Eight Lessons I’ve Learned from Looney Tunes
"When Warner Brothers commissioned Mel Blanc and Friz Freleng and Bob Clampett and Tex Avery and Chuck Jones and a whole host of other people to create a series of cartoons in the early 1930’s, they had no way of knowing just how influential those cartoons would be. Before long, a whole host of characters started populating the Warner Brothers cartoon landscape. We all grew up with those characters. And they have lots to teach us. For instance":
1. "You can look like a frog and let everyone down if you’re talented
If you have a real talent- such as Michigan J. Frog’s velvety-smooth voice- you can get away with just about anything. You can look like a frog, annoy every single person you know, and disappoint them time and again. Someone will always take a chance on your talents, whether it’s now or several years in the future".
2. "Appreciate the fine arts, such as the opera
Even an oafish, befuddled hunter with rabbit and duck bloodlust knew enough to appreciate the finer things in life. No less than Elmer Fudd was involved in everything from Wagner’s Ring to Rossini’s Barber of Seville. You don’t even have to get the words right. If Elmer can enrich himself in this way, so can you".
3. "If you smell like a skunk and smother them, women will shun you
Pépé LePew taught us this lesson time and again. If he wasn’t scaring women away with his awful hygiene, he was scaring them off by giving them nary an inch of space. Don’t smother women and in the parlance of everyone’s favorite rabbit, don’t be “a stinker”. And please please please- when mating, stay within your own species".
4. "Don’t trust advertising
Characters all over the Looney Tunes universe have seen the ads for ACME’s various products. Believing in their grandiose claims, they’ve handed over their cash one by one. And for what? Shoddy goods, a whole bunch of busted asses, and not a single achievement to their credit".
5. "Even someone who is as gentle as a bird has a dark side that can turn them into a big scary monster. Try not to provoke them.
Tweety sure was a docile bird. He was clever, of course, which enabled him to stay out of the way of harm. But he never intended to inflict harm on anyone… until he was pushed too far. Please, don’t provoke even the most docile people lest this happen to you..."
6. "Plan carefully and pay attention to your road map or else you’ll end up somewhere near Albuquerque
Simply planning ahead and staying the course can be difficult sometimes. But by doing so, you’ll give yourself a fighting chance to end up where you want to end up. Should you stray, who knows where you’ll end up- possibly near Albuquerque, America’s most arid and unspellable city".
7. "If you lose your cool, you’ll get your beak out of order
Ernest Hemingway once said, “Courage is grace under pressure”. If you wind up in a rabbit season/duck season disagreement, or any disagreement for that matter, keep your cool. Stay graceful under the pressure before you get your beak out of order".
8. "Don’t be afraid of your feminine side
I know it’s easy to sit around scratching your ass and belching. But the reality is that you can get yourself out of a lot of jams by embracing your feminine side. I’m not saying you have to go as far as Bugs Bunny did- A LOT- and start dressing like a woman. All I’m trying to say is that it sure kept him out of a whole bunch of trouble".
"When Warner Brothers commissioned Mel Blanc and Friz Freleng and Bob Clampett and Tex Avery and Chuck Jones and a whole host of other people to create a series of cartoons in the early 1930’s, they had no way of knowing just how influential those cartoons would be. Before long, a whole host of characters started populating the Warner Brothers cartoon landscape. We all grew up with those characters. And they have lots to teach us. For instance":
1. "You can look like a frog and let everyone down if you’re talented
If you have a real talent- such as Michigan J. Frog’s velvety-smooth voice- you can get away with just about anything. You can look like a frog, annoy every single person you know, and disappoint them time and again. Someone will always take a chance on your talents, whether it’s now or several years in the future".
2. "Appreciate the fine arts, such as the opera
Even an oafish, befuddled hunter with rabbit and duck bloodlust knew enough to appreciate the finer things in life. No less than Elmer Fudd was involved in everything from Wagner’s Ring to Rossini’s Barber of Seville. You don’t even have to get the words right. If Elmer can enrich himself in this way, so can you".
3. "If you smell like a skunk and smother them, women will shun you
Pépé LePew taught us this lesson time and again. If he wasn’t scaring women away with his awful hygiene, he was scaring them off by giving them nary an inch of space. Don’t smother women and in the parlance of everyone’s favorite rabbit, don’t be “a stinker”. And please please please- when mating, stay within your own species".
4. "Don’t trust advertising
Characters all over the Looney Tunes universe have seen the ads for ACME’s various products. Believing in their grandiose claims, they’ve handed over their cash one by one. And for what? Shoddy goods, a whole bunch of busted asses, and not a single achievement to their credit".
5. "Even someone who is as gentle as a bird has a dark side that can turn them into a big scary monster. Try not to provoke them.
Tweety sure was a docile bird. He was clever, of course, which enabled him to stay out of the way of harm. But he never intended to inflict harm on anyone… until he was pushed too far. Please, don’t provoke even the most docile people lest this happen to you..."
6. "Plan carefully and pay attention to your road map or else you’ll end up somewhere near Albuquerque
Simply planning ahead and staying the course can be difficult sometimes. But by doing so, you’ll give yourself a fighting chance to end up where you want to end up. Should you stray, who knows where you’ll end up- possibly near Albuquerque, America’s most arid and unspellable city".
7. "If you lose your cool, you’ll get your beak out of order
Ernest Hemingway once said, “Courage is grace under pressure”. If you wind up in a rabbit season/duck season disagreement, or any disagreement for that matter, keep your cool. Stay graceful under the pressure before you get your beak out of order".
8. "Don’t be afraid of your feminine side
I know it’s easy to sit around scratching your ass and belching. But the reality is that you can get yourself out of a lot of jams by embracing your feminine side. I’m not saying you have to go as far as Bugs Bunny did- A LOT- and start dressing like a woman. All I’m trying to say is that it sure kept him out of a whole bunch of trouble".
