Here we go again: Looney Tunes character Pepe Le Pew cut from new Space Jam sequel amid rape controversy

[Wahesh]

Famous Looney Tunes character CUT from new Space Jam sequel amid controversy

The well-known cartoon character has reportedly been dropped from the film just days after his antics were brought into question.

7news.com.au

Looney Tunes character Pepe Le Pew has reportedly been cut from Space Jam 2 amid criticism the character “added to rape culture”.

The French skunk who starred in the first Warner Bros movie in 1996, was due to appear in one scene in the upcoming theatrical sequel, Space Jam: A New Legacy, but that has now been cut, Deadline reports.

The removal comes just days after New York Times columnist Charles M. Blow claimed the character had “normalised rape culture”.

“Let’s see. 1. He grabs/kisses a girl/stranger, repeatedly, w/o consent and against her will,” Blow tweeted earlier this month.

“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.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1368200161558663168

“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.”

A scene from Space Jam. Credit: Warner Bros

The outlet says the removal from the sequel is not believed to be connected to Blow’s remarks.

Le Pew was reportedly set to star alongside actress Greice Santo, who filmed her live-action element in 2019.

The skunk would then appear as a bartender who hits on Santo’s character before kissing her arm.

Santo’s character pulls back before slamming him into a chair, pouring a drink on him, slapping him and sending him spinning in a stool.

He is then stopped by star LeBron James who tells Pepe he cannot touch other people without their consent.

‘Big deal’
A spokesperson for Santo, who is a victim of sexual harassment, told local media that it was “such a big deal” for her to be in this movie.

“Even though Pepe is a cartoon character, if anyone was going to slap a sexual harasser like him, Greice wished it would be her,” the spokesperson said.

“Now the scene is cut, and she doesn’t have that power to influence the world through younger generations who’ll be watching Space Jam 2, to let younger girls and younger boys know that Pepe’s behaviour is unacceptable.”

Warner Bros is yet to provide comment on the matter.

 

[Wahesh]

What next? No seriously, what the fuck next??

 

[N4TE]

To be honest even I as a 10 year old was a bit like she Fucking said NO mate..

 

[The DoggFather]

I never liked the smelly French fuck. His episodes were boring AF.

 

[Typical dog]

Well might as well ban every looney tunes cartoon for adding to violent culture. Those fuckers are forever beating each other to a pulp

 

[Hacky McAxe]

Funny thing about that scene. It wasn't a female skunk. It was a male cat with a stripe painted down the back. So obviously they're just anti-interracial and homophobic.

 

[The DoggFather]

Well might as well ban every looney tunes cartoon for adding to violent culture. Those fuckers are forever beating each other to a pulp

I reckon they will ban Elmer Fudd because he is a white man who tries to kill a black duck...

 

[Mr Beast]

dumb

 

[N4TE]

Funny thing about that scene. It wasn't a female skunk. It was a male cat with a stripe painted down the back. So obviously they're just anti-interracial and homophobic.

That’s right it was a guy hey totally forgot about that part.

 

[CroydonDog]

Yeah, he was always pretty rapey.

 

[Wahesh]

Personally I find cartoons involving Pepe quite annoying, but it's a cartoon FFS, and he's not raping anything, he's simply a romantic character (hence the French stereotype) and he's not raping anything, he's simply being affectionate and kissing a cat who he thinks is a skunk. It's stereotyping, yes, but not rape FFS. They are honestly making a mountain out of a molehill here. I'm sick of these cartoon giants caving in to modern PC gone fucking mad. First Disney with the Duck Tales relaunch includes a duck having 2 dads, and now this shit.

 

[south of heaven]

To be honest even I as a 10 year old was a bit like she Fucking said NO mate..

I just thought it was a French thing, even as a kid I could tell the difference between entertainment and reality

 

[Dingo]

What next? No seriously, what the fuck next??

Speedy Gonzales is being called racist.

 

[JayBee]

"See, sometimes you just gotta take the pussy, like Pepe"

 

[Flanagun]

Personally I find cartoons involving Pepe quite annoying, but it's a cartoon FFS, and he's not raping anything, he's simply a romantic character (hence the French stereotype) and he's not raping anything, he's simply being affectionate and kissing a cat who he thinks is a skunk. It's stereotyping, yes, but not rape FFS. They are honestly making a mountain out of a molehill here. I'm sick of these cartoon giants caving in to modern PC gone fucking mad. First Disney with the Duck Tales relaunch includes a duck having 2 dads, and now this shit.

