MEAWW.COM / NEWS / HUMAN INTEREST

Pepé Le Pew: Warner Bros retires Looney Tunes character, Internet cancels other cartoon characters in outrage

The news of the retirement of the skanky skunk came days after an NYT opinion piece said it popularized negative stereotypes and 'normalized rape culture'

A new trend has started on Twitter after Warner Bros announced they’re retiring Pepé Le Pew. A day before the Warner Bros’ announcement, the creators of ‘Space Jam: A New Legacy’ also said that the classic Looney Tunes character won’t be part of their upcoming movie — ‘Space Jam 2’.

The news of the retirement of the cartoon character came days after a New York Times opinion piece said it popularized negative stereotypes and "normalized rape culture". However, it has been said that the folks behind the upcoming LeBron James film ‘Space Jam 2’, the sequel to the '90s Looney Tunes movie, made the decision to exclude the skanky skunk way before the New York Times article called it out.

READ MORE

Who created Pepe Le Pew? Looney Tunes character slammed for 'normalizing rape culture', Internet divided

Are Dr Seuss' books racist? Virginia school district cancels birthday celebrations citing 'racial undertones'

It’s not like Warner Bros is abolishing Pepé Le Pew’s existence, the film production company is just not including the iconic cartoon character in their upcoming projects. As the decision was taken, #CancelACartoonCharacter began trending on Twitter with people not just posting pictures of different cartoon characters, but also writing reasons behind their "cancellation".

One such user tweeted, “#CancelACartoonCharacter Patrick Star has been confirmed to kill at least one person.” Another user said, “Clifford used steroids to grow and profited off of his illegal drug use.  #CancelACartoonCharacter.”

A person wrote, “#CancelACartoonCharacter Angelica was basically a Karen before it had a name.” A second user noted, “#CancelACartoonCharacter Bubble Buddy. He poisoned our water supply, burned our crops, and delivered a plague into our houses!” A social media user even went on to accuse Dale Gribble of January 6 riots as they tweeted, “#CancelACartoonCharacter Dale Gribble I'm 90% sure he stormed the Capital.”

Another user accused Winnie The Pooh of burglary by writing, “#CancelACartoonCharacter Winnie-The-Pooh for repeated offences of burglary.” A user said, “This dude is lucky social media wasn't a thing back then 'cause he'd have been MeToo-ed so fast. #CancelACartoonCharacter.” “Fuck Thomas the Tank Engine for cracking a smile, knowing damn well his bitch ass singlhandedly causing global warming  #CancelACartoonCharacter,” a user added.

Earlier, NYT columnist Charles M Blow noted in a tweet what made Pepé Le Pew a controversial character. He said, “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.”

Blow received a lot of support on the Internet as one user said, “A lot of old cartoons are like this. I bought a box set of old looney tunes. Watched one with my kids and couldn’t believe it, skipped to the next and then the next and it was one - practically raping character after another. Ended up tossing the whole thing.”

Another user added: “I totally agree with the point you’re making here. I truly feel like the best course forward is for @POTUS to appoint a special #DEI committee that reviews and evaluates media and it’s harmful impact on marginalized communities. Many old things need to be wiped clean. Cheers.”