Looney Tunes

Name: Looney Tunes
Item: Looney Tunes
Rating: 5
Author: Emily Ashby

TV review by

Emily Ashby, Common Sense Media

Parents recommendPopular with kids

Common Sense says

age 7+

(i)

Classic 'toons are violent but still wildly entertaining.

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Parents say

age 7+

Based on 11 reviews

Kids say

age 7+

Based on 17 reviews

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A lot or a little?

The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.

Educational Value

The show is meant to entertain rather than to educate.

Positive Messages

This classic and oft-reinvented cartoon is a prime example of no-holds-barred entertainment, as it so often relies on physical gags and violence for laughs. Older episodes also feature a lot of racial and gender stereotypes that were common for their era but are a shock to the senses now, particularly in the case of African-Americans and Native Americans, who are depicted in a derogatory way by modern standards. Some versions have content like this, as well as violence such as suicide gags; some versions edit it out, but many don't.

Positive Role Models & Representations

Most character dynamics usually feature aggressors or would-be prey, and the latter usually do their fair share of sabotaging and inflicting pain. It's by trickery and schemes that one emerges victorious over another in many of these cartoons.

Violence & Scariness

Cartoon-style violence, and lots of it. In many cases, the stories follow one character's efforts to maim or kill another, all of which is played for laughs. Characters are crushed, hit, kicked, punched, conked on the head with various hard objects, shot, and blown up, only to return without so much as a scratch for the next scene. Some wield guns and use them to threaten their enemies.

Sexy Stuff

Mild insinuation as characters make advances on love interests. Some kissing, but mostly starry eyes and dreamy sighs, especially on the part of the females.

Language

"Stupid."

Consumerism

Looney Tunes is a longstanding and multifaceted marketing conglomerate, all inspired by recognizable characters such as Porky Pig, Daffy Duck, and Bugs Bunny. Their images grace everything from snack foods to children's books, and they've starred in numerous TV series and movies.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

In some stories, characters take pills, smoke, and drink what's assumed to be alcohol, from which they usually show signs of being drunk (wooziness, stumbling).

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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that Looney Tunes is a classic cartoon that's been through many reincarnations starring its popular characters such as Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig, Wile E. Coyote, and Daffy Duck. Older episodes reflect the cultural leanings of the time and often show stereotypes of minorities and women that are offensive by today's standards. This cartoon is probably best known for its use of physical gags for humor, particularly between rivals such as Sylvester Cat and Tweety Bird, so you'll see characters hit, kicked, crushed, stretched, tied in knots, tied to a railroad track, shot (no blood or injury beyond a blackened face), and blown up, none of which lasts beyond a scene change.

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User Reviews

Parents say
Kids say

Adult Written bydanny800 April 5, 2019

age 14+

looney tunes was not for kids

i think looney tunes was not for kids because it had lots of Suicide gags Adult humor racist stereotyping and world war 2 references characters point guns up t... Continue reading

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Parent of a 10-year-old Written byJudith B. April 3, 2018

age 10+

Pretty iffy and has racist scenes.

I don't think it's for 7 and up, I think it's for 10 and up. It has racist scenes like in one episode where Bugs Bunny pretends to be a slave. Ot... Continue reading

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Teen, 13 years old Written byDaffyDuck12 May 4, 2020

age 10+

Good But Violent

I Love Looney Tunes. I think it is hilarious and violent. But definitely too violent for kids under 10. Characters are crushed shot and blown up. There are som... Continue reading

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Teen, 14 years old Written byDogcat April 26, 2020

age 2+

Annoying.

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What's the story?

LOONEY TUNES is a classic TV franchise that introduced such iconic characters as Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig, Yosemite Sam, Foghorn Leghorn, Pepé Le Pew, Tasmanian Devil, and Daffy Duck (all voiced by Mel Blanc) in animated shorts during the 1940s through the 1960s. Notorious feuds such as those of Wile E. Coyote (Blanc again) and the Road Runner; Elmer Fudd (Arthur Q. Bryan; later Blanc) and Bugs Bunny; and Sylvester the Cat (Blanc) and Tweety Bird (Blanc) evolved during the course of Looney Tunes' original run. Many of the characters and plots have been revisited in numerous reincarnations of the characters in the years since Warner Bros. first brought them to the small screen.

Is it any good?

There's a reason this show and its characters continue to inspire reimaginings so many years after it first came on the scene. Looney Tunes has become a catch-all phrase for both the collection of cartoons starring these animated celebrities and the characters themselves. Either way, the name is synonymous with hilarious gags, longstanding rivalries, and colorful characters who rarely disappoint fans looking for some laughs. Though the humor's not particularly edgy (you've gotta be a fan of anvil-dropping, shotgun-blasting comedy), you'll see the universal appeal that's given these characters such longevity.

For all the violence they generate, the tortured rivalries are undeniably fun to watch, and the show's superb use of music as a plot device adds so much to the shorts. It's worth noting that many of the early episodes reflect their time in racial stereotypes, drinking, and other now-controversial content, so much so that some have been edited for TV viewing, although not always for DVDs.

Talk to your kids about ...

Families can talk about how Looney Tunes reflects the changes in society's tolerance for stereotypes and violence. Do you see a difference between the content of older episodes and newer ones? Why were racial stereotypes in particular considered acceptable during the mid-1900s?
Can any harm come from watching the kind of inconsequential violence for which this show is known? How has the content of cartoons changed over time and for what reasons?
How do you account for the longevity of these characters? Which are your favorites, and why? Can you point to any modern animated characters you think might enjoy similar extended popularity?