Quote of the Week (Pepe LePew vs. Speedy Gonzales)
"What about Pepe LePew? His chasing of unwilling females surely sends the
message to children that's it's OK to stalk [women] and attack them if they
resist. Plus, because he's French, does this mean that all Frenchmen are
sexual predators?"
-- Geoff Mukhtar, Speedy Gonzales fan, commenting on the Cartoon Network's
policy to ban all Speedy Gonzales cartoons in the US.
The Cartoon Network owns the exclusive television rights in the United
States to all of the old Speedy Gonzales animated films, including one Oscar
winner ("Speedy Gonzales" in 1955) and three other Oscar nominees ("Tabasco
Road" in 1957, "Mexicali Schmoes" in 1959, and "The Pied Piper of Guadalupe"
in 1961).
The Cartoon Network refuses to air any of the Speedy Gonzales films since
the lead character is an "offensive ethnic stereotype" of Mexicans.
However, Speedy Gonzales cartoons are still shown on a regular basis on
Cartoon Network Latin America where, according to spokesperson Laurie
Goldberg, they are "hugely popular".
