On the heels of Dr. Seuss being muzzled by racist representations in some books, another beloved childhood memory is also being called problematic … a Pepe Le Pew.
The character Looney Tunes fell into the sights of the NYT columnist Charles M. Blow – who wrote one op-ed entitled “Six Seuss Books Bore a Bias” … where he argued that racism is deeply rooted in American culture (especially in pop culture) and fed to children at a young age.
He brought in cartoons like Speedy Gonzales and Mammy Two Shoes – the first being another LT character he says has pushed racist stereotypes against Mexicans and the last being a Tom and Jerry character portrayed as a burly black maid who speaks with a voice caricaturized. You usually only see your legs / feet … but your entire figure was also depicted.
These two examples specifically address his racial concern, but he included Pepe and also another ‘toon who telegraphed the wrong message … saying that the French skunk normalized and perpetuated the culture of rape. Of course, many people had very different reactions – some agreeing and others criticizing Blow for suggesting that a drawing could influence behavior in real life.
This helped to teach the boys that “no” didn’t really mean no, that it was part of the “game”, the starting line of a power struggle. He taught that overcoming a woman’s strenuous and even physical objections was normal, adorable, funny. They didn’t even give the woman the ability to SPEAK.
– Charles M. Blow (@CharlesMBlow) March 6, 2021
@CharlesMBlow
To this, Blow replied … “RW blogs are crazy because I said that Pepe Le Pew added to the rape culture. Let’s see. 1. He grabs / kisses a girl / stranger, repeatedly, without consent and against his will. 2. She struggles hard to get away from him, but he doesn’t let go. 3. He locks a door to prevent her from escaping. “It’s true … Penelope Pussycat was always in Pepe’s clutches.
Still, some say he is trying to make a statement … and that the cartoon was never meant to be interpreted that way, adding that it was all good fun and that no child would absorb Pepe’s behavior as something to be imitated. . Fair enough, but cartoon theory is not new.
The big Dave Chappelle he once touched on this exact subject in his special stand-up, “Killin ‘Them Softly”, where he mentioned Pepe Le Pew … and called him a rapist. He discussed other children’s programs that looked very different through adult lenses – like characters from “Sesame Street” … which he playfully compared to troubled adults.
Say what you want … but the 20th century media will certainly be credible in 2021.