Ok, everyone had a good long laugh yesterday at Christian television’s attempt to be tolerant through gray-skinned black puppets. But this is DAY 2 of Racial Insensitivity Week, so let’s get uncomfortable. Like, REAL uncomfortable. Like, You’re-a-white-guy-watching-Bamboozled-with-Spike-Lee-and-your-grandma-in-the-theater uncomfortable.
Let’s check out one of the Warner Bros. “Censored 11″: one of eleven cartoons so offensive that they haven’t been seen on TV since the late ’60s. HOWEVER, today’s video is one I grew up with in the eighties, thanks to copyright lapses and crappy VHS companies eager to squander all Bugs Bunny’s cartoon capital for a quick buck (Hey, that’s Warner Bros. job, Jack!).
It’s Bugs Bunny in “All This and Rabbit Stew,” which I very much have a personal history with (more on that after the jump).
As you witness Bugs doing his thing with Sammo Fudd, here’s the question: would you feel better off if had you never heard of “All This and Rabbit Stew, ignorant to its existence…or are you the kind of person who thinks ignoring it is just as bad? I welcome discussion in the comments, but I’ll make it easy on you, too: Here’s a graph to follow when you’re watching this video which tells you exactly what kind of person you are:
If it weren’t for YouTube, you’d probably never see this (unless you’re pals with animation buffs and classically-trained bootleggers, like I am). Or, you could have been like me….
This ‘toon is in the public domain, which meant it ended up on a lot of cheap VHS tapes, which means my brother and I saw this cartoon hundreds of times at my grandparents, who loved buying dollar bin cartoon tapes. With no cable, it was either watch racist Bugs Bunny cartoons or I Love Lucy on VHS, and when you’re 6 the choice is clear. Hell, when you’re 28 the choice is clear.
Bizarrely, I have very fond memories of lying on my grandfather’s itchy green carpet (yep, green) watching All This And Rabbit Stew, despite it currently being the second most cringe-worthy thing I’ve seen this month (the first being Rob Blahgoeovich on The View. Yeah, I know I spelled his name wrong. Screw that guy, I’m not looking it up).
The sucker gag is still good, the log/cliff gag (which was re-purposed later with Elmer Fudd) is still funny, and I really sympathize with the hunter because Bugs Bunny is a Grade-A Dickweed. And, at that tender age, how could I know how offensive that dice gag would be when not in the hands of Dave Chappelle smearing crack on his lips in prime time?
The only thing I remember feeling weird about is the ending, when the dude is naked and Bugs Bunny takes his leaf. I still feel weird about it. What in the hell is Bugs Bunny’s problem anyway? And why the hell is he so surprised when the guy walks out from behind the bush? The whole ending just seems…real sad and anti-climactic and grotesque. I always felt bad for that dude.
At either rate, this all makes for good conversation about how far we’ve come. And…how far we haven’t. I still think, when the final book on Looney Tunes is written, the nineties were far more offensive. I mean, really…white, black…everyone suffers when you see this image coming out of Wal-Mart on a woman’s oversized t-shirt:
Very funny stuff! Great post!
Comment by Hugh — January 27, 2009 @ 2:47 pm
[...] a second to take a breather from Racial Insensitivity Week…it really is depressing seeing all these at once. So hey, why not show you what I ran into at Walgreens this [...]
Pingback by Worst Cartoons Ever — January 28, 2009 @ 12:36 pm
Objectively, a hilarious bugs bunny cartoon; shame about the racial hideousness(and, by shame I mean a whole lot more)- sickening even for the time, any time; try to enjoy it without the unfortunate “negro” stereotype — he doesn’t exist anymore anyway, right? The cartoon stripped of its racism is still technically good… right?
Comment by Rick — January 29, 2009 @ 11:18 pm
Oh, Jebus.
How am I supposed to enjoy the Elmer Fudd version now?
You just obliterated a thousand fond evenings watching these old toons on TNT.
Comment by Brendan McGinley — January 30, 2009 @ 11:09 am
I don’t know if I can call this any worse than the stereotyping done with Elmer Fudd. I mean, if you really look at it, Elmer Fudd makes it look like all white people wear hunter hats and are incredibly dense.
I’d say this guy looks a bit SMARTER than Elmer, in fact.
Comment by ZeroCorpse — January 31, 2009 @ 2:44 pm
It’s notable that this cartoon has no director (or “supervisor”, as Leon Schlescenger preferred to call ‘em) credited. It looks like a business-as-usual short hustled to get into the theater on time. Beyond the bald-faced stereotypes, this one just ain’t all that funny - you can pretty much see how much better Bugs got as a character under Chuck Jones later on.
I grew up when Amos n’ Andy was on TV, and when lots of old movies shown on the tube were loaded with coons, Sambos, and Mammys. These days, you got gangbangers and hustlaz - not to mention Insane Clown Posse, a sort of nauseous cross between KISS and Vanilla Ice. Stereotype really hasn’t changed - except in the details.
Comment by Mitchell Craig — February 7, 2009 @ 5:03 pm
Haha! Sure its terrible, but its hardly relevant now, this is an effectively loony toon!
Comment by Noah Jacobs — February 21, 2009 @ 10:52 am
Idiot
Comment by James May — August 16, 2009 @ 11:58 pm
Wow! What a bunch of unbelievably bad cartoons. Just came across your website and had to say what a great collection.
Just a historical note this was the last cartoon directed by Tex Avery for Warner brothers before he left for MGM and cartoon immortality. So they left his name of it because it came out after he left.
Very strange and bizarre send off for him.
Always wonder what he was thinking when he came up with this.
Comment by gary — April 13, 2010 @ 1:11 pm
I am having trouble seeing how you can consider this offensive. This is a cartoon about the sarcastic Bugs Bunny is doing what he does best. It is not a concern who his target is unless you are tunnel visioned to think that any character that is not white makes for a racist show.
It is simple minded people like you that ruin it for the rest of the country.
What an idiot you are. The sad part is, you are not intelligent enough to realize how misconstrued your thought process truly is.
STUPID!
Comment by James — December 4, 2010 @ 3:24 pm
The cartoon is funny, period. And the even more “racist” cartoon “Coal Black & the Sebben Dwarfs” (where the smiling guy with the dice teeth is from) is even funnier. And it has nothing to do with the black stereotypes, they’re just good.
I notice that people always point out the black stereotype cartoons & sometimes the Japanese ones. But, there is never any talk about the cartoons where Bugs aggravates the French guys or the Italian cook or the Irish guy. It’s almost like racism is racist.
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