Posted on 11/12/2002 7:08:48 AM PST by fight_truth_decay
There were rumors, now hold your hat, that Bugs Bunny was gay. And this came from a reliable source- Rush Limbaugh.
I'd find the thought of Bugs and Elmer Fudd having secret liaisons abominable, so I am holding out hope it's just a vicious plot by Daffy Duck to get even with his nemesis who always made a fool of him.
Ah, you mean The Great Superman Book by Michael L. Fleisher and Janet E. Lincoln (Warner Books, October 1978). I already have a copy. It is indeed comprehensive; among others it has entries on such minor characters as Lucy Lane (Lois' blonde sister), Lori Lemaris (Superman's erstwhile mermaid girlfriend) and a lengthy bio of Krypto the Superdog (plus Comet the Super-Horse, Streaky the Super-Cat, and Beppo the Super-Ape). You just can't go wrong with a book that has the scoop on the Legion of Super-Pets.
Superman is definitely a moral (and therefore unselfish) person; a being possessed of powers "far beyond those of mortal men" could hardly afford himself a moment of selfishness or hedonism. Such a super-man would still be a man, and as such would be prey to all the temptations of post-Fall humanity; based on his moral choices, he would either be an angel (a creature of supernatural power that serves God and His good Will) or a demon from Hell. Thanks to the moral instruction of his foster parents the Kents (whose religious background is unspecifically Christian -- they have been pictured holding the Bible in the comics) Superman always uses his powers for the general good. Of course, there are men of good will on both sides of the aisle, but a look at Superman's enemies serves to define him as a conservative, if not a Republican (Superman, being by nature "super", is like a monarch -- a patriot, but above mere partisan politics.) The fact that Green Arrow (the George McGovern of the funnybooks) can't stand Superman is proof positive that Kal-El is perceived by his fellow characters as being more-or-less on the side of the GOP. Example: In the recent Kingdom Come graphic novel, Superman is shown confronting a bar full of superpowered lowlifes in an attempt to recruit them to his fledgling "super" police force; afterwards, Green Arrow enters the wreckage of the tavern to present the opposing view: "And now for the Democratic response."
Superman is my favorite fictional character (1960s James T. Kirk being a close #2). He's an excellent example for children -- especially boys -- in that he possesses great power (every teenage boy's fantasy) but makes the moral decision to use that power only for the common good -- or, as the introduction to the Superman radio show put it, for 'Truth, Justice, and the American Way."
The later movies, TV shows, and modern comics versions of the Man of Steel are but pale imitations of the Superman I knew as a child. Fortunately, thanks to reprints, my own kids will someday share the magic of watching the Last Son of Krypton do his thing for Justice in his own inimitable way. Superman forever!
Jerry Falwell got blamed for saying that Tinky Winky of the Teletubbies was gay when he was reporting what gay press had been saying.
With regards to Bugs and Elmer in drag and the comic relief kissing, wouldn't a relationship between Bugs and Elmer be inter-species? Beastiality?
Always overlooking the elephant in the living room.
Wonder Woman was created by Harvard-trained psychologist Dr. William Moulton Marston, who wrote the stories under the pseudonym Charles Moulton. Marston is also known as the inventor, or at least the most enthusiastic advocate, of the polygraph lie detector. Marston led a colorful and unconventional life. In his first of several popular psychology books, Emotions of Normal People (1928), he discussed emotional states in terms of "elementary behaviour units" in the activities of dominance, compliance, submission and inducement. Geoffrey C. Bunn, who has thoroughly studied Marston's works, comments about this book that, "Not only was he unable to prevent the political and sexual connotations of dominance and submission from emerging, but he even encouraged them." One study in Marston's book involves the "baby party," a strange sorority ritual held at Jackson College, sister school of Tufts University. Freshman initiates "were required to dress like babies," bound, prodded with sticks, and wrestled when they resisted. Among Marston's theories was that America would become a matriarchy, and in many of his writings he espoused the view that women could and would use sexual enslavement to achieve dominance over men.His ideas landed him the post of consulting psychologist for the women's magazine Family Circle. In an interview published in the October 25, 1940, issue of Family Circle he discussed the young, burgeoning comic book industry. His highly complimentary comments about publisher M. C. Gaines of All American Comics, sister company of DC Comics, led to an appointment to the Editorial Advisory Board of both lines of comic books. Marston submitted his first script about "Suprema, the Wonder Woman" to editor Sheldon Mayer in February 1941 under the pseudonym Charles Moulton. The Suprema name was quickly dropped, and Marston selected artist Harry Peter to draw the feature, over Mayer's objections.
