A Fox News host didn’t know how to recover when a guest casually refused to agree with her faux outrage over Looney Tunes “canceling” a cartoon skunk.
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Conservatives are really coming for what they believe is “cancel culture” lately—aka private companies deciding to change or end production on their own properties after careful deliberation.
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The latest prop in their faux outrage is Pepé Le Pew, who taught previous generations that getting aggressively touchy-feely with people who clearly don’t want it is hilarious.
A New York Times article briefly mentioned the cartoon in connection with rape culture recently, though that’s far from the first time the topic has been broached. Not long after, it was noted that the long-awaited Space Jam sequel had cut a scene with Le Pew and didn’t plan on including him in further upcoming projects.
However, none of this seems directly related to the article, and ultimately may have more to do with the reported struggles of coming up with an appropriate Pepé Le Pew movie several years ago, before then-attached scribe Max Landis was accused of sexual assault himself.
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But Fox News’s Maria Bartiromo was ready to blast “cancel culture” for failing to revive the career of a cartoon skunk the current generation may never have even heard of all the same.
“Cancel culture takes on cartoons,” she lamented at the start of the segment, as clips of Le Pew hugging and kissing on clearly uncomfortable and struggling cartoon animals played beside her.
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She linked the decision to the NYT piece before admitting Warner Brothers cut Le Pew from their lineup a year ago. Still, she did her best to provoke future fear and outrage among her viewers with a baseless claim — “Bugs Bunny better watch out! They’re coming for him!”
Bartiromo then threw to her guest, Wall Street Journal writer Jon Hilsenrath — and it didn’t go quite as she’d hoped.
“You know, Maria, I’m watching those videos that you have of this, and I always used to think that cartoon was funny, but he is kind of grabbing and groping in ways that are just totally unacceptable today,” he said. “I kind of think norms change over time, and maybe it’s time for Pepé Le Pew to beat it.”
A stuttering and smiling Bartiromo tried to salvage the situation, probably knowing full well that Hilsenrath’s calm and common sense response made her look particularly foolish.
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“But, I mean, is there— are we going overboard here? I mean, Dr. Seuss, Mr. Potato Head…come on, Jon,” she said, referencing books that were willingly taken out of print and a kid’s toy that changed its brand name to simply “Potato Head.”
“Well, uhh, yeah, I mean I think we can go overboard, but watch that video,” Hilsenrath replied. “He’s grabbing that poor little cat in ways that you could never get away with right now.”
It’s the kind of awkward you love to see—just because someone is on Fox News doesn’t mean they have to agree with every over-the-top outrage the hosts use to try to rile up their viewers.
Pepé Le Pew isn’t being “canceled,” but it’s nice to see Warner Brothers realize for themselves that marketing a character whose entire schtick is wrapped up in sexual assault is something best left in the past.
*First Published: March 10, 2021, 7:48 am
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