruin a celebrity's reputation. But the reality is actually weirder and, for some parents, a little bit grosser.
Before he was the multi-millionaire face of children's education, Stevin John was a young guy trying to make it in the wild, unregulated world of early 2010s internet comedy. This was the era of shock humor. Think Jackass or Filthy Frank. In 2013, John created a video under the persona "Steezy Grossman." It was a parody of the then-ubiquitous "Harlem Shake" meme.
The video—which is exactly what people are talking about when they search for Blippi poops on someone—was a gross-out comedy bit. In the clip, John (as Steezy) performs the meme's signature dance jump, but instead of just dancing, he defecates on a friend who is lying on a toilet.
Yes. It’s real. It happened. And it’s been a PR nightmare for the Blippi brand ever since it resurfaced years ago.
The Steezy Grossman Era: A Different Time on the Web
The internet in 2013 was basically the Wild West. YouTube wasn't the sanitized, ad-friendly corporate machine it is today. Back then, "shock humor" was the fastest way to get views. Stevin John was a 20-something guy in Los Angeles trying to figure out how to go viral. He wasn't Blippi yet. He was just Steezy Grossman, a character he used for "gross-out" videos that would never, ever fly in today’s climate.
The "Harlem Shake" was a global phenomenon. Everyone was doing it—offices, sports teams, grandma in her living room. John decided to do a version that would stand out by being as offensive and disgusting as possible.
People often ask if it was a deepfake or a lookalike. It wasn't. Stevin John has openly admitted to it. When the video started making the rounds again in 2019 after Blippi became a household name, he didn't run from it. He did the only thing a savvy business owner could do: he apologized and tried to explain the context of a "stupid" youth.
Why this matters for parents today
You're probably wondering if you should let your toddler watch a guy who once did that. It’s a valid question. The "Blippi poops on someone" video is a massive contrast to the "Learn colors with Blippi" persona.
One is wholesome, educational, and worth billions of dollars. The other is a literal "sh*tpost" from a guy who didn't know he'd one day be the most famous person in your living room.
The transition from Steezy Grossman to Blippi is actually a fascinating case study in personal branding. John saw a gap in the market. He noticed his nephew was watching low-quality, poorly produced videos on YouTube and realized he could do better. He traded the shock humor for a blue and orange hat. He swapped the gross-out gags for educational songs about garbage trucks.
It worked. It worked so well that Moonbug Entertainment eventually bought the brand for a staggering amount of money.
The Legal Battle to Scrub the Internet
You won't find the video on YouTube anymore. Not the original, anyway. Stevin John and his legal team have been playing a decade-long game of Whack-A-Mole. Every time a mirror of the Blippi poops on someone video pops up on a forum or a file-sharing site, their lawyers are usually right behind it with a DMCA takedown notice.
They’ve been largely successful. If you search for it now, you’ll mostly find articles like this one, or Reddit threads discussing the "lost media" aspect of it.
But the internet never truly forgets. The fact that the search term still trends periodically shows that the "Ghost of Steezy Grossman" continues to haunt the Blippi empire. It’s a reminder that in the digital age, your "permanent record" is very, very real.
Is Blippi "Cancelled"?
Not really. In fact, not at all. While the revelation shocked some parents back in 2019, the brand has only grown. Why? Because kids don't care about what a guy did in 2013. They care about the "Wheels on the Bus" and seeing inside a bakery.
Most parents took a "he was young and dumb" approach. We’ve all done things we regret; most of us just didn't film it and upload it to the internet during a viral dance craze.
The controversy actually highlights a shift in how we view digital creators. We’re starting to separate the "actor" from the "person." When Stevin John is in the costume, he’s Blippi. When he’s out of it, he’s a businessman who made a very gross video a long time ago.
Contextualizing the Controversy
To understand how someone goes from a video where Blippi poops on someone to singing about the alphabet, you have to look at the evolution of YouTube.
In the early 2010s, there was no "YouTube Kids." There was no clear line between adult content and children's content. Everything lived in one big bucket. Creators like Stevin John were throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what stuck.
When Blippi launched in 2014, it was a clean break. John has stated in interviews (including a notable one with BuzzFeed News) that he regrets the video deeply. He’s called it "distasteful" and "not something I'm proud of."
- The Intent: Steezy Grossman was meant to be an edgy, adult-oriented character.
- The Reality: The humor was sophomoric and, frankly, just gross.
- The Pivot: Blippi was a calculated move into the "Pre-K" space which was underserved at the time.
Honestly, the pivot is what saved him. Had he stayed in the "gross-out" lane, he’d likely be a forgotten relic of the Vine era. Instead, he created a character that is arguably more recognizable to three-year-olds than Mickey Mouse.
The Business of Being Blippi
Today, Blippi is more than just Stevin John. There are multiple actors who play the character (like Clayton Grimm, often referred to as "Blippi" or "New Blippi" by confused parents). This was a strategic move by Moonbug. By turning Blippi into a "character" rather than a "person," they've successfully insulated the brand from the personal history of its creator.
If Stevin John has another controversy, "Blippi" survives because "Blippi" is a costume and a set of mannerisms, not just one man’s past.
What Parents Should Actually Know
If you’re worried about your kids stumbling across the "poop video" while watching Blippi, the chances are near zero. The filters on YouTube Kids are incredibly robust, and the legal team is incredibly aggressive. Your child isn't going to see Steezy Grossman by accident.
However, the "Blippi poops on someone" story is a great jumping-off point for a conversation about digital footprints—maybe not with your toddler, but definitely for yourself. It’s a cautionary tale about how one afternoon of trying to be "funny" can follow you for the rest of your professional life.
- The video is real but old. It was filmed in 2013, a year before Blippi existed.
- It was intended for adults. It wasn't a "kids' show gone wrong"; it was a separate project entirely.
- The creator has apologized. He doesn't defend the content; he calls it a mistake.
Actionable Insights for Navigating the "Blippi" Rabbit Hole
If you find the creator's past too off-putting to keep the show on your TV, that’s a personal choice. Many parents have swapped Blippi for Bluey or Ms. Rachel for this very reason. But if you’re okay with it, here is how to handle it:
- Use YouTube Kids: This is the most basic step. It filters out the "parody" videos and the re-uploads of the Steezy Grossman content.
- Separate the Art from the Artist: It’s okay to acknowledge that Blippi is a great educational tool for toddlers while also acknowledging that the man who created it made a disgusting video once.
- Watch for "Bootlegs": Sometimes, weird "Else-gate" style videos (weird, unofficial animations) use Blippi's likeness. These are much more dangerous for your kids than a 10-year-old video hidden on a dark web archive. Stick to the official Blippi channel.
- Discuss Internet Safety (Eventually): As your kids get older, use stories like this to explain that everything they put online stays there forever. It’s a powerful, if gross, example.
The Blippi poops on someone saga is one of the strangest chapters in modern pop culture history. It’s the story of a man who successfully outran a "poop joke" to become a billionaire. Whether you find that inspiring or horrifying is up to you, but at least now you know the truth behind the headline.
The most important takeaway? If you’re going to do a viral dance challenge, maybe just stick to dancing. You never know when you might need to become a children's entertainer five years down the road.