Growing up I knew that I loved skunks. I had a passion for Pepe Le Pew cartoons and wore our little VHS tape ragged watching them over and over again. Ah how my heart broke for him when Penelope would run away. Ah how I laughed when sweet Fabrette made herself stinky just for him and he became the pursued instead of the pursuer. I have quite the collection of Pepe merchandise though I have never named one of my skunks after the characters in the show.
A few days ago in a CVS I discovered a talking Pepe Le Pew valentine's doll which I enthusiastically purchased to give to my boyfriend (also a slave to the skunks.) We listened and laughed at the different funny things he says in his bad french accent "You are de corned beef to me *MUAH MUAH MAUH* I am de cabbage to YOU *MUAH MUAH MUAH*" and so forth.
It made me nostalgic for my childhood and I watched some old cartoons.
W.T.F. Warner Brothers?
We teach our children to respect each other's personal space. We teach our kids that no means no. We teach our kids that if you're a skunk who likes a cat, you chain her to your leg when she doesn't like you back....
Uhhh? come again?
I was assailed by images of our amorous lover holding tightly to a female and kissing her while she claws and spasms attempting to get away. In fact, other than the two or three episodes where Pepe loses his scent for some reason and becomes the pursued (after our narrator says something like "Sweet Fabrette you are not getting any younger, maybe it is not so bad"), our female lead doesn't show the slightest bit of interest in him. Ever.
But let's be honest, I still laughed. Then I kinda felt bad for laughing. Then I laughed again and tried to tell myself it's just a kid's show, it's lighthearted. Then I kinda felt a little weird like I wouldn't want my kids watching this...
Oh well. I still love Pepe Le Pew, and I still love skunks, I just ruined that sweet childhood remembrance of him as something other than a dirty creeper.