A few years ago I discovered that Pepe le Pew (that infamous skunk!) was being harangued for promoting sexual harassment and rape culture.
WHAT?!
First of all, he is funny!
And second, which perhaps I should have mentioned first, he is a cartoon character from 1945.
Basically, Pepe thinks of himself as a very attractive guy, and he pursues an unwilling black cat who has—accidentally—painted, dyed, or otherwise colored herself with a white stripe down her back. Because Pepe knows himself to be a very desirable skunk, he is genuinely puzzled, surprised, or just completely oblivious to her continual rejections. (Kind of like Mr. Collins in Pride and Prejudice, come to think of it.)
But because he doesn't give up, and doesn't understand her, he is now cancelled.
Well, I think that our offended society promotes "Be offended—at everything" culture. And I find that attitude... offensive.
Of course there is another way to look at Pepe le Pew. The guy who thinks he is "All That" when no one else really does. Maybe the Looney Tunes creators knew guys like this.
And, you will notice, they portrayed this guy as a skunk!
Not Cary Grant. A skunk.
If they were promoting anything, maybe it was a lesson to some guys that they might not really be as great or desirable as they think they are. Maybe they are skunks.
Or maybe those Looney Tunes guys were just trying to make something that was visually funny and cleverly written.
Vive l'amour!