Kissing a cat that clearly doesn't want to be kissed and frequently tries to escape. That's not a French thing, it's a stalker with rapist tendencies thing. Cancel Culture does go too far at times, but this is a pretty common sense move, tbh. Was always a seedy, inappropriate character.

 

[Flanagun]

That’s right it was a guy hey totally forgot about that part.

Doesn't make it any less seedy, tbh.

 

[JayBee]

Kissing a cat that clearly doesn't want to be kissed and frequently tries to escape. That's not a French thing, it's a stalker with rapist tendencies thing. Cancel Culture does go too far at times, but this is a pretty common sense move, tbh. Was always a seedy, inappropriate character.

But isn't that what cartoons are all about? The fact they are animated plays to the fact it is not real. But because it is not real, they can do outlandish things. As kids, we are taught there is a significant difference between cartoons and real life, and it's only in this fake world is such a thing acceptable. Have you ever heard a rapist cite Pepe le Pew as a character witness, or the reasoning for their actions?

I think it's gone too far tbh. But who cares.. its a cartoon.

I am more incensed about the what's happening with Speedy. Love me that little mouse

 

[CroydonDog]

But isn't that what cartoons are all about? The fact they are animated plays to the fact it is not real. But because it is not real, they can do outlandish things. As kids, we are taught there is a significant difference between cartoons and real life, and it's only in this fake world is such a thing acceptable. Have you ever heard a rapist cite Pepe le Pew as a character witness, or the reasoning for their actions?

I think it's gone too far tbh. But who cares.. its a cartoon.

I am more incensed about the what's happening with Speedy. Love me that little mouse

A couple of my Mexican friends basically said that they more just roll their eyes about Speedy Gonzales. Its actually more the lazy guy sleeping against a cactus thing that pisses them off. When Top Gear tried to play on that once (i think they were making fun of a super-car being built by a Mexican company), basically there was a boycott there.

 

[Flanagun]

But isn't that what cartoons are all about? The fact they are animated plays to the fact it is not real. But because it is not real, they can do outlandish things. As kids, we are taught there is a significant difference between cartoons and real life, and it's only in this fake world is such a thing acceptable. Have you ever heard a rapist cite Pepe le Pew as a character witness, or the reasoning for their actions?

I think it's gone too far tbh. But who cares.. its a cartoon.

I am more incensed about the what's happening with Speedy. Love me that little mouse

Yeah, I get that he's a pathetic comedic character and cartoons are larger than life by nature, but they are also among the earliest cultural influences that help children form ideas about the world. Just because a rapist who wouldn't take no for an answer doesn't cite Pepe as an influence, doesn't mean he hasn't helped create a perception amongst young people that relentlessly pursuing an uninterested object of your affection is a laughing matter, or not a serious issue. In a world where too many people don't seem to understand the concept of no means ne, you have to question whether characters like this help to trivialise the issue. As a kid, I thought the character was seedy as, tbh....and I don't think he's a character many would list as one of their favourites.

I'm totally against banning Speedy.....I mean what negative stereotype does the character perpetuate? That Mexicans use Spanish words, wear sombreros and run really fast? I'm not the sort of person to just jump on the cancel culture bandwagon. I like Speedy, love Apu and think the Coon/ Cheer cheese backlash was pretty absurd. But I make up my mind on a case by case basis. I have always thought pepe was a problematic character.

 

[Flanagun]

A couple of my Mexican friends basically said that they more just roll their eyes about Speedy Gonzales. Its actually more the lazy guy sleeping against a cactus thing that pisses them off. When Top Gear tried to play on that once (i think they were making fun of a super-car being built by a Mexican company), basically there was a boycott there.

If we start hand wringing about every comedic stereotype, we'll have nothing left to laugh at. So it shows characters enjoying siestas in the hot sun? Afternoon siestas are pretty common in Mexico and a lot of other places where it gets very hot. I wish we'd make the siesta part of our culture....and not just in summer, tbh. There is one episode where a Mexican creates a time machine, so it's not like the cartoons portray Mexicans as lazy and unambitious. If other Mexican characters were only ever showed slumbering against cacti, I could see the problem.....but they are frequently shown doing other things....from shopkeepers, to scientists.

Plenty of Latino people, including people from the entertainment industry are tweeting their fondness for Speedy. I think the Speedy criticism is a storm in a tea cup. Pepe Le Pew perpetuates stereotypes that are more harmful, IMO.