Perry White
03-27-2002, 02:44 PM
<a href="http://news.toonzone.net/images/speedy.jpg" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://news.toonzone.net/images/t-speedy.jpg" alt="Speedy Gonzales" align="right" hspace="5" vspace="3" width="150" height="110"></a>Several months ago, HispanicOnline.com ran a story about the absence of Speedy Gonzales from Cartoon Network's broadcasts of classic Looney Tunes cartoons. Toon Zone's very own Jon Cooke, webmaster of The Looney Tunes & Merrie Melodies Page (http://looney.toonzone.net), was interviewed for that article, which you can read here (http://www.hispaniconline.com/a&e/people/speedy.html).
Now Fox News has brought attention to the story, posting an article on their website entitled Speedy Gonzales Caged by Cartoon Network (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,48872,00.html). Here's an excerpt:
The outdated messages in cartoons like Speedy aren't appropriate in the 21st century, Cartoon Network spokeswoman Laurie Goldberg said.
"It hasn't been on the air for years because of its ethnic stereotypes," she said in a telephone interview from Atlanta. "We have such a huge library, I think we intend to go with popular shows that aren't going to upset people. We're not about pushing the boundary. We're not HBO. We have a diverse audience and we have an impressionable audience."
Despite what both articles say, Speedy Gonzales cartoons have been shown by Cartoon Network on occasion, but they are usually broadcast early in the morning or late at night. We'll bring you more developments in this story as they occur. In the meantime, be sure to visit the Termite Terrace Trading Post (http://forums.toonzone.net/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=6), our Looney Tunes discussion forum.
Update: Rush Limbaugh has something to say about this story as well. Click here (http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_032702/content/stack_d.guest.html) to read his comments.
Now Fox News has brought attention to the story, posting an article on their website entitled Speedy Gonzales Caged by Cartoon Network (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,48872,00.html). Here's an excerpt:
The outdated messages in cartoons like Speedy aren't appropriate in the 21st century, Cartoon Network spokeswoman Laurie Goldberg said.
"It hasn't been on the air for years because of its ethnic stereotypes," she said in a telephone interview from Atlanta. "We have such a huge library, I think we intend to go with popular shows that aren't going to upset people. We're not about pushing the boundary. We're not HBO. We have a diverse audience and we have an impressionable audience."
Despite what both articles say, Speedy Gonzales cartoons have been shown by Cartoon Network on occasion, but they are usually broadcast early in the morning or late at night. We'll bring you more developments in this story as they occur. In the meantime, be sure to visit the Termite Terrace Trading Post (http://forums.toonzone.net/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=6), our Looney Tunes discussion forum.
Update: Rush Limbaugh has something to say about this story as well. Click here (http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_032702/content/stack_d.guest.html) to read his comments.