Over the years, there have been hundreds, perhaps thousands of different cartoon series that appeared both on television screens and in movies, but few are as well-known and influential as the cartoon classic Looney Tunes (and its sister series Merrie Melodies). This animated series, produced by Warner Bros, ran from 1930 to 1969, during the golden age of American animation, and the legendary series boasts some of the greatest and most recognizable cartoon characters ever created. It has gone on to become a worldwide media franchise with video games, comic books, and feature films, and this has led it to become one of the flagship properties of Warner Bros. With that in mind, here are some brilliant facts about the immensely influential and incredibly popular series.
10. All Speedy Gonzales Cartoons Were Once Pulled From TV
As “the fastest mouse in all of Mexico”, Speedy Gonzales speaks with an exaggerated Hispanic accent and wears an over-sized sombrero, a white shirt and trousers (representing a traditional Mexican ensemble), as well as a red handkerchief fastened around his neck. In 1999, all Speedy Gonzales cartoons were removed from Cartoon Network, due to alleged concerns that his portrayal was unfairly stereotyping the Mexican people. However, many Hispanics protested that they were not offended, but rather saw Speedy as a positive representation of Mexico’s individuality and a role model. In fact, more people were offended by the other mice which would appear in the same cartoon (notably Speedy’s cousin “Slowpoke”), as they were often shown to be slow and lazy. In 2002, after thousands had already registered their support for the character on Hispaniconline.com message boards, and a Hispanic-American rights organization called the League of United Latin American Citizens labeled Speedy as a “cultural icon”, Speedy Gonzales cartoons were once again made available for broadcast.
Source: Screenshot via Warner Bros.
