Once an integral part of the Looney Tunes cast, Pepe Le Pew has been edited out of the final cut of Space Jam 2. This revelation comes after Charles M. Blow, a columnist for New York Times, had pointed out that the character’s behavior added to rape culture.
The Allegations Against Pepe Le Pew
Space Jam: A New Legacy was supposed to have seen the skunk from France feature in a hybrid live-action scene opposite Greice Santo. Santo is known for her role in the film Jane the Virgin. The scene as well as the character has been reportedly dropped after Malcolm D Lee took over as director from Terence Nance. Nance had directed the original Space Jam.
The French skunk had never been a part of Lee’s plans and it is believed the decision had been taken much earlier than the column.
The scene in question however attested to the sexually harassing character infamous of the skunk. It showed Santo being harassed by Pepe Le Pew before slapping and hitting him into a stool when the main cast turns up to know of Lola Bunny’s whereabouts.
Greice Santo has been an active proponent of standing up against any such behavior. She had faced harassment herself and has set up an organization that helps women who face domestic abuse. She had reported that the scene offered her the chance to give Pepe Le Pew his proper comeuppance. However, now that it has been deleted, she feels like she has lost a huge chance to influence young minds on the matter.
Warner Bros has recently had a history of their Looney Tunes cast being called out for their controversial behaviors. Recently, Elmer Fudd’s gun was censored out in relation to the ongoing demand for a change in the US Gun Laws.
