I grew up on Bugs Bunny and the rest of the Looney Tunes crew, like many generations before me. And from these cartoons, I received quite an education. Today, I thought I'd share a little of what I learned:
- Niche Marketing. That Acme Markets, the real-and-for-true grocery store chain, diversified to sell rocket launchers and jet-powered roller skates. Strangely, I'd never seen them stocked in the store in my hometown. They must have been Special Order only.
- Foreign languages. Like French. For instance, when someone is leaving on a long trip, you say, "Bon voy-yahdg-ee." And the word for skunk is "le pew." If you are out of breath from being chased, you "le sigh" and "le pant," "le huff" and "le puff." This is enough to get you through any trip to Paris.
- New vocabulary words. I discovered that a "maroon" is a stupid person, and not a reddish-brownish-purple color like the dictionary says. And "moidelize" is the threat to commit an act of violence on another. On the school playground, for example, you would threaten to moidelize the bully who went after you.
- About life in other countries. Canadians jump over Niagra Falls in a barrel regularly, and with no ill effects. Chefs are always French or Italian. And no matter where you go-- whether it's a South Pacific Island, a chic French bistro, or deep in the Appalachian hillbilly hills... everyone, but EVERYONE loves rabbit stew.
- Tolerance. Just because a boy rabbit dresses up like a girl rabbit, doesn't make him any less cool. And 4 out of 5 individuals in any crowd have some form of serious speech impediment. This will go unnoticed.
- History. We learned Robin Hood was accident prone, one of the knights of the Round Table had a cowboy drawl, and in World War II, rabbits were trained as fighter pilots. This is why the Allies won the war.
- Physics. It is possible to levitate over a canyon for up to ten seconds before plummeting to the hard ground below. Anvils, however, always drop immediately.
- Music. Classical music, like Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries, at one time had lyrics, and the song was, in fact, about rabbit assassination. We also learned that the words to the opera The Barber of Seville are mostly comprised of the name "Figaro." That made it easier to remember for the cast.
- Household items. Poison bottles always bear a skull and crossbones on the front, bombs are always round and cannon-ball-like, and anvils are used and enjoyed well beyond blacksmithing. Nitro gylcerine can be found in any cabinet.
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