The daughter of animator and Pepé Le Pew creator Chuck Jones says her father was a liberal, the ionic cartoon skunk’s purposes is purely comical, and he in no way promotes rape or male dominance over women and was never meant to do so.
Famed animator Jones introduced the love-struck skunk in 1945. He also created other Looney Tunes. But after more than 70 years, leftists have begun attacking the cartoon as an example of toxic masculinity and “rape culture” because the character doggedly peruses a female cat he mistakes for a female skunk. The latest attack on the odiferous cartoon character came last week from New York Times columnist Charles Blow.
But according to TMZ, the daughter of the cartoon’s creator is striking back at claims that her father’s creation promotes rape.
Linda Jones told TMZ that no one has ever been goaded to rape someone because of Pepe Le Pew. She also told the outlet Pepe never won over his love interest and never raped anyone in any of the cartoons. His love was always unrequited.
Linda Jones added that the joke is that Pepe thought very highly of himself but that his love skills “stunk” as much as he did as a skunk. He was never violent, just silly. It was Pepe who was the focus of the ridicule in every one of the cartoons, not the female cat who rejected him.
She added that Pepe’s grabbiness might seem outré today but by the standards of the 40s, 50s, and 60s, it was funny and harmless. Linda Jones added that she does not think anyone ever felt the famed skunk was promoting rape.
Watch below:
Linda Jones also said that if the coming Space Jam film felt the need to ax Pepe, then that is their prerogative. Space Jam: A New Legacy, starring LeBron James, reportedly included and then cut a scene featuring Pepé Le Pew from the upcoming Warner Bros. theatrical sequel.
Finally, Jones was exasperated at people claiming that her father would create a character to promote rape because her father was an intense liberal and would never have done such a thing.
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