Why Does Bugs Bunny Pose as Women in Cartoons?

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and more importantly, why does he look so fine when he does?

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 7 October 2003 14:20 (twenty-three years ago)

Okay Garth.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Tuesday, 7 October 2003 14:34 (twenty-three years ago)

George Chauncey's book Gay New York -- a wonderful piece of social history regarding the late nineteenth and early twentieth century -- makes an incidental but interesting case that Bugs and his witty/cross-dressing ways were specifically inspired by a notorious uber-queen in the twenties and thirties who, in New York society terms, was apparently the Paul Lynde of his day.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 7 October 2003 14:34 (twenty-three years ago)

Men posing as women is a pretty basic comedic proposition and always has been. You might as well ask why did Monty Python dress up as women, why did The Two Ronnies dress up as women, why did Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon dress up as women, etc., etc.

― The Sad Professor, Tuesday, 7 October 2003 14:35 (twenty-three years ago)

Duh, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon dressed up as women to escape the mob, wtf kind of question is that?

― Ally (mlescaut), Tuesday, 7 October 2003 14:38 (twenty-three years ago)

Yeah, but how many times (actually, I think it was only in What's Opera, Doc?) did he actually MARRY Elmer Fudd?

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 7 October 2003 14:44 (twenty-three years ago)

Who, Tony Curtis?

― Ally (mlescaut), Tuesday, 7 October 2003 14:45 (twenty-three years ago)

"to hwav and to hwold, in swickness and in hwealth..."

― stevem (blueski), Tuesday, 7 October 2003 14:47 (twenty-three years ago)

Why are you bringing The Princess Bride into this?

― Ally (mlescaut), Tuesday, 7 October 2003 14:49 (twenty-three years ago)

George Chauncey's book Gay New York...
In a fairly recent column by Robert Fulford in the National Post, RF wishy-washes between celebrating the humaneness of Gay Culture's ascendency to the mainstream and lamenting the loss of its wonderfully pervasive subversiveness.
Will Bugs Bunny smooching Elmer Fudd still be funny in 20 years, once gay marriages are an accepted fact of life?

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 7 October 2003 14:53 (twenty-three years ago)

Will Bugs Bunny smooching Elmer Fudd still be funny in 20 years, once gay marriages are an accepted fact of life?

No, it will be stunningly erotic.

― NA (Nick A.), Tuesday, 7 October 2003 15:03 (twenty-three years ago)

Because he is secure in his masculinity.

― Lee G (Lee G), Tuesday, 7 October 2003 15:59 (twenty-three years ago)

and he looks so hot in a dress, much less a helmet & blond tresses.

― Kingfish (Kingfish), Tuesday, 7 October 2003 16:12 (twenty-three years ago)

and no one can resist the lure of a viking babe, as any reformed (or otherwise) metalhead can attest. Especially when she/he is riding a stout horse.

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 7 October 2003 16:23 (twenty-three years ago)

A better question: why do cartoon characters wear shirts but NO PANTS!

― Lord Custos Omicron (Lord Custos Omicron), Tuesday, 7 October 2003 16:28 (twenty-three years ago)

http://www.animationusa.com/picts/wbpict/2_Whats-Opera-Giclee.jpg

do skirts count?

and how else would the phrase "Porky Pigging it" make it into the popular lexicon?

http://www.toyadz.com/toyadz/cartoons/porkypigpu1.jpg

― Kingfish (Kingfish), Tuesday, 7 October 2003 16:31 (twenty-three years ago)

why do cartoon characters wear shirts but NO PANTS!

Most of them (Wile E., Bugs, Daffy, etc) don't have visible anatomy, o'course. Since when would animals worry about flashing each other, anyway?

― Nichole Graham (Nichole Graham), Tuesday, 7 October 2003 17:12 (twenty-three years ago)

but when their shirts come off they always blush!

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 7 October 2003 17:14 (twenty-three years ago)

Imagine if they had to worry about being trouserless, as well!

― Nichole Graham (Nichole Graham), Tuesday, 7 October 2003 17:17 (twenty-three years ago)

Horace, you do stand-up comedy, right?

― NA (Nick A.), Tuesday, 7 October 2003 17:51 (twenty-three years ago)

uh-huh

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 7 October 2003 17:56 (twenty-three years ago)

Ok, just checking.

― NA (Nick A.), Tuesday, 7 October 2003 17:58 (twenty-three years ago)

this is pretty well-mined material.
though I did just come up with some boffo material that's about 8 years too late, but mid-90s, probably could've earned me my own MTV show.
It's all about how Star Wars is all just Scooby-Doo. I mean, Kurosawa and John Ford be damned.

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 7 October 2003 18:02 (twenty-three years ago)

but I think that both SW and Scooby-Doo have lost all their cachet in the last 5 years.

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 7 October 2003 18:03 (twenty-three years ago)

Meaning we're left with what, Horace?

― Nichole Graham (Nichole Graham), Tuesday, 7 October 2003 18:07 (twenty-three years ago)

All this talk of cross dressing for cheap laughes and no
http://www.mtr.org/exhibit/cbc/img/kith.gif
?

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Tuesday, 7 October 2003 18:11 (twenty-three years ago)

A bunch of losers running around in a beat up vehicle with their yorbling dog, who's close--too close maybe--to the one who's probably on drugs. Then there's the preening and effete blond guy. Then there's the whole business of the surprise-ish taking the mask off the bad-guy at the end...

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 7 October 2003 18:14 (twenty-three years ago)

Kabuki, ancient Greek theatre, Shakespeare - it's a tradition borne of patriarchy blah blah blah...

― Kim (Kim), Tuesday, 7 October 2003 23:19 (twenty-three years ago)

According to my animation history professor someone of the creators was a cross dresser. Wish I could be specific, but it should be easy to find, that's what the internet was made for.

― sucka (sucka), Wednesday, 8 October 2003 01:03 (twenty-three years ago)

Bugs was also, of course, a cross-species dresser. This is often overlooked.

― colin s barrow (colin s barrow), Wednesday, 8 October 2003 04:18 (twenty-three years ago)

The Bugs Bunny cross-dressing joke is always hilarious, especially when he gets his patsy to close his eyes for a big kiss, followed by a great big whallop, and "I think I'm in love!"

― s1utsky (slutsky), Wednesday, 8 October 2003 04:37 (twenty-three years ago)

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