When most people think of Elmer Fudd, the cartoon character from Looney Tunes, they probably don’t think of him as a black man. But there is more history behind this famous cartoon character than most people know. Our team was able to locate and enhance one of the controversial animated shorts in the Merrie Melodies film series that starred Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd. This was before the creation of the separate Bugs Bunny film series by Looney Toons.
This short is called “All This and Rabbit Stew” and was released to theatres on September 20, 1941 by Warner Bros. and Vitaphone. Throughout the film Bugs Bunny is hunted by a slow-witted African American hunter who sounds and looks like Stepin Fetchit.
While you watch the video think about: Why is he chasing the bunny? What could the bunny represent? The American Dream? The “white” man? And no matter how hard he tries, what is always the outcome?
The Elmer Fudd character was created in the early 1930s and made his first appearance in the movie Porky’s Duck Hunt. Fudd is a hunter who is always trying to catch Bugs Bunny, but he always ends up failing. Fudd is often portrayed as a white man. Without proof many people have believed that he was actually a black man. This theory was based on the fact that Fudd’s name is very similar
to the word “fool” which was often used to describe black people at the time. Additionally, Fudd’s voice was often performed by black actors, and many people believe that this was done deliberately in order to make fun of black people. This video further supports this theory. Many of the characteristics associated with the Elmer Fudd character are also associated with black minstrelsy characters. For example, both Elmer Fudd and black minstrelsy characters are often depicted as being dim-witted and clumsy. Minstrelsy is a type of performance art that originated in the United States in the early 1800s. White performers who would dress up in blackface and perform songs and sketches that portrayed African-Americans in a racist and derogatory way. This racist form of entertainment was incredibly popular, and it continued to be popular well into the 20th century. The influence of minstrelsy on popular culture was widespread and it had a significant impact on American society for many years.
