After Dr. Seuss announced that they won't reprint 6 Dr. Seuss' books due racist images they contain; the New York Times ran an opinion piece by Charles M. Blow rising a point against Pepé Le Pew, who normalized rape culture; Speedy Gonzales, whose friends helped popularize the corrosive stereotype of the drunk and lethargic Mexicans; and Mammy Two Shoes, a heavyset Black maid who spoke in a heavy accent.
To be honest, I do agree with him about the issues he raised. Yet, the backlash about the possibility of Pepé Le Pew being cancelled got me worried. It really shows that violence against women is so normalized in our society that even the possibility of a cartoon where it is portrayed offends people more than the violence itself.
It mind blowing that people haven't have problem against the kind of behavior Pepé Le Pew displays just because it is shown in a funny way. Some even go as far as justifying it, saying that it is just a cartoon or it shows perseverance by Pepé Le Pew. Truth be told, such behavior should never be condoned by anyone. Besides, it has no place in a show directed to children, who have no way to knowing that what they seeing its wrong.
While it has to be understood in the context of the time the show was released, it doesn't mean that it still has a place today. At least not being shown to children, at a time when we are trying to eliminate all kind of violence against women. It is not about people being offended about everything, is about creating a safer society for everyone.
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