New York Times columnist argues Pepe Le Pew perpetuates rape culture, says it 'helped teach boys that 'no' didn't really mean no'
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
New York Times columnist Charles M. Blow argued in a recent piece that cartoon character Pepe Le Pew perpetuates rape culture.
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"As a child, I was led to believe that Blackness was inferior. And I was not alone. The Black society into which I was born was riddled with these beliefs," Blow wrote in a New York Times column published last week. "It happened for children in the most inconspicuous of ways: It was relayed through toys and dolls, cartoons and children's shows, fairy tales and children's books."
"Some of the first cartoons I can remember included Pepe Le Pew, who normalized rape culture," Blow added of Looney Tunes' skunk cartoon.
Blow reiterated his stance, which came in a piece titled "Six Seuss Books Bore a Bias," in Twitter messages this weekend.
"RW blogs are mad bc I said Pepe Le Pew added to rape culture. Let's see. 1. He grabs/kisses a girl/stranger, repeatedly, w/o consent and against her will. 2. She struggles mightily to get away from him, but he won't release her 3. He locks a door to prevent her from escaping," he tweeted Saturday.
"This helped teach boys that 'no' didn't really mean no, that it was a part of 'the game', the starting line of a power struggle. It taught overcoming a woman's strenuous, even physical objections, was normal, adorable, funny. They didn't even give the woman the ability to SPEAK," he said.
This helped teach boys that "no" didn't really mean no, that it was a part of "the game", the starting line of a power struggle. It taught overcoming a woman's strenuous, even physical objections, was normal, adorable, funny. They didn't even give the woman the ability to SPEAK.
— Charles M. Blow (@CharlesMBlow) March 6, 2021
Blow's comments were met with an array of reactions, ranging from defending the cartoon to supporting Blow.
At first I was thinking "That's a complete exaggeration!" Then I saw this... https://t.co/QTjNwqHsIw
— Sharon Carpenter (@sharoncarpenter) March 6, 2021
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btw I'm assuming Charles Blow has come out against every rapper ever, right? Because if you think Pepe Le Pew is a problem, hoo boy go listen to the music I grew up on.
— LB (@beyondreasdoubt) March 6, 2021
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You just described Joe Biden. https://t.co/rhRWL22p7j
— Brigitte Gabriel (@ACTBrigitte) March 6, 2021
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Unnecessary manufactured rage from the right to feed the base and to distract from the fact 0 Republicans voted for COVID relief. https://t.co/en0Wro3XO5
— Wajahat Ali (@WajahatAli) March 7, 2021
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What I dont understand is why the right thinks columns like Blow's are something to complain about.
What I don't understand is why you thought Blow's column was important enough to seed.
OK American men . . . raise your hands if your treat women based on what you learned from watching Pepe LePew cartoons.
tick tick tick . . .
No one? OK then. Can we stop giving oxygen to morons and get back to enjoying life? And that includes silly cartoons.
The danger of the cancel culture trend is that dumbasses who want to engage in virtue signaling will treat this shit seriously and act on it, and other dumbasses will support them. Any second now, it will become impossible to buy or stream a Pepe LePew cartoon and the only recourse the rest of us will have will be to issue a hearty "Fuck you, assholes!" to those responsible.
A Charles Blow column doesnt cancel anything. What we need is for snowflake conservatives to stop having their feelings hurt by meaningless opinions.
Why? What do you care what bothers people? Why does this author, or you, or anyone else get some exclusive right to say ridiculous things with impunity, but those who disagree need to shut up?
I think it's more likely to have the opposite effect. I think most kids empathized with the Victim Penelope Pussycat, I know I did. I didn't know anybody who cheered for Pepé but maybe there were some creepy rapey little kids who saw a kindred spirit in him. Lets face it if Pepé made you rape you were going to rape sooner or later anyway. The show never implied that Pepé's behavior was good behavior or that Penelope was "asking for it", it was always quite clear that Pepé was a Creep.
Yes.. why can't we hold the individuals responsible for their own actions rather than looking for something else to blame things on. It almost seems to me that this example is trying to set up someone to be a victim for his actions. Hold the individual accountable for their actions, don't broad brush an entire group of people.
Remember "Charo": Chuci Chuci
Charo! We love you, honey! Not for the sex, but for the imaging and your 'larger than lie' personality.
There were "hot momacita" jokes (myths) about Latin women (and latin men too) and their sexual energy/drives. Then, what about how to cure "sexual frigidity."?
I remember her from The Love Boat. Funny thing is my parents met her on a Cruise Ship about 12 years ago, She was part of the ships entertainment.
Exactly. Even a 5 year old understands that Pepe is a fool.
Her whole shtick was "the allure" - Cuchi cuchi!
Sometimes a joke is just that: Good old-fashion humor! Case in point:
SitOnThatEGG.wmv
We 'marveled' at the funny-ness, and the portrayal of 'art' imitating life. It was nothing like what was to come later in post-modern humor such as Matilda and Home Alone -where kids got to abuse and bash the "deserving" mean adults. Or, even: The Simpsons.
Methinks Charles Blow goes to far. PePe LePew was humor about a (french-themed) skunk so near sighted it did not comprehend it was attaching itself to a muted black and white spotted cat! That was the 'catch.'
PePe could not go "too far" with the conquest, or if you will allow it, romance, because the writers kept tight control over the. . . cat!
In fairness to the cause, there were during the period, comedians who de facto pushed the 'rape' theme in those oft-delivered: "NO! Stop! Don't! Stop! No, yes, don't stop,. . . yes, yes! YES!!" - jokes.
So in talking about problems in this day and age, this idiot has to go back 80 years to find something to complain about...
I think they should use the Pepé Le Pew cartoons in school to teach the younger kids what not to do. They are absolutely a great example of improper conduct and they don't go too far so they are age appropriate for K through 4th grades.
Lmao yes just like watching Roadrunner cartoons helped teach boys that standing next to an exploding stick of dynamite would only leave you somewhat singed.
Did the author even watch any Pepe-le-Pew cartoons?
They pretty much all had the same plot line.
Pepe saw female cat that; Pepe pursued the female cat; female cat frantically ran away; and by the end of the cartoon the roles had reversed and the female cat was the one chasing Pepe.
If my memory serves in a couple of cartoons they end up together in the end.
So where are the author's comments about the overly aggressive female cat at the end?