Looney Tunes' Pepé Le Pew Under Fire for Supporting Rape Culture?
By Gary Trock on March 6, 2021 at 8:49 AM EST
Warner Bros / Wikipedia
On the heels of Dr. Seuss receiving the "cancel culture" treatment and getting 6 books with outdated and offensive cultural references pulled from the shelves, famed Looney Tunes character Pepé Le Pew is under the crosshairs for allegedly perpetuating the normalization of rape culture ... although it's the same stink that has previously been brought about Warner Bros. cartoon sleazy skunk.
Earlier in the week, journalist and columnist, Charles McRay Blow, wrote an op-ed piece for The New York Times titled, "Six Seuss Books Bore a Bias."
In his column for the NYT, Blow argued that "Racism must be exorcised from culture, including, or maybe especially, from children’s culture," and pointed to controversial and offensive characters from the post, including Speedy Gonzales.
Specifically, Blow claimed that Pepé Le Pew, "normalized rape culture," which apparently set off a ton of responses directed at the journalist. On Saturday morning, Blow took to Twitter to address the backlash he received over the Looney Tunes skunk.
"RW blogs are mad bc I said Pepe Le Pew added to rape culture. Let’s see," Blow wrote while getting ready to defend his stance on Le Pew.
Listing his evidence, Blow seemed to make a pretty legitimate point, as Le Pew's animated antics are pretty cringeworthy, and possibly criminal, by today's standards.
"1. He grabs/kisses a girl/stranger, repeatedly, w/o consent and against her will."
"2. She struggles mightily to get away from him, but he won’t release her."
"3. He locks a door to prevent her from escaping."
Blow added that, "This helped teach boys that “no” didn’t really mean no, that it was a part of “the game”, the starting line of a power struggle. It taught overcoming a woman’s strenuous, even physical objections, was normal, adorable, funny. They didn’t even give the woman the ability to SPEAK."
RW blogs are mad bc I said Pepe Le Pew added to rape culture. Let’s see.
1. He grabs/kisses a girl/stranger, repeatedly, w/o consent and against her will.
2. She struggles mightily to get away from him, but he won’t release her
3. He locks a door to prevent her from escaping. pic.twitter.com/CbLCldLwvR— Charles M. Blow (@CharlesMBlow) March 6, 2021
Shutterstock
While many users online seconded Blow's claims on Pepé Le Pew, others were highly offended about cancelling another "beloved" childhood character and took to Twitter to defend the sexually-aggressive skunk.
"We canceling Looney Toons now? I watched them as a kid. Loved them. However, I didn’t grow up to be a rapist or go around shooting people like Yosemite Sam because I had parents that taught me right from wrong. When terrible people do terrible things it’s their choice," one person argued.
"WTF?? Growing up me and my brothers found it hilarious as fuck!! It would have been different if the characters were human maybe, but seriously this cancel culture is getting way out of hand," another online user tweeted.
Pepé Le Pew has not yet responded.