Gabriel Iglesias Mocks Push to Cancel Speedy Gonzales
Cancel culture has set its sights on Looney Tunes character Speedy Gonzales, but Fluffy isn’t having it.
Critics want to cancel the Fastest Mouse in all of Mexico, claiming that he is a racist stereotype. But Iglesias, who voices the character in the upcoming movie Space Jam: A New Legacy, defended the fleet-footed rodent.
Iglesias’ comments come after New York Times columnist James Blow said that certain authors and fictional characters should be purged from children’s media. That included Looney Tunes characters Pepé Le Pew, who he claims “normalized rape culture,” and Speedy Gonzales who he claimed had friends who “helped popularize the corrosive stereotype of the drunk and lethargic Mexicans.”
Even though Blow was widely mocked across the board for his assertions, most agree that problematic behavior and stereotypes do exist. The recent controversy over Dr. Seuss is warranted, as some of his early work and books featured racist terms and images. The sexist behavior of Pepé Le Pew is obviously a problem, but even critics admit canceling and purging the character entirely is unwarranted. Even so, it was announced that a scene featuring the character had been removed from LeBron James’ new Space Jam movie to avoid controversy. Pepé Le Pew was featured in the original Space Jam, but did not act in a romantically aggressive manner.
Some have called for Speedy Gonzales to be canceled because of his overblown depictions of Mexican culture. This isn’t the first time Speedy has faced cancelling: The Blaze reported that previous attempts to cancel Speedy failed because Latinos (and even LULAC) actually embraced his sombrero and Spanish exclamations.
In response to the latest cancel push, Iglesias blasted the idea with his trademark Fluffy humor. “I am the voice of Speedy Gonzales in the new Space Jam. Does this mean they are gonna try to cancel Fluffy too? U can’t catch me cancel culture. I’m the fastest mouse in all of Mexico!”
Iglesias received a wave of support to his tweet, from fans who felt the controversy was unwarranted.
Neither Charles Blow nor Warner Bros. has commented on Gabriel Iglesias or the response to the Speedy Gonzales controversy.
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