ARLINGTON, Texas — Warner Bros. Pictures is facing divided backlash over one of its Looney Tunes characters following a New York Times opinion piece that stated the character "normalized rape culture."
The character in reference is Pepé Le Pew, the animated French skunk that has appeared in Looney Tunes cartoons since 1945.
His shtick revolves around constantly being lovestruck with a female cat that looks similar to him and presenting unwanted advances toward her.
In many cartoons, Pepé Le Pew would often chase after said cat and touch her and kiss her as she would try to run away.
The piece resonated greatly online, enough so to catch the attention of executives at Warner Bros. Pictures.
Following the op-ed, Warner Bros. announced it had made the decision to pull Pepé Le Pew from the upcoming "Space Jam" sequel starring NBA legend and superstar Lebron James more than a year ago, according to multiple reports.
He's also not currently slated for any other future projects with the studio.
In North Texas, Looney Tunes are a beloved part of Six Flags Over Texas.
The cartoon characters are seen all over the park, are included on merchandise, and are often part of rides.
Pepé Le Pew has at least two rides inspired by him at two different Six Flags parks in California.
He doesn't headline any rides at Six Flags Over Texas; however, his likeness can be found in the park.
Pepé Le Pew mascots are often seen at parks nationwide, too.
On Tuesday, WFAA asked Six Flags Entertainment if it would be getting rid of the skunk.
Sandra Daniels, a spokesperson for Six Flags Entertainment, said that "no changes are planned as we assess guest feedback regarding this and other intellectual property within our parks."
The swelling reaction around Pepé Le Pew was labeled as an overreaction by Dallas conservative TV and radio host Grant Stinchfield.
Stinchfield often appears on the cable network Newsmax.
"This is a freaking cartoon," Stinchfield said. "Cancel culture has gotten so out of control that we're talking about Pepé Le Pew."
Stinchfield added that he couldn't believe people were obsessed over what a cartoon character was doing.
"Does anybody out there believe that Pepé Le Pew caused somebody to rape someone or turned some kid into a misogynistic jerk? No. This is out of control nonsense," Stinchfield said.
However, Brad Schwall told WFAA that there is a conversation to come out of the controversy that should be had.
Schwall is the president and CEO of the Center for Integrative Counseling and Psychology. He holds a doctor of ministry degree in pastoral psychotherapy from Garrett Theological Seminary.
"The conversation to be had is how we as families do navigate what our children see," Schwall said.
"Kids do learn from what they see, and the context of our culture is different today than it was. While we may understand something we're seeing as fictional or hyperbolic, a child's brain isn't able to understand those nuances.
"In many ways, I'm thinking of the parent. What can you control?" Schwall continued. "It is important to be mindful about what we do present to children regarding intimacy and relationships."
The below video is from May 2019.