Wonder Woman made her first appearance in All Star Comics 8 (December 1941–January 1942), an origin story with an unusual combination of illustrations and text. She immediately took the lead story and cover spot in Sensation Comics 1 (January 1942).
In Summer 1942, Wonder Woman 1 appeared on newsstands. Remarkably, she continued to make appearances in all three comic books, and also appeared with Green Lantern and Flash as a regular in Comic Cavalcade starting in Winter 1942-43.
Marston frequently returns to the themes mentioned above in his Wonder Woman stories. In fact, virtually all "Moulton" Wonder Woman stories included a full-length Wonder Woman in an oversized bondage panel . A scene remarkably similar to the "baby party" involving Wonder Woman's frequent supporting cast, the girls of Beeta Lamda [sic] sorority Holliday College, showed up in Sensation Comics 4 (April 1942). Remarkably, his research assistant on that study, Olive Byrne, was also the woman who, as Olive Richard, conducted the seminal interview published in Family Circle. In fact, Olive "Dotsie" Richard moved in with Marston and his wife Elizabeth Holloway Marston. William Marston fathered two children each by each woman, and the extended family lived together harmoniously! Apparently Olive bore a physical resemblance to Marston's Wonder Woman, right down to the heavy silver Indian bracelets worn on each of her wrists.
Boy this is getting ugly.
But butch Zelda/Velma takes personal delight in depriving Dobie/Fred his relationship with Thalia/Daphne. Being a lesbian, she has no interest in Dobie/Fred but she does see Thalia/Daphne as a feminine threat (treated right by nature and society) while she herself is frumpy. If she can't have/be Thalia/Daphne, then she must change the minds of heterosexual men one at a time through shame,liberal guilt, and browbeating so that they no longer pursue beauty, brains, glamour, and money.
Maynard/Shaggy is a bohemian (pot smoker if you take into account Bob Denver) who's sex drive appears to be supressed (although I think that Maynard did get some girls in Dobie Gillis). Even Archie's buddy Jughead had a girl.
There was no Scooby Doo in Dobie Gillis, those words were just another Frank Sinatra phrase back then. And I haven't heard anyone alledge that Frank swung it "that way" (although Dean Martin did make such self-depricating jokes in his own act).
That said, some people have alledged that Dr. Smith (Mr. "ninnies" and "boob") had a thing with Robot ("Danger! Danger!").
Arms flail. fade out.
It was several years ago, just a little humor on his part, I didn't take it seriously. If the gay community thinks the writers INTENDED Bugs to be homosexual, then I'd say they're grasping at straws.
My take on it is the writers were poking fun of the lifestyle, although it's possible one or more of them was gay. Chuck Jones to my knowledge wasn't, and he was the main man behind Bugs.
Q. What do you get if you run Batman and Robin over with a steamroller?
A. Flatman and Ribbon.
Drag bits were a gag back then (as were references to minstral show blackface performers). It doesn't mean that the chracters were gay (or transvestites) any more than the other meant that the characters were racists.
When someone if chasing after you with a gun, some non-violent suprise responses are to pop out from behind an object (like a picture hanging on a wall) and throw a creme pie, or plant a big juicy kiss, and then run!
Comedy works by surprising the audience. You don't expect what's going to happen next. The kisses always seemed to make Elmer twice as angry as he was publicly humiliated.
There were numerous live action comedians who dressed in drag (Milton Berle being among the most well known, but there was also Flip Wilson's Geraldine).
If anything most cartoons of that era were of a slapstick or vaudeville style, they did just about anything to get a laugh. And Bugs especially was really an adult cartoon for that purpose.
Saying Bugs was gay just shows the lengths some of these groups with agendas will go to.
"And the Society for the Prevention of Obsessive Behavior in Middle-aged Men?"
"Write them a check."
Now, for a visitation to the lowest point of ugliness in the cartoon kingdom...
Visualize, if you will, Marvin the Martian and Porky Pig going at it, with Daffy Duck (Duck Dodgers, of course) looking on and providing a voyeuristic -ah!- "blow-by-blow" running commentary... imagine the appropriate pillow talk, in the proper respective voices... you now have a full portrait of true comic nightmare.
I warned you... I WARNED you...
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