Looney Tunes Writer Responds To Fans Upset That Elmer Fudd Isn’t Armed

One of the writers who worked on the new Looney Tunes TV show for Warner Bros. responded to fans who are upset they didn’t use guns in the series. Michael Ruocco, who also worked as a storyboarder on the series in addition to writing for it, penned a series of tweets responding to people who reacted negatively to recent comments by showrunner Peter Browngardt that guns won’t feature in any of the new animated shorts.

The new shorts, which run anywhere from one to six minutes, debuted on HBO Max at the launch of the streaming service and quickly became the most popular show on the platform. The shorts feature all of the classic hallmarks of a Looney Tunes cartoon – sticks of dynamite, barrels of TNT, cartoon cannons and Bugs Bunny foiling Elmer Fudd’s attempts to capture him. All of the fan favorite characters are featured too, including Bugs, Fudd, Yosemite Sam, Daffy Duck, Tweety Bird, Sylvester and others. But one thing that is missing is the use of guns. Eagle-eyed fans noticed that Fudd’s hunting rifle is missing from the series, along with Sam’s trademark six-shooters. As a result, Browngardt was asked if it was a conscious decision, and the showrunner responded in the affirmative.

That news, though, seems to have caused some controversy, especially among the more right-leaning news media, who feel the decision takes political correctness too far. Ruocco felt he needed to respond to the criticism that’s been levelled at the series and did so in a series of tweets that take the critics down. He says that the number of “gun gags” the team would have been able to do would have been “few” and that the best ideas had already been done on the classic series. He also asked people to look at the shorts in context, saying they were produced around the time of the Las Vegas mass shooting and that “nobody wanted to touch guns” in a media context at the time. He goes on to say he doesn’t miss Fudd’s use of guns, and questions whether people have the right priorities if they’re getting so upset over a cartoon character’s rifle. You can see the tweet thread below.

Ruocco ended the thread by posting a hand-drawn image of Bugs shoving a carrot in Fudd’s mouth and saying “Okay boomer” in the direction of the viewer. It’s a pointed and direct comment on those who are complaining about the lack of guns in the show.

Whether fans like the decision or not, it’s clear that the creative minds behind the show stand by their choice, and won’t be swayed, no matter how loud their critics shout. And regardless, the show is incredibly popular and has clearly not suffered from the controversy. You can stream Looney Tunes on HBO Max now, and decide for yourself.

Source: Michael Ruocco/Twitter

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Daniel Gillespie
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Daniel Gillespie has been a writer and editor since 2009.

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