Does Pepé Le Pew normalize "Rape Culture"? Looney Tunes skunk removed from Space Jam 2

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Skunk Pepé with cat Penelope (1956 movie poster)

Photo: Everett Collection / imago images

The skunk Pepé will not be seen in the sequel to the film "Space Jam".

As reported by several US media outlets, an already filmed scene with “Pepé Le Pew” was cut out of “Space Jam 2”.

The production company Warner Bros. is therefore not planning any further appearances by Pepé in any further projects with the »Looney Tunes« cartoon characters.

"Pepé Le Pew" came up again in connection with a column by the "New York Times" journalist Charles M. Blow.

In it Blow dealt primarily with texts by the children's book author Dr.

Seuss, but also described some cartoon characters who would have shaped his childhood and that of many of his contemporaries through TV reruns.

Including Speedy Gonzales, whose friends popularized negative stereotypes about Mexicans, and Pepé, "who normalized the rape culture," says the columnist.

In English, the term "rape culture" stands for a society in which sexual violence is commonplace, but is not seen as a problem by many, but is normalized.

In which the victims are appealed, the deeds are excused.

The character "Pepé Le Pew" comes from the "Looney Tunes" universe of Warner Bros. The most famous characters are probably the rabbit Bugs Bunny and the duck Daffy Duck.

The skunk Pepé, who always speaks with a French accent, tries again and again in the cartoons to kiss a cat lady.

He mistakenly thinks the cat Penelope is a skunk, a white stripe on its back often contributes to confusion.

But the cat definitely doesn't want to be kissed by Pepé and tries to escape.

For Blow, the character and their behavior helped boys learn that a "no" doesn't really have to mean no, but is only part of "the game," the beginning of a power struggle.

In the hit movie »Space Jam« from 1996, the animated cartoon characters of »Looney Tunes« were also integrated into real film sequences (with basketball star Michael Jordan and others).

A sequel to the film is announced for 2021.

As it became known after the publication of the "New York Times" column, a scene with the skunk Pepé had been cut a long time ago.

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Michael Jordan with cartoon characters like Pepé Le Pew in "Space Jam" (1996)

Photo: Warner Bros / Everett Collection / imago images

As the industry service »Deadline« reports, in the cut scene »Pepé Le Pew« it is said to have approached a female figure in the usual brisk manner - here, however, a barmaid embodied by the actress Greice Santo.

In the scene, however, she keeps the assaulting skunk off her body with a powerful blow, it lands on a rapidly rotating bar stool.

In a further dialogue with basketball star LeBron James, Pepé admitted according to "Deadline" that the cat Penelope had already obtained a ban on contact with him.

According to the report, Greice Santo is said to have expressed anger that the scene was cut out.

The actress and singer supports a domestic violence charity and reportedly enjoyed shooting because Pepé had finally received his well-deserved sentence.

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Bugs Bunny and Skunk Pepé

Photo: Warner Bros. / Everett Collection / picture alliance

As the specialist magazine "Hollywood Reporter" reports, Pepé is not represented in any other TV project with the Warner Bros. cartoon characters that is currently being planned.

A return of the skunk is therefore not planned for the future either.

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